Of Arsenal’s three Premier League wins under Arsène Wenger, the 2001-02 one isn’t forgotten per se, but it perhaps doesn’t receive the same acclaim as the others.
In 1997-98, bookmakers had paid out on Manchester United, such seemed the inevitability of a third straight title before Arsenal stormed back with a winning run during the spring; then of 2003-04 brought the ‘Invincibles’, the first unbeaten league winners since Preston North End in 1888-89.
The middle victory was almost a hybrid of its flankers – again, Arsenal came with a surge after Christmas, while all three league defeats came at Highbury, making them the first ever champions to be undefeated away from home.
That campaign was also ground-breaking in that, at a time when ten league appearances was the threshold to earn a medal, Arsenal had three goalkeepers meeting that requirement. Today’s date, 13-1-24, encompasses their squad numbers; we hope you’ll forgive the fact that they’re out of order.
Obviously, David Seaman began the campaign as the first-choice custodian. However, the Yorkshireman was almost 38 at the start of the season and there were signs of succession-planning on Wenger’s part with the purchase of 23-year-old Wright – capped by England the previous year – from Ipswich Town.
When Seaman suffered an injury in the autumn, Wright – who had taken the number 24 shirt vacated by the retirement of John Lukic – got his chance.
There were some ropey moments but he was growing into the role when he too succumbed to injury and 21-year-old Stuart Taylor was called into action for the game at home to Manchester United in November.
Taylor had been allocated number 25 for the 1998-99 Champions League campaign but domestically he had worn 31 until the departure of Alex Manninger in the summer of 2001 allowed him to reverse the digits.
After a winning start against United, he accomplished himself well but Wright returned between the posts when he retained fitness in January. A month later, Seaman was backed and restored to the top of the pecking order.
Wright was retained as the netminder of choice for the FA Cup but, having played up to and including the semi-final win over Middlesbrough, he was replaced by Seaman for the final, in which Arsenal beat Chelsea.
That was the first leg of a double that was completed with a win at Old Trafford four days later and Arsenal rounded off the season at home to Everton. Wright started that game for his 12th Premier League appearance, while Seaman had 17 – Taylor had started the other nine and he was brought on against the Toffees to reach the magic number of ten.
It proved to be Wright’s only season with Arsenal – seemingly he was unhappy with the cup final decision and sought a move rather than taking the long-term view that Seaman’s time was finite, and he joined Everton. His replacement, Swede Rami Shaaban, also took 24 and so subsequently did fellow goalkeepers Manuel Almunia and Vito Mannone though it has been worn by outfielders for the past decade.
The 2002-03 campaign proved to be Seaman’s last at Arsenal as he joined Manchester City for a stint that would be curtailed by injury – both Wright and Taylor later joined City, too – and fitness issues also prevented Taylor from ever challenging for the Arsenal number 1 spot before his move to Aston Villa in 2005.
Still, all three played a part in a unique job-share – when Arsenal won the league in 2003-04, Jens Lehmann played all 38 matches with Graham Stack his unused depty.