Source: DSG
Premier League season: 2000-2001
Manchester United had won the FA Premier League in the both of the previous two seasons, on both occasions Arsenal finished as the runners-up. Sir Alex Ferguson (who had been knighted in June 1999) and Arsene Wenger were set to do battle once again to determine the 2000/2001 Premier League Champions.More than half of the 92 clubs in the Football League made at least one managerial change during the season.A fair share of those occurred in the top flight, with Martin O'Neill being the first after leaving Leicester City for Celtic and being replaced by Peter Taylor.Bradford City also replaced Chris Hutchings with Jim Jefferies after just 12 games and Gianluca Vialli was sacked by Chelsea who brought in another Italian, Claudio Ranieri. Towards the end of the season Tottenham had replaced George Graham with Southampton boss Glenn Hoddle who in turn was replaced by Stuart Gray.Bryan Robson resigned after seven years at Middlesbrough, with Steve McClaren taking the hot seat. The most shocking of all was perhaps Harry Redknapp leaving West Ham under mysterious circumstances after seven years in charge.He was sacked for making injudicious comments to a reporter from the club magazine and was replaced by inexperienced manager Glenn Roeder. Despite doing extremely well to survive in the previous season, Bradford City were relegated after accumulating just 26 points all season. They were joined in making the drop to Division One by Coventry City and Manchester City.Fulham, Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers were the three clubs who took their places in the Premier League for the following season.At the top end of the table, Arsenal were yet again the closest competitors to Manchester United.In February Arsenal suffered a 6-1 defeat at Old Trafford that crushed their slight hopes of winning the title.With the race officially over by April, Arsenal focused their attention on the FA Cup after booking their place in the first ever FA Cup final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. They beat local rivals Tottenham in the semi final before facing Liverpool in the final.Despite being just five minutes away from lifting the trophy courtesy of a Freddie Ljungberg goal, Michael Owen struck twice late on to condemn Arsenal to a third season without a trophy. Liverpool themselves had one of the most successful seasons in their history under Gerard Houllier.Alongside the FA Cup they also won the League Cup and UEFA Cup as well as a third place finish in the Premier League.Leeds United were below them in the table and they themselves had a successful European campaign, being eliminated in the semi finals of the Champion League by Valencia.David O'Leary's side finished two points above the seasons surprise package, Ipswich Town.Ipswich boss George Burley was named Premier League manager of the season in what was the Tractor Boys first season back in the top flight.Ipswich also secured European football for the upcoming season, as did Chelsea.Premier League Champions Man United celebrated another successful campaign and lifted their 7th Premier League title and 14th English League championship.League Table 2000-2001PosClubPldWDLGFGAGDPtsQualification/relegation1Manchester United (C)38248679314880UEFA Champions League 2001–02 1st group stage2Arsenal382010863382570UEFA Champions League 2001–02 1st group stage3Liverpool38209971393269UEFA Champions League 2001–02 3rd qualifying round4Leeds United382081064432168UEFA Cup 2001–02 1st round5Ipswich Town382061257421566UEFA Cup 2001–02 1st round6Chelsea3817101168452361UEFA Cup 2001–02 1st round7Sunderland3815121146415578Aston Villa3813151046433542001 UEFA Intertoto Cup 3rd round9Charlton Athletic381410145057−75210Southampton381410144048−85211Newcastle United38149154450−6512001 UEFA Intertoto Cup 3rd round12Tottenham Hotspur381310154754−74913Leicester City38146183951−124814Middlesbrough3891514444404215West Ham United381012164550−54216Everton38119184559−144217Derby County381012163759−224218Manchester City (R)38810204165−2434Relegation to Football League First Division 2001-0219Coventry City (R)38810203663−273420Bradford City (R)38511223070−4026Top ScorersRankScorerClubGoals1Jimmy Floyd HasselbainkChelsea232Marcus StewartIpswich Town193Thierry HenryArsenal17Mark VidukaLeeds United175Michael OwenLiverpool166Teddy SheringhamManchester United157Emile HeskeyLiverpool14Kevin PhillipsSunderland149Alen BoksicMiddlesbrough1210James BeattieSouthampton11Jonatan JohanssonCharlton Athletic11Frederic KanouteWest Ham United11Gustavo PoyetChelsea11Alan SmithLeeds United11Road to the Premier League TitleGame of the Season - Everton vs Liverpool