Arsenal won 3-0, but more concerningly lost Pires, who was carried off and subsequently ruled out for the remainder of the season with medial knee ligament damage.
But we need to rectify the fact we concede goals at home. [68], A Jo Tessem equaliser for Southampton earned the visitors a point against Arsenal on 2 February 2002; in hindsight this proved to be the last time they dropped points in the league season. £19 million striker Ruud van Nistelrooy did what was expected of him by scoring 36 goals in all competitions and collecting the PFA Player of the Year award, but £28.1 million national record signing Juan Sebastián Verón was a major disappointment in midfield, though it was in defence where United were at their weakest following the shock departure of Jaap Stam to Lazio just after the start of the season, and the surprise acquisition of 35-year-old Frenchman Laurent Blanc as his successor.
Although they dominated most of the match and went a goal up, they succumbed to two late Michael Owen goals and lost 2–1.
[50] A mistake by Lauren presented David Dunn the chance to shoot "from 25 yards" and score. [114] Pires was named the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year, with five votes separating himself from Ruud van Nistelrooy; he said it was "a great honour" to receive the award, adding: "Times have been difficult with my injury, but this has given me something to smile about. Arsenal: Almunia, Lauren (Fabregas 83), Campbell (Hoyte 79), Cygan, Cole, Ljungberg, Flamini (Reyes 70), Vieira, Pires, Bergkamp, Henry. [95] In the 70th minute Arsenal took the lead: Adams found Wiltord in space, who in turn passed the ball towards Parlour – he kicked "from just beyond the arc", which flew into the top right corner. [88] Against Gillingham in the fifth round, Arsenal twice had their lead cancelled out, before Adams, making his long-awaited return, scored the match-winning goal. With tempers calmed at the start of the second period, United equalised again when Ronaldo scored from an acute angle after being fed by Giggs. Goalkeeper Richard Wright was signed as an earmarked understudy to David Seaman, while midfielder Giovanni van Bronckhorst and striker Francis Jeffers were purchased in big money moves from Rangers and Everton respectively.
[50] Henry's controlled effort looked to have been the winner for Arsenal, until a pass by Tugay caused goalkeeper Wright to "race out of his goal" – the loose ball was collected by Dunn who shot into the empty net.
"[10], Arsenal kicked off their pre-season in England playing, and beating both Boreham Wood,[25][26] and Rushden & Diamonds,[27] before flying to Austria to play a series of friendlies against Turkish club, Kocaelispor,[28][29], Spanish side Real Mallorca,[30] and Italian champions, Roma,[31][32] with mixed results. Manager Arsène Wenger was named Barclaycard Manager of the Year and midfielder Freddie Ljungberg received the player equivalent – the Barclaycard Player of the Year, in recognition of the team's achievement.
[108] The team responded with a 3–1 win against Italian champions Juventus; Ljungberg's second goal of the match and Arsenal's third involved a "wonderful piece of individual skill" by Bergkamp, as he held off two markers, before twisting and turning to find the Swede. Youth team coach and former player Mike Phelan was promoted to first-team coach and took over some of the assistant manager's responsibilities, but McClaren was not replaced until the summer of 2002, when Carlos Queiroz was appointed the new assistant manager.
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