1997–98 Arsenal F.C. season

Arsenal
1997–98 season
ChairmanPeter Hill-Wood
ManagerArsène Wenger
StadiumHighbury
Premier League1st
FA CupWinners
Football League CupSemi-finals
UEFA CupFirst round
Top goalscorerLeague:
Dennis Bergkamp (16)

All:
Dennis Bergkamp (22)
Highest home attendance38,269 (vs Everton, 3 May)
Lowest home attendance37,164 (vs Crystal Palace, 15 February)
Average home league attendance37,277

The 1997–98 season was Arsenal Football Club's sixth season in the Premier League and their 72nd consecutive season in the top flight of English football. Managed by Arsène Wenger in 1st of 24 seasons, the club ended the campaign winning the league championship for the first time in seven years. At Wembley Stadium, Arsenal beat Newcastle United 2–0 in the 1998 FA Cup Final to win the competition and complete a domestic double – the second in the club's history and the first since 1970–71. Arsenal exited the League Cup in the semi-finals to Chelsea and lost on aggregate score to PAOK in the UEFA Cup first round.

In the transfer window, Arsenal purchased several players, including midfielders Marc Overmars and Emmanuel Petit and goalkeeper Alex Manninger; English midfielder Paul Merson departed to join Middlesbrough. Arsenal began the league season relatively well, but a run of three defeats in four matches between November and December 1997 left the team in sixth position before Christmas, and seemingly out of championship contention. Although they were 12 points behind reigning champions Manchester United at the end of February, a winning streak of ten matches ensured Arsenal won the championship with a 4–0 win over Everton on 3 May 1998.

In recognition of the team's achievement, Wenger was awarded the Carling Manager of the Year award and striker Dennis Bergkamp was given the accolade of PFA Players' Player of the Year by his fellow peers and FWA Footballer of the Year by football writers.

Background

In the 1996–97 season, Arsenal contested in the Premier League. The club, having dismissed manager Bruce Rioch before the beginning of the league season, appointed French manager Arsène Wenger, in a contract worth £2 million. Arsenal led the league table for much of November, but defeat to Nottingham Forest on 21 December 1996 concurred with no wins in December. Two draws and defeats in February moved Arsenal into fourth position; a previous defeat to Liverpool at home a month earlier left Wenger ruling the club out of the title race. On the final day of the season, Arsenal beat Derby County 3–1 at the Baseball Ground, finishing third on goal difference. The team, thus, qualified for the UEFA Cup, missing out on UEFA Champions League qualification to second place Newcastle United.

Transfers

The major departure of the 1997–98 season for Arsenal was midfielder Paul Merson, who joined Middlesbrough in a £4.5 million deal, replacing Juninho. Wenger said of the move, "You are never happy to lose a player of his calibre but it is a good deal for him and for the club." Middlesbrough intended to sign David Platt, but a move never came to fruition, as talks broke down between both parties. Defender Matthew Rose and goalkeeper Lee Harper joined Queens Park Rangers for a combined fee of £750,000.

Arriving first during the summer was English defender Matthew Upson from Luton Town. French midfielders Emmanuel Petit and Gilles Grimandi joined from Monaco, where they were protégées to Wenger. Marc Overmars, a midfielder from Ajax, was recruited in a £7 million deal and spoke of his delight at joining Arsenal in his press conference: "I like English football because there is more space. With my speed and quality I think it will be good for me here." Deals for midfielders Luís Boa Morte and Alberto Méndez striker Christopher Wreh and goalkeeper Alex Manninger were also finalised before August.

In

No. Position Player Transferred from Fee Date Ref
20 DF Matthew Upson Luton Town £1.2M 10 May 1997
18 DF Gilles Grimandi Monaco £1.75M 4 June 1997
21 MF Luís Boa Morte Sporting CP £1.75M 14 June 1997
23 MF Alberto Méndez 1. SC Feucht £250,000 17 June 1997
11 MF Marc Overmars Ajax £7.0M 1 July 1997
17 MF Emmanuel Petit Monaco £3.5M 1 July 1997
13 GK Alex Manninger Grazer AK £1.0M 3 July 1997
12 FW Christopher Wreh Monaco £300,000 7 August 1997

Out

No. Position Player Transferred to Fee Date Ref
31 DF Matthew Rose Queens Park Rangers £500,000 20 May 1997
29 MF Adrian Clarke Southend United Free 31 May 1997
9 MF Paul Merson Middlesbrough £4.5M 7 July 1997
26 GK Lee Harper Queens Park Rangers £250,000 9 July 1997
27 MF Paul Shaw Millwall £300,000 15 September 1997
22 MF Ian Selley Fulham £500,000 17 October 1997
29 MF Glenn Helder NAC Breda £150,000 24 October 1997
36 MF Jehad Muntasser Bristol City Free 30 January 1998

Pre-season

Key
8 July 1997 (1997-07-08) Friendly St Albans City 1–4 Arsenal St Albans
19:30 BST Martin 73' Report Grimandi 5'
Rankin ?'
Shaw ?', ?'
12 July 1997 (1997-07-12) Friendly Leyton Orient 0–1 Arsenal London
15:00 BST Report Shaw 4' Stadium: Brisbane Road
20 July 1997 (1997-07-20) Friendly Stade Nyonnais Switzerland 0–4 Arsenal Nyon
Report Boa Morte 3'
Méndez ?'
Overmars ?'
Bergkamp ?'
Attendance: 1,400
25 July 1997 (1997-07-25) Friendly Strasbourg France 1–2 Arsenal Strasbourg
20:00 CEST Zitelli 38' Report Garde 45'
Wright 54'
Stadium: Stade de la Meinau
Attendance: 12,000
Referee: M. Léon
30 July 1997 (1997-07-30) Nike Challenge Cup PSV Netherlands 1–0 Arsenal Eindhoven
19:30 CEST Iwan 66' Report Stadium: Philips Stadion
Attendance: 15,000
2 August 1997 (1997-08-02) Friendly Sittingbourne 2–5 Arsenal Sittingbourne
Planck 51'
Miller 74'
Report Anelka 10', 43'
Boa Morte 26'
Kiwomya 45'
Hughes 47'
Stadium: Central Park
Attendance: 3,349
4 August 1997 (1997-08-04) Friendly Norwich City 2–6 Arsenal Norwich
19:45 BST Eadie 64'
Adams 89'
Report Wright 6', 28', 58'
Grimandi 15', 46'
Bergkamp 17'
Stadium: Carrow Road
Attendance: 10,950

Premier League

August–October

Arsenal's league campaign started on 9 August 1997 with an away fixture at Leeds United. The match ended in a 1–1 draw; Ian Wright scored his first goal of the season, before a mix up in defence meant Leeds striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink equalised for the home team. Two days later, Wright scored both goals in Arsenal's 2–0 win at home to Coventry City, leaving him one goal away from equalling Cliff Bastin's club goalscoring record. The following week, two goals from Dennis Bergkamp and a debut goal from Marc Overmars helped Arsenal to win at Southampton. In spite of Bergkamp scoring a hat-trick against Leicester City, Arsenal drew the match 3–3, having conceded a third in the sixth minute of stoppage time. A further draw, at home to rivals Tottenham Hotpsur, for whom defender Sol Campbell particularly impressed, meant Arsenal ended August in fifth position.

Wright scored his 179th goal for Arsenal against Bolton Wanderers and broke the club goal-scoring record with his first of three goals in a 4–1 win at Highbury. Manager Arsène Wenger praised the striker's achievement, adding "He is fantastic for the timing of his movement. It is so intelligent when he has not got the ball." Arsenal faced Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 21 September 1997; at 2–2, a late goal by left-back Nigel Winterburn from 25 yards ended the home team's resistance, who went down to ten men after Frank Leboeuf was sent off. September ended with a third consecutive win, against West Ham United. Goals from Bergkamp, Wright and Overmars helped Arsenal move to the top of the league table, one point above champions Manchester United. The month ended with a 2–2 draw against Everton at Goodison Park; Wright and Overmars scored Arsenal's goals. October began with a 5–0 win at home to promoted Barnsley, but two goalless draws – first at Crystal Palace and then to Aston Villa - meant Manchester United moved a point ahead of Arsenal.

November–February

Arsenal's first fixture of November was against Derby County at the newly built Pride Park Stadium. Arsenal were awarded a penalty kick in the first half after Patrick Vieira was fouled by Lee Carsley; Wright hit the penalty, which ricocheted off the crossbar. Two goals by Paulo Wanchope and a late strike by Dean Sturridge condemned Arsenal to their first defeat of the league season. When Arsenal played Manchester United on 9 November, they needed a win to stay one point behind the league leaders. Wenger admitted in his pre-match comments that a second successive defeat would make it "difficult" for them to catch Manchester United, but not "impossible". Striker Nicolas Anelka, standing in for Bergkamp, scored his first goal for Arsenal and Vieira added a second, leaving goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel rattled. Although Teddy Sheringham scored twice for Manchester United to level the score, midfielder David Platt headed into the far corner with seven minutes left of the match to score the winner for Arsenal. Wenger said of the win: "This result is good for the English game because it will stimulate interest in the Premier League" and opposing manager Alex Ferguson half agreed: "A one-horse race is not good for the game." Arsenal failed to capitalise on the result, losing to Sheffield Wednesday and Liverpool in a period where the team were depleted due to injuries.

A goal from Wright against Newcastle United, his first in seven matches, was enough to earn victory away at St James' Park. Arsenal lost 1–3 to Blackburn Rovers the following week, denting their chances of closing the gap on leaders Manchester United. The match was overshadowed by Wright being booed off by supporters because of his performance, who responded by appearing "at the window of the east stand clad in vest and underpants haranguing the crowd." Arsenal began the Christmas period with a fixture against Wimbledon; the game was abandoned by referee Dermot Gallagher due to floodlight failure and rescheduled for a later date. On Boxing Day, an own goal by Steve Walsh helped Arsenal beat Leicester City 2–1 at Highbury. A draw at Tottenham Hotspur, who were welcoming the return of Jürgen Klinsmann, left Arsenal in sixth at the end of the calendar year, 12 points behind Manchester United.

In the first league match of 1998, Overmars scored twice to earn Arsenal a win against Leeds United. The team drew 2–2 at Coventry City a week later, losing more ground at the top of the table. January came to a conclusion with a 3–0 victory over Southampton, with all three goals scored in the space of seven minutes. A further two wins in February, at home to Chelsea and Crystal Palace, moved Arsenal into second place, nine points behind Manchester United, albeit having played two games less.

March–May

Arsenal dropped two points against West Ham United on 2 March with a goalless draw at Upton Park. The following match, they closed the gap to six points after Manchester United could also only manage to draw against West Ham, but dropped to third position. A goal from Christopher Wreh in the rescheduled match at Wimbledon was enough to move Arsenal into second and set up a title clash between themselves and Manchester United on 14 March 1998. The result, moreover, reopened betting after Manchester bookmaker Fred Done decided to pay out on punters who backed Manchester United. After numerous attempts to break the deadlock in the match, Arsenal scored with 15 minutes left of the match; Overmars latched onto a header by Anelka and managed to flick the ball beyond the goalkeeper. When asked which team was in the best position going into the final games of the season, Wenger told Sky Sports that United had a "small advantage" over the rest; Ferguson, however, warned that it would be "inevitable" for Arsenal to drop points. Two 1–0 wins, first at home to Sheffield Wednesday and then Bolton Wanderers, meant Arsenal kept an eighth successive clean sheet, a new league record.

Arsenal beat Newcastle United 3–1 to move within four points of Manchester United in early April. The return of Bergkamp from a three-match suspension helped Arsenal to trounce Blackburn Rovers; the team scored three goals in the space of the opening 14 minutes. Manchester United's failure to beat Newcastle United meant Arsenal went top of the league table after beating Wimbledon 5–0. Victory against Barnsley and then at home against Derby County four days later meant Arsenal needed one more win become league champions, regardless of Manchester United's results. Although Bergkamp was ruled out for the remainder of the season after sustaining an injury against Derby, Arsenal eased to a 4–0 win against Everton to become the first club other than Manchester United or Blackburn Rovers to win the Premier League. With a run of ten straight victories, a new record, was set, and Wenger became the first non-British manager to lead a team to win the league championship. Arsenal lost their final two matches of the league season, choosing to rest players for the upcoming FA Cup Final.

Match results

9 August 1997 (1997-08-09) 1 Leeds United 1–1 Arsenal Leeds
15:00 BST Hasselbaink 42'
Bowyer Yellow card
Report Wright 35'
Garde Yellow card
Grimandi Yellow card
Vieira Yellow card
Petit Yellow card 71'
Stadium: Elland Road
Attendance: 37,993
Referee: Dermot Gallagher (Oxfordshire)
11 August 1997 (1997-08-11) 2 Arsenal 2–0 Coventry City London
20:00 BST Wright 29', 47'
Garde Yellow card
Report Shaw Yellow card
Williams Yellow card
Telfer Yellow card
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 37,324
Referee: Keith Burge (Rhondda)
23 August 1997 (1997-08-23) 3 Southampton 1–3 Arsenal Southampton
15:00 BST Maddison 25'
Monkou Yellow card
Report Overmars 20'
Bould Yellow card
Bergkamp 57', 79' Yellow card
Wright Yellow card
Stadium: The Dell
Attendance: 15,246
Referee: David Elleray (London)
27 August 1997 4 Leicester City 3–3 Arsenal Leicester
20:00 BST Heskey 84'
Elliott Yellow card 90'
Walsh 90'
Kaamark Yellow card
Lennon Yellow card
Prior Yellow card
Report 9', 61', 90' Yellow card Bergkamp
Yellow card Bould
Yellow card Parlour
Stadium: Filbert Street
Attendance: 21,089
30 August 1997 5 Arsenal 0–0 Tottenham Hotspur London
15:00 BST Bergkamp Yellow card
Bould Yellow card
Wright Yellow card
Report Yellow card Campbell
Yellow card Carr
Yellow card Dominguez
Red card 44' Edinburgh
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,102
13 September 1997 6 Arsenal 4–1 Bolton Wanderers London
15:00 BST Wright 20', 25', 81'
Parlour 44'
Vieira Yellow card
Report 13' Thompson
Yellow card Taggart
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,138
21 September 1997 7 Chelsea 2–3 Arsenal London
16:00 BST Poyet 40'
Zola 60'
Wise Yellow card
Leboeuf Red card 67'
Report 45', 59' Yellow card Bergkamp
89' Winterburn
Yellow card Bould
Yellow card Grimandi
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 33,102
24 September 1997 8 Arsenal 4–0 West Ham United London
20:00 BST Bergkamp 12'
Overmars 39', 45'
Wright 42' (pen.)
Report Yellow card Dowie
Yellow card Lampard
Yellow card Lomas
Yellow card Unsworth
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,102
27 September 1997 9 Everton 2–2 Arsenal Liverpool
19:45 Ball 49'
Cadamarteri 56'
Report 32' Wright
41' Overmars
Stadium: Goodison Park
Attendance: 35,457
4 October 1997 10 Arsenal 5–0 Barnsley London
15:00 BST Bergkamp 25', 32'
Parlour 45'
Platt 63'
Wright 76'
Report Yellow card Arjan de Zeeuw
Yellow card Thompson
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,049
18 October 1997 11 Crystal Palace 0–0 Arsenal London
15:00 BST Linighan Yellow card Report Yellow card Bergkamp
Yellow card Boa Morte
Yellow card Grimandi
Yellow card Vieira
Yellow card Wright
Stadium: Selhurst Park
Attendance: 26,180
26 October 1997 12 Arsenal 0–0 Aston Villa London
16:00 GMT Bould Yellow card
Seaman Yellow card
Vieira Yellow card
Petit Red card 83'
Report Yellow card Southgate Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,061
1 November 1997 13 Derby County 3–0 Arsenal Derby
15:00 GMT Wanchope Yellow card 46', 65'
Sturridge 82'
Rowett Yellow card
Report Yellow card Boa Morte
Yellow card Bould
Yellow card Winterburn
Stadium: Pride Park Stadium
Attendance: 30,004
9 November 1997 14 Arsenal 3–2 Manchester United London
16:00 GMT Anelka 7'
Vieira 27'
Platt Yellow card 83'
Wright Yellow card
Report 33', 41' Sheringham
Yellow card P. Neville
Yellow card Scholes
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,205
22 November 1997 15 Sheffield Wednesday 2–0 Arsenal Sheffield
15:00 GMT Booth 42'
Whittingham 86'
Atherton Yellow card
Nolan Yellow card
Report Yellow card Adams
Yellow card Grimandi
Yellow card Platt
Stadium: Hillborough
Attendance: 34,373
30 November 1997 16 Arsenal 0–1 Liverpool London
16:00 GMT Adams Yellow card
Dixon Yellow card
Report 55' McManaman
Yellow card Bjørnebye
Yellow card Matteo
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,094
6 December 1997 17 Newcastle United 0–1 Arsenal Newcastle
15:00 GMT Report 36' Wright
Yellow card Adams
Yellow card Petit
Stadium: St. James' Park
Attendance: 36,751
13 December 1997 18 Arsenal 1–3 Blackburn Rovers London
15:00 GMT Overmars 18'
Adams Yellow card
Bergkamp Yellow card
Parlour Yellow card
Wright Yellow card
Report 57' Wilcox
65' Gallacher
89' Sherwood
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,147
22 December 1997 19 Wimbledon v Arsenal London
--:-- Stadium: Selhurst Park
Note: Abandoned due to floodlight problems.
26 December 1997 20 Arsenal 2–1 Leicester City London
12:00 GMT Platt 36'
Walsh 56' (o.g.)
Winterburn Yellow card
Report 77' Lennon
Yellow card Campbell
Yellow card Elliott
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,023
28 December 1997 21 Tottenham Hotspur 1–1 Arsenal London
19:45 Nielson 28'
Campbell Yellow card
Wilson Yellow card
Report 62' Parlour
Yellow card Bould
Yellow card Keown
Stadium: White Hart Lane
Attendance: 29,610
10 January 1998 22 Arsenal 2–1 Leeds United London
15:00 GMT Overmars 60' 72' Report 69' Hasselbaink
Yellow card Halle
Yellow card Maybury
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,018
17 January 1998 23 Coventry City 2–2 Arsenal Coventry
19:45 Whelan Yellow card 21'
Dublin 66' (pen.)
Telfer Yellow card
Williams Red card 79'
Report 50' Bergkamp
57' Anelka
Yellow card Grimandi
Yellow card Parlour
Yellow cardRed card 65' Vieira
Stadium: Highfield Road
Attendance: 22,864
31 January 1998 24 Arsenal 3–0 Southampton London
15:00 GMT Bergkamp 62'
adams Yellow card 67'
Anelka 67'
Platt Yellow card
Report Yellow card Dodd
Yellow card Hirst
Yellow card Monkou
Yellow card Richardson
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,056
8 February 1998 25 Arsenal 2–0 Chelsea London
16:00 GMT S. Hughes 4', 42'
Bergkamp Yellow card
Bould Yellow card
Parlour Yellow card
Report Di Matteo Yellow card
Leboeuf Yellow card
Vialli Yellow card
Wise Yellow card
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,083
21 February 1998 26 Arsenal 1–0 Crystal Palace London
19:45 Grimandi 49'
Anelka Yellow card
Dixon Yellow card
Platt Yellow card
Report Yellow card Dyer
Yellow card Fullarton Yellow card
Hreiðarsson
Yellow card Roberts
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,094
2 March 1998 27 West Ham United 0–0 Arsenal London
19:45 Report Yellow card Vieira Stadium: Boleyn Ground
Attendance: 25,717
11 March 1998 19 Wimbledon 0–1 Arsenal London
19:45 Perry Yellow card Report 21' Wreh Stadium: Selhurst Park
Attendance: 22,291
14 March 1998 28 Manchester United 0–1 Arsenal Manchester
11:15 GMT Yellow card G. Neville
Yellow card Sheringham
Report 79' Overmars
Yellow card Adams
Yellow card Anelka
Yellow card Dixon
Stadium: Old Trafford
Attendance: 55,174
28 March 1998 29 Arsenal 1–0 Sheffield Wednesday London
15:00 GMT Bergkamp 35' Report Yellow card Atherton
Yellow card Barrett
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,087
31 March 1998 30 Bolton Wanderers 0–1 Arsenal Bolton
20:00 Cox Yellow card Report 47' Wreh
Yellow card Bould
Yellow cardRed card 65' Keown
Stadium: Reebok Stadium
Attendance: 25,000
11 April 1998 31 Arsenal 3–1 Newcastle United London
15:00 BST Anelka 41', 64'
Vieira 72'
Report Yellow card Albert
Yellow card Barton 79'
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,102
13 April 1998 32 Blackburn Rovers 1–4 Arsenal Blackburn
20:00 BST Gallacher 51' Report 2' Bergkamp
7', 14' Parlour
42' Anelka
Yellow card Garde
Yellow card Petit
Yellow card Vieira
Stadium: Ewood Park
Attendance: 28,212
18 April 1998 33 Arsenal 5–0 Wimbledon London
15:00 BST Adams 12'
Overmars 17'
Bergkamp 19'
Petit 54'
Wreh 88'
Report Yellow card Hughes Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,024
25 April 1998 34 Barnsley 0–2 Arsenal Barnsley
15:00 BST Ward Yellow card Report 23' Bergkamp
76' Overmars
Yellow card Petit
Yellow card Winterburn
Stadium: Oakwell
Attendance: 18,691
29 April 1998 35 Arsenal 1–0 Derby County London
20:00 Petit 34'
Parlour Yellow card
Report Yellow card Carsley
Dailly
Yellow card Delap
Yellow card Sturridge
Yellow card Wanchope
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,121
3 May 1998 36 Arsenal 4–0 Everton London
16:00 BST Bilić 6' (o.g.)
Overmars 28', 57'
Adams 89'
Dixon Yellow card
Report Yellow card Barmby
Yellow card Ferguson
Yellow card Hutchison
Yellow card O'Kane
Yellow card Oster
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,269
6 May 1998 37 Liverpool 4–0 Arsenal Liverpool
19:45 Ince 28', 30'
Owen 40'
Leonhardsen 87'
Report Stadium: Anfield
Attendance: 44,417
10 May 1998 38 Aston Villa 1–0 Arsenal Birmingham
16:00 GMT Yorke 37' (pen.)
Draper Yellow card
Ehiogu Yellow card
Ehiogu Red card 24'
Report Yellow card Grimandi
Yellow card Vieira
Yellow card Wright
Stadium: Villa Park
Attendance: 39,372

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Arsenal (C) 38 23 9 6 68 33 +35 78 Qualification for the Champions League group stage
2 Manchester United 38 23 8 7 73 26 +47 77 Qualification for the Champions League second qualifying round
3 Liverpool 38 18 11 9 68 42 +26 65 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
4 Chelsea 38 20 3 15 71 43 +28 63 Qualification for the Cup Winners' Cup first round
5 Leeds United 38 17 8 13 57 46 +11 59 Qualification for the UEFA Cup first round
Source: Premier League
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champion
Notes:
  1. ^ Chelsea qualified for the Cup Winners' Cup as defending champions. As they were also the League Cup winners, the UEFA Cup berth vacated was awarded to Blackburn Rovers.
  2. ^ Aston Villa was rewarded entry to the UEFA Cup through UEFA Fair Play ranking.

Results summary

Overall Home Away
Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts W D L GF GA GD W D L GF GA GD
38 23 9 6 68 33  +35 78 15 2 2 43 10  +33 8 7 4 25 23  +2

Source:

Results by round

Round1234567891011121314151617181920212223242526272829303132333435363738
GroundAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHHAAHAHAHAHHAA
ResultDWWDDWWWDWDDLWLLWLWWDWDWWWDWWWWWWWWWLL
Position81235421111222354566555522222222111111
Source:
A = Away; H = Home; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss

FA Cup

Arsenal entered the competition in the third round, receiving a bye as a Premier League club. Their opening match was a goalless draw against First Division club Port Vale at home, meaning the game was replayed at Vale Park eleven days later. Arsenal won the replay 4–3 in a penalty shoot-out, having drawn 1–1 in extra time. In the fourth round, Arsenal played Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium. Overmars scored the opening goal inside 68 seconds for the visitors and Parlour added a second to give Arsenal a commanding lead going into the interval. Although Paul Merson scored in the second half for Middlesbrough, Arsenal did enough to progress into the fifth round. A 0–0 draw at home against Crystal Palace meant Arsenal needed to play a fifth round replay at Selhurst Park on 25 February. Goals from Anelka and Bergkamp ensured victory for an under-strength Arsenal team. Against West Ham United in the quarter-finals, Arsenal conceded the first goal when Frank Lampard's corner kick was converted into the goal net by Ian Pearce through a first-time shot. Although Bergkamp scored a penalty to equalise, Arsenal had to settle for a replay at Upton Park, which ended 4–3 on penalties after another draw. A goal from Wreh against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the semi-finals meant Arsenal reached their 13th FA Cup final.

On 16 May 1998, Arsenal contested the 1998 FA Cup Final against Newcastle United. Without first-choice striker Bergkamp, Wenger partnered Anelka with Wreh, leaving Wright on the substitutes bench. Arsenal scored in the 23rd minute; Overmars sprinted onto a pass from Petit, and used his pace to get past Alessandro Pistone and toe-poke the ball between goalkeeper Shay Given's legs. Anelka scored in the second half, from a pass by Parlour to settle the match. In his post-match interview, Wenger praised the "remarkable" Overmars: "[It is] even more so when you realise that he has scored so many goals in important games that we needed to win."

3 January 1998 (1998-01-03) Third round Arsenal 0–0 Port Vale Highbury
15:00 Report Corden Yellow card
Porter Yellow card
Snijders Yellow card
Talbot Yellow card
Attendance: 37,471
Referee: Paul Alcock (Kent)
24 January 1998 (1998-01-24) Fourth round Middlesbrough 1–2 Arsenal Middlesbrough
19:45 Baker Yellow card 37'
Festa Yellow card 38'
Merson 62'
Report Overmars 2'
Parlour 19'
Stadium: Riverside Stadium
Attendance: 28,264
Referee: Mike Riley (West Yorkshire)
15 February 1998 (1998-02-15) Fifth round Arsenal 0–0 Crystal Palace London
14:00 Manninger Yellow card Report Dyer Yellow card Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 37,164
Referee: Martin Bodenham (Cornwall)
25 February 1998 (1998-02-25) Fifth round replay Crystal Palace 1–2 Arsenal London
19:45 Gordon Red card 26'
Dyer 35', Yellow card 38'
Ismaël Yellow card 64'
Report Anelka 2'
Bergkamp 28', Yellow card 39'
Platt Yellow card 37'
Keown Yellow card 38'
Upson Yellow card 66'
Stadium: Selhurst Park
Attendance: 15,674
Referee: Martin Bodenham (Cornwall)
8 March 1998 (1998-03-08) Sixth round Arsenal 1–1 West Ham United London
14:00 Bergkamp 26' (pen.) Report Pearce 12'
Potts Yellow card 21'
Lomas Yellow card 23'
Lampard Yellow card 82'
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,077
Referee: Mike Reed (Birmingham)
17 March 1998 (1998-03-17) Sixth round replay West Ham United 1–1 (a.e.t.)
(3–4 p)
Arsenal London
19:45 Abou Yellow card 40'
Hartson 84'
Lomas Yellow card 119'
Report Bergkamp Red card 32'
Anelka 45'
Garde Yellow card 51'
Boa Morte Yellow card 100'
S. Hughes Yellow card 102'
Winterburn Yellow card 111'
Stadium: Upton Park
Attendance: 25,859
Referee: Mike Reed (Birmingham)
Penalties
Unsworth soccer ball with check mark
Hartson soccer ball with red X
Lampard soccer ball with check mark
Berkovic soccer ball with red X
Lomas soccer ball with check mark
Abou soccer ball with red X
Hughes soccer ball with check mark
Wreh soccer ball with red X
Boa Morte soccer ball with check mark
Garde soccer ball with red X
Vieira soccer ball with check mark
Adams soccer ball with check mark
5 April 1998 (1998-04-05) Semi-final Wolverhampton Wanderers 0–1 Arsenal Birmingham
12:00 Williams Yellow card 88' Report Wreh 12'
Grimandi Yellow card 37'
Parlour Yellow card 54'
Stadium: Villa Park
Attendance: 39.372
Referee: Stephen Lodge (South Yorkshire)
16 May 1998 (1998-05-16) Final Arsenal 2–0 Newcastle United London
15:00 Overmars 23'
Winterburn Yellow card 51'
Anelka 69'
Report Shearer Yellow card 45'
Barton Yellow card 48'
Howey Yellow card 53'
Dabizas Yellow card 70'
Stadium: Wembley Stadium
Attendance: 79,813
Referee: Paul Durkin (Dorset)

League Cup

Arsenal entered the Football League Cup in the third round along with the other clubs playing in European football, and were drawn at home to First Division club Birmingham City. The tie ended 1–1 after normal time; goals from Luís Boa Morte, Platt and Alberto Méndez helped Arsenal win 4–1 in extra time. They needed extra time the following round to beat Coventry City, and in the fifth round, beat West Ham United 2–1 at Upton Park. Arsenal exited the competition in the semi-finals, losing 4–3 on aggregate to Chelsea.

14 October 1997 (1997-10-14) Third round Arsenal 4–1 (a.e.t.) Birmingham City London
19:45 Boa Morte 62', 108'
Platt 99' (pen.)
Méndez 113'
Dixon Yellow card
Marshall Yellow card
Upson Yellow card
Crowe Red card 91'
Report Hey 20'
Grainger Yellow card
Ndlovu Yellow card
Wassall Red card 83'
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 27,097
Referee: Uriah Rennie (South Yorkshire)
18 November 1997 (1997-11-18) Fourth round Arsenal 1–0 (a.e.t.) Coventry City London
19:45 Bergkamp 99' Report Burrows Yellow card
Haworth Yellow card
Shaw Yellow card
Williams Yellow card
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 30,199
Referee: Gerald Ashby (Worcestershire)
6 January 1998 (1998-01-06) Quarter-final West Ham United 1–2 Arsenal London
19:45 Abou 75'
Ferdinand Yellow card
Unsworth Yellow card
Report Wright 25'
Overmars 52'
Grimandi Yellow card
Petit Yellow card
Vieira Yellow card
Winterburn Yellow card
Stadium: Upton Park
Attendance: 24,770
Referee: Graham Barber (Hertfordshire)
28 January 1998 (1998-01-28) Semi-final, first leg Arsenal 2–1 Chelsea London
19:45 Overmars 23'
S. Hughes 47'
Bergkamp Yellow card
Grimandi Yellow card
Report M. Hughes 68'
Duberry Yellow card
Le Saux Yellow card
Newton Yellow card
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 38,114
Referee: Martin Bodenham (Cornwall)
18 February 1998 (1998-02-18) Semi-final, second leg Chelsea 3–1
(4–3 agg.)
Arsenal London
19:45 M. Hughes 10'
Di Matteo 51'
Petrescu 53'
Clarke Yellow card
Duberry Yellow card
M. Hughes Yellow card
Wise Yellow card
Report Adams Yellow card
Dixon Yellow card
Parlour Yellow card
Vieira Yellow card 48' Red card
Petit Yellow card 75'
Bergkamp 82' (pen.)
Stadium: Stamford Bridge
Attendance: 34,330
Referee: Graham Poll (Hertfordshire)

UEFA Cup

Arsenal entered the UEFA Cup first round, having finished third in the league the previous season. They were drawn to play PAOK, a Greek club noted for hooligan problems. Arsenal lost the first leg 1–0 at the Toumba Stadium, with midfielder Kostas Frantzeskos scoring the winner. Although Bergkamp levelled the game on aggregate score 22 minutes into the second leg, a late goal scored by Zisis Vryzas meant Arsenal did not progress past the first round for the second successive season. Wenger later commented that he was not too unhappy about the team's exit, by saying "To be honest, the only European competition that really interests me is the Champions League".

16 September 1997 (1997-09-16) First leg PAOK Greece 1–0 England Arsenal Thessaloniki
20:45 EEST Tasiopoulos Yellow card 19'
Frantzeskos 61'
Zoumpoulis Yellow card 71'
Zafeiriou Yellow card 78'
Zagorakis Yellow card 87'
Report Wright Yellow card 30'
Adams Yellow card 69'
Vieira Yellow card 89'
Stadium: Toumba Stadium
Attendance: 42,000
Referee: Manuel Díaz Vega (Spain)
30 September 1997 (1997-09-30) Second leg Arsenal England 1–1
(1–2 agg.)
Greece PAOK London
20:00 BST Bergkamp 22'
Dixon Yellow card 23'
Adams Yellow card 65'
Report Vryzas 87'
Tasiopoulos Yellow card 37'
Sidiropoulos Yellow card 74'
Stadium: Highbury
Attendance: 37,982
Referee: Michel Piraux (Belgium)

Awards

In recognition of the team's achievement, Wenger was awarded the Carling Manager of the Year award, saying he was "very proud and honoured" after collecting the prize. Bergkamp was given the accolade of PFA Players' Player of the Year by his fellow peers and FWA Footballer of the Year by football writers.

Player statistics

Numbers in parentheses denote appearances as substitute.
Players with name struck through and marked left the club during the playing season.
No. Pos. Nat. Name Premier League FA Cup League Cup UEFA Cup Total Discipline
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals A yellow rectangular card A red rectangular card
1 GK  ENG David Seaman 31 0 4 0 1 0 2 0 38 0 1 0
2 DF  ENG Lee Dixon 26 (2) 0 7 0 3 0 2 0 38 (2) 0 8 0
3 DF  ENG Nigel Winterburn 35 (1) 1 8 0 3 0 2 0 48 (1) 1 5 0
4 MF  FRA Patrick Vieira 31 (2) 2 8 (1) 0 2 0 2 0 43 (3) 2 10 2
5 DF  ENG Steve Bould 21 (3) 0 4 (1) 0 3 0 2 0 30 (4) 0 9 0
6 DF  ENG Tony Adams 26 3 6 0 2 0 2 0 36 3 7 0
7 MF  ENG David Platt 11 (20) 3 1 (3) 0 2 (2) 1 (2) 0 14 (27) 4 5 0
8 FW  ENG Ian Wright 22 (2) 10 1 0 1 1 2 0 26 (2) 11 7 0
9 FW  FRA Nicolas Anelka 16 (10) 6 8 (1) 3 3 0 1 (1) 0 28 (12) 9 2 0
10 FW  NED Dennis Bergkamp 28 16 7 3 4 2 1 1 40 22 9 1
11 MF  NED Marc Overmars 32 12 8 (1) 2 3 2 2 0 45 (1) 16 0 0
12 FW  LBR Christopher Wreh 7 (9) 3 2 (4) 1 1(2) 0 (1) 0 10 (16) 4 0 0
13 GK  AUT Alex Manninger 7 0 5 0 4 0 0 0 16 0 1 0
14 DF  ENG Martin Keown 18 0 7 0 2 0 0 0 27 0 4 1
15 MF  ENG Ray Parlour 34 5 7 1 4 0 2 0 47 6 7 0
17 MF  FRA Emmanuel Petit 32 2 7 0 3 0 2 0 44 2 6 1
18 DF  FRA Gilles Grimandi 16 (6) 1 3 (2) 0 4 0 0 0 23 (8) 1 9 0
19 DF  FRA Rémi Garde 6 (4) 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 7 (4) 0 4 0
20 DF  ENG Matthew Upson 5 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 8 0 1 0
21 MF  POR Luís Boa Morte 4 (11) 0 1 (3) 0 1 2 (1) 0 6 (15) 2 3 0
23 MF  GER Alberto Méndez 1 (2) 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 3 (2) 1 0 0
25 DF  SCO Scott Marshall 1 (2) 0 0 0 1 (1) 0 0 0 2 (3) 1 0 0
28 MF  ENG Stephen Hughes 7 (10) 2 3 (3) 0 3 (2) 1 0 0 13 (15) 3 1 0
30 DF  ENG Gavin McGowan (1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (1) 0 0 0
32 FW  ENG Isaiah Rankin (1) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 (1) 0 0 0
34 DF  ENG Jason Crowe 0 0 (1) 0 (1) 0 0 0 (2) 0 0 0
35 MF  ENG Paolo Vernazza 1 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 2 0 0 0
36 MF  LBY Jehad Muntasser 0 0 0 0 (1) 0 0 0 (1) 0 0 0

Source:

See also


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