2003–04 Aston Villa F.C. season

Aston Villa
2003–04 season
Chairman Doug Ellis
Manager David O'Leary
FA Premier League 6th
FA Cup Third round
Carling Cup Semi-finals
Top goalscorer Angel (16)
Average home attendance 36,621
Home colours
Away colours
← 2002–03 2004–05 →

During the 2003–04 English football season, Aston Villa F.C. competed in the FA Premier League.

Contents

Season summary

Manager Graham Taylor's unsuccessful second spell as manager had come to an end in June 2003, and chairman Doug Ellis recruited David O'Leary as Taylor's successor. The first few months of O'Leary's reign suggested that he was not the man to revitalise a Villa side that had been habitually underachieving for several years. Indeed, they entered December on the brink of the relegation zone, but a great run of form beginning over Christmas took them into the top six during March. They even went as high as fourth at one stage, and there was talk of Champions League qualification. But defeat on the final day of the season saw them finish sixth – with cup runs by Middlesbrough and Millwall, that was not enough for even a UEFA Cup place.

Final league table

Main article: 2003-04 FA Premier League
Pos Team Pl W D L F A GD Pts
1. Arsenal 38 26 12 0 73 26  +47 90
2. Chelsea 38 24 7 7 67 30  +37 79
3. Manchester United 38 23 6 9 64 35  +29 75
4. Liverpool 38 16 12 10 55 37  +18 60
5. Newcastle United 38 13 17 8 52 40  +12 56
6. Aston Villa 38 15 11 12 48 44  +4 56
7. Charlton Athletic 38 14 11 13 51 51  0 53
8. Bolton Wanderers 38 14 11 13 48 56  -8 53
9. Fulham 38 14 10 14 52 46  +6 52
10. Birmingham City 38 12 14 12 43 48  -5 50
11. Middlesbrough 38 13 9 16 44 52  -8 48
12. Southampton 38 12 11 15 44 45  -1 47
13. Portsmouth 38 12 9 17 47 54  -7 45
14. Tottenham Hotspur 38 13 6 19 47 57  -10 45
15. Blackburn Rovers 38 12 8 18 51 59  -8 44
16. Manchester City 38 9 14 15 55 54  +1 41
17. Everton 38 9 12 17 45 57  -12 39
18. Leicester City 38 6 15 17 48 65  -17 33
19. Leeds United 38 8 9 21 40 79  -39 33
20. Wolverhampton Wanderers 38 7 12 19 38 77  -39 33
Key
Qualified for the Champions League
Qualified for the UEFA Cup
Relegated to the Championship

First team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 GK Thomas Sorensen
2 DF Mark Delaney
3 DF Jlloyd Samuel
4 DF Olof Mellberg
6 MF Gareth Barry
7 MF Lee Hendrie
8 MF Gavin McCann
9 FW Dion Dublin
10 FW Darius Vassell
11 MF Nolberto Solano
11 DF Steve Staunton
12 MF Thomas Hitzlsperger
13 GK Stefan Postma
14 FW Marcus Allback
No. Position Player
15 DF Ulises De la Cruz
16 FW Peter Crouch
17 MF Peter Whittingham
18 FW Juan Pablo Angel
21 MF Steven Davis
22 MF Hassan Kachloul
23 FW Stefan Moore
24 DF Liam Ridgewell
27 DF Ronny Johnsen
29 MF Rob Edwards
30 MF Stephen Cooke
31 FW Luke Moore
39 GK Wayne Henderson

Left club during season

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
5 DF Alpay Özalan (to Incheon United)
19 FW Bosko Balaban (to Club Brugge)
20 MF Mustapha Hadji (to Espanyol)
25 GK Peter Enckelman (to Blackburn Rovers)
26 MF Mark Kinsella (to West Bromwich Albion)
No. Position Player
28 DF Danny Jackman (to Stockport County)
GK Boaz Myhill (to Hull City)
DF Jonathan Bewers (to Notts County)
DF Ryan Amoo (to Northampton Town)

Starting 11

Pre-season

Date Opponents Home/
Away		 Result
F – A		 Scorers Competition
22 July 2003 FC TPS Turku A 3 – 0 Angel (2), Vassell Friendly
24 July 2003 Pitea A 8 – 0 Allback (3), Crouch (3), Alpay, Hendrie Friendly
26 July 2003 Umea A 4 – 0 Vassell, Hendrie, Hitzlsperger, McCann Friendly
28 July 2003 Bodens BK A 4 – 2 Mellberg, Vassell, Makumbu (og), Crouch Friendly
1 August 2003 Walsall A 1 – 2 Vassell Friendly
2 August 2003 Tamworth A 4 – 1 Kachloul (2), Cooke, Crouch Friendly
5 August 2003 Scunthorpe A 5 – 0 Allback (3), Angel, De la Cruz Friendly
9 August 2003 Leeds N 2 – 2 Kachloul, Hitzlsperger (Aston Villa win 4–2 on pens) Friendly
10 August 2003 St Patricks N 6 – 0 Angel (3), Allback, Whittingham, Hitzlsperger Friendly

Season results

Date Opponent Venue Result
F–A		 Competition Scorers Attendance
16/08/2003 Portsmouth A 1–2 Premier League Barry (pen) 20,101
24/08/2003 Liverpool H 0–0 Premier League 42,573
27/08/2003 Arsenal A 0–2 Premier League 38,010
30/08/2003 Leicester City H 3–1 Premier League Angel (2), Thatcher (og) 32,274
14/09/2003 Manchester City A 1–4 Premier League Angel 46,687
20/09/2003 Charlton Athletic H 2–1 Premier League Alpay, Samuel 31,410
23/09/2003 Wycombe Wanderers A 5–0 League Cup Angel (3) (1 pen), Whittingham, Vassell 6,072
27/09/2003 Chelsea A 0–1 Premier League 41,182
05/10/2003 Bolton H 1–1 Premier League Angel 30,229
19/10/2003 Birmingham A 0–0 Premier League 29,546
25/10/2003 Everton H 0–0 Premier League 36,146
29/10/2003 Leicester H 1–0 League Cup Hitzlsperger 26,729
10/11/2003 Newcastle A 1–1 Premier League Dublin 51,975
08/11/2003 Middlesbrough H 0–2 Premier League 29,898
23/11/2003 Tottenham A 1–2 Premier League Allback 33,140
29/11/2003 Portsmouth H 1–0 Premier League Dublin 31,285
03/12/2003 Crystal Palace H 3–0 League Cup Symons (og), McCann, Angel 24,258
06/12/2003 Manchester United A 0–4 Premier League 67,621
14/12/2003 Wolves H 3–2 Premier League Angel (2), Barry 36,964
17/12/2003 Chelsea H 2–1 League Cup Angel, McCann 30,414
20/12/2003 Blackburn Rovers A 2–0 Premier League S. Moore, Angel 20,722
26/12/2003 Leeds United A 0–0 Premier League 38,513
28/01/2003 Fulham H 3–0 Premier League Angel, Vassell (2) 35,617
04/01/2004 Man Utd H 1–2 FA Cup Barry 40,371
06/01/2004 Portsmouth H 2–1 Premier League Angel, Vassell 28,625
10/01/2004 Liverpool A 0–1 Premier League 43,771
18/01/2004 Arsenal H 0–2 Premier League 39,380
21/01/2004 Bolton A 2–5 League Cup Angel (2) 16,302
27/12/2004 Bolton H 2–0 League Cup Hitzlsperger, Samuel 36,883
31/01/2004 Leicester City A 5–0 Premier League Vassell, Crouch (2), Dublin 31,056
07/02/2004 Leeds United H 2–0 Premier League Angel (pen), Johnsen 39,171
11/02/2004 Fulham A 2–1 Premier League Angel, Vassell 16,153
22/02/2004 Birmingham H 2–2 Premier League Vassell, Hitzlsperger 40,061
28/02/2004 Everton A 0–2 Premier League 39,353
14/03/2004 Wolves A 4–0 Premier League Hitzlsperger, Mellberg, Angel (2) 29,386
20/03/2004 Blackburn Rovers H 0–2 Premier League 37,532
27/03/2004 Charlton Athletic A 2–1 Premier League Vassell, Samuel 26,250
04/04/2004 Manchester City H 1–1 Premier League Angel 37,602
10/04/2004 Bolton Wanderers A 2–2 Premier League Crouch, Hendrie 26,374
12/04/2004 Chelsea H 3–2 Premier League Vassell (pen), Hitzlsperger, Hendrie 41,112
18/04/2004 Newcastle United H 0–0 Premier League 40,786
24/04/2004 Middlesbrough A 2–1 Premier League Barry, Crouch 31,322
02/05/2004 Tottenham Hotspur H 1–0 Premier League Angel 42,573
08/05/2004 Southampton A 1–1 Premier League Angel 32,054
15/05/2004 Manchester United H 0–2 Premier League 42,573
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