| Season | 2002–03 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Manchester United 8th Premier League title 15th English title |
| Relegated | West Ham United West Bromwich Albion Sunderland |
| Champions League | Manchester United (Group stage) Arsenal (Group stage) Newcastle United (Third qualifying round) Chelsea (Third qualifying round) |
| UEFA Cup | Southampton (First round; via FA Cup) Blackburn Rovers (First round) Liverpool (First round; via League Cup & position) Manchester City (First qualifying round; via Fair Play) |
| Goals scored | 1,000 |
| Average goals/game | 2.64 |
| Top goalscorer | Ruud van Nistelrooy (25) |
| Biggest home win | Chelsea 5–0 Manchester City (22 March 2003) Arsenal 6–1 Southampton (7 May 2003) |
| Biggest away win | West Bromwich Albion 0–6 Liverpool (26 April 2003) |
| Highest scoring | Manchester United 5–3 Newcastle United (23 November 2002) Newcastle United 2–6 Manchester United (12 April 2003) |
| Longest winning run | Liverpool (7) |
| Longest unbeaten run | Manchester United (18) |
| Highest attendance | 67,721 – Manchester United v Charlton Athletic |
| Lowest attendance | 14,017 – Fulham v Blackburn Rovers |
| Average attendance | 35,470 |
|
← 2001–02
2003–04 →
|
|
The 2002–03 FA Premier League (referred to as the 2002–03 Barclaycard Premiership, due to sponsorship rights) was the eleventh season of the Premier League, the top division in English football. The first matches were played on 17 August 2002 and the last were played on 11 May 2003. Manchester United ended the campaign as champions for the eighth time in eleven years – an achievement made all the more remarkable by virtue of defending champions Arsenal having led by eight points on March 2. Although this was a season of breaking new English domestic records for the Gunners[A] and leading at all fronts come the halfway stage, they threw away a priceless lead against Bolton Wanderers and finally surrendered the title with a 3–2 home defeat to Leeds United, in the 3rd-last game of the season. This result all but saved Leeds from relegation.
Newcastle United and Chelsea were the remaining two teams who qualified for the UEFA Champions League at the expense of Liverpool who had to settle for the UEFA Cup; they would be joined in Europe by Blackburn Rovers for their second successive season. Newly promoted sides Manchester City and Birmingham City finished in ninth and thirteenth, respectively. Sunderland broke the record for the fewest points and goals scored in a Premier League season, while West Bromwich Albion and West Ham United went with them to the First Division.
Michael Ricketts had the honour of scoring the first goal of the new season for Bolton against Fulham, inside five minutes. The first hat-trick of the season was scored by Michael Owen in the match between Liverpool and Manchester City, at Maine Road in late September.[1] Wayne Rooney, at the young age of 16, made his breakthrough at Everton, scoring an impressive goal against Arsenal, helping the Toffees to a 2–1 win.[2] However, Rooney also got his first Premiership straight red card two months later on Boxing Day, for a reckless foul on Birmingham City's Steve Vickers at St. Andrew's.[3]
| Pos | Club | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Manchester United | 38 | 25 | 8 | 5 | 74 | 34 | +40 | 83 | UEFA Champions League 2003–04 Group stage |
| 2 | Arsenal | 38 | 23 | 9 | 6 | 85 | 42 | +43 | 78 | |
| 3 | Newcastle United | 38 | 21 | 6 | 11 | 63 | 48 | +15 | 69 | UEFA Champions League 2003–04 Third qualifying round |
| 4 | Chelsea | 38 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 68 | 38 | +30 | 67 | |
| 5 | Liverpool | 38 | 18 | 10 | 10 | 61 | 41 | +20 | 64 | UEFA Cup 2003–04 First round1 |
| 6 | Blackburn Rovers | 38 | 16 | 12 | 10 | 52 | 43 | +9 | 60 | |
| 7 | Everton | 38 | 17 | 8 | 13 | 48 | 49 | −1 | 59 | |
| 8 | Southampton | 38 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 43 | 46 | −3 | 52 | UEFA Cup 2003–04 First round2 |
| 9 | Manchester City | 38 | 15 | 6 | 17 | 47 | 54 | −7 | 51 | UEFA Cup 2003–04 Qualifying round3 |
| 10 | Tottenham Hotspur | 38 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 51 | 62 | −11 | 50 | |
| 11 | Middlesbrough | 38 | 13 | 10 | 15 | 48 | 44 | +4 | 49 | |
| 12 | Charlton Athletic | 38 | 14 | 7 | 17 | 45 | 56 | −11 | 49 | |
| 13 | Birmingham City | 38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 41 | 49 | −8 | 48 | |
| 14 | Fulham | 38 | 13 | 9 | 16 | 41 | 50 | −9 | 48 | |
| 15 | Leeds United | 38 | 14 | 5 | 19 | 58 | 57 | +1 | 47 | |
| 16 | Aston Villa | 38 | 12 | 9 | 17 | 42 | 47 | −5 | 45 | |
| 17 | Bolton Wanderers | 38 | 10 | 14 | 14 | 41 | 51 | −10 | 44 | |
| 18 | West Ham United | 38 | 10 | 12 | 16 | 42 | 59 | −17 | 42 | Relegation to Football League First Division 2003–04 |
| 19 | West Bromwich Albion | 38 | 6 | 8 | 24 | 29 | 65 | −36 | 26 | |
| 20 | Sunderland | 38 | 4 | 7 | 27 | 21 | 65 | −44 | 19 |
Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points
1Since Liverpool qualified for the UEFA Cup via the league, their place in the UEFA Cup as League Cup winners reverted to the league and was awarded to Blackburn Rovers.
2Since Arsenal qualified for the Champions League, their place in the UEFA Cup as FA Cup winners went to Southampton, who were the FA Cup runners-up.
3Manchester City qualified for the UEFA Cup as Fair Play winners.
| Home \ Away1 | ARS | AST | BIR | BLB | BOL | CHA | CHE | EVE | FUL | LEE | LIV | MNC | MNU | MID | NEW | SOT | SUN | TOT | WBA | WHU |
| Arsenal | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 6–1 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 5–2 | 3–1 | |
| Aston Villa | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 | |
| Birmingham City | 0–4 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 0–2 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 | |
| Blackburn Rovers | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 5–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | |
| Bolton Wanderers | 2–2 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | |
| Charlton Athletic | 0–3 | 3–0 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–6 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 4–2 | |
| Chelsea | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 5–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–3 | |
| Everton | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 0–0 | |
| Fulham | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–4 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 0–1 | |
| Leeds United | 1–4 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 2–4 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | |
| Liverpool | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | |
| Manchester City | 1–5 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 0–1 | |
| Manchester United | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 5–3 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | |
| Middlesbrough | 0–2 | 2–5 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 5–1 | 3–0 | 2–2 | |
| Newcastle United | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 5–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–6 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 4–0 | |
| Southampton | 3–2 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | |
| Sunderland | 0–4 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 4–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–3 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 3–2 | |
| West Bromwich Albion | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 0–6 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 1–2 | |
| West Ham United | 2–2 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 3–4 | 0–3 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 |
Source: Barclays Premier League
1The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For coming matches, an a indicates there is an article about the match.
Following England's exit from the 2002 FIFA World Cup at the hands of Brazil, the big talking point at the start of the season was the signing of centre-back, Rio Ferdinand from Leeds United to Manchester United, in a deal worth £29.1 million, which would rise to an excess of £30 million, due to agent fees.[4] It made him the most expensive defender in the world, as well as becoming Britain's most expensive player for the second time in two years.
Arsenal strengthened their double winning side, requiring the services of Swedish goalkeeper, Rami Shaaban, following the departure of Richard Wright to Everton. The only other signing Arsène Wenger brought in was Brazilian star Gilberto Silva, for a price of £4.5 million. The deal proved valuable as Gilberto scored the winner in the newly named FA Community Shield, against Liverpool after coming on the second half.[5]
Liverpool were one of the few sides who spent big during summer. Out went Jari Litmanen, Nick Barmby, Jamie Redknapp and ex-Arsenal star Nicolas Anelka, who was snubbed by the management board. Anelka eventually went to newly-promoted, Manchester City, in a deal worth £13 million.[6] Gérard Houllier's preferred striker was Senegalese star El Hadji Diouf who cost £10 million, which at the time was the club's record signing. French international winger, Bruno Cheyrou was also acquired by Houllier, for £4.5 million.
Leeds United suffered a manager crisis during the summer transfer period. David O'Leary was controversially sacked as manager, after failing to win a trophy in his four year spell.[7] Despite reaching the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup semi-finals, O'Leary was given more than £100 million in transfer funds to produce a winning squad. He was replaced by former England boss, Terry Venables on a two year deal.[8]
With the most potent strikeforce in the Premier League, Arsenal looked a good bet to retain their title for much of the season, even in spite of Manchester United's storming late-season run. However, the team stumbled in the final weeks of the season and a shock 3-2 defeat at home to struggling Leeds ultimately cost them the title. They did at least have the consolation of retaining the FA Cup with a victory over Southampton.
Fans had hoped that the return of successful former manager Graham Taylor would spark a serious challenge for honours once more, but unfortunately the actual result was Villa's worst Premier League campaign to date, with the club in serious danger of relegation throughout the season. Survival was only achieved in the penultimate game of the season with a victory over already-doomed Sunderland; Taylor was soon on his way out of the club for good.
Not only did Steve Bruce's men comfortably achieve survival in their first top-flight campaign since 1986, they even had the satisfaction of finishing three places higher than cross-city rivals Aston Villa. The club had managed to keep just ahead of the relegation zone all season, but a return of 13 points from their last six games put survival beyond all doubt.
After a season of consolidation capped with victory in the League Cup, Blackburn Rovers enjoyed their best season since winning the title in 1995, finishing in sixth place and qualifying for the UEFA Cup for the second year in a row. While their UEFA Cup campaign was not especially impressive (only beating CSKA Sofia on away goals before being knocked out by eventual runners-up Celtic), their continued progress under Graeme Souness gave the fans much hope for the following season. The star member of Blackburn's team this year was American goalkeeper Brad Friedel, who was named as the goalkeeper in the PFA Team of the Year.
A home victory over Aston Villa and a memorable 1-0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford got Bolton off to another promising start to the season, but their subsequent form was memorable for all the wrong reasons as they only won 2 of their next 21 games, causing most pundits to write them off by the start of 2003. A 4-2 win over Birmingham on February 1 finally kickstarted their campaign and the club only lost two more games (away to Chelsea and Liverpool) during the rest of the season, leaving them in control of their destiny on the final day. They achieved survival with a 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough.
Another solid season resulted in a mid-table finish for Charlton. However, the end of the season proved to be the undoing of Alan Curbishley's men once more, and after the start of March they only managed one more victory, dropping to 12th place in the final table. Considering the relatively small budget Curbishley was operating on, even this was quite an achievement.
Chelsea continued to make steady progress under the management of Claudio Ranieri. Despite a humiliating first round UEFA Cup exit to Viking Stavanger and exits to Manchester United and Arsenal in the League Cup and FA Cup respectively, Chelsea's improved Premier League form saw them secure a Champions League position for the first time in four years. Moreover, they boasted one of the strongest defences in the Premier League, conceding less goals than anyone bar champions Manchester United.
During the summer, owner Ken Bates sold the club to Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich. Abramovich's wealth would completely transform the club's fortunes in the following years.
David Moyes had impressed the pundits with some good results that secured Everton's Premier League survival in the previous season, and it was widely felt that they would survive relegation more comfortably this time around, but Everton did more than just survive relegation, they made a serious challenge for the European places and looked a dangerous threat throughout the year. A failure to get any points from their last two games ultimately killed off Everton's UEFA Cup challenge, but the season still represented a huge leap from the relegation struggles that the club had continuously endured through much of the Premier League's existence.
The season saw the debut of 16-year-old striker Wayne Rooney, who scored his first senior goal to end Arsenal's unbeaten run. In the years to come, Rooney would establish himself as one of the world's top strikers.
While Fulham's highly-rated manager Jean Tigana was tipped to finally make his Premier League breakthrough and have the club challenging in the upper reaches of the table, the club were in the relegation zone for the first half of the season. The team's form improved after the turn of the year, but this did not save Tigana's job and he left the club after a 2-0 defeat by Liverpool in mid-April. Former club captain Chris Coleman replaced Tigana on a caretaker basis and helped secure Premier League survival, earning himself the job permanently.
With Terry Venables freshly installed as manager, Leeds started the season well despite the loss of Rio Ferdinand to Manchester United in a £30 million deal, but their form slumped and, with Leeds looking like candidates for relegation Venables was sacked. His replacement, Peter Reid, sparked a revival that saw Leeds secure their Premier League status with a 3-2 victory over Arsenal, which also ended the Gunners' title challenge. Only after the season ended did the full extent of Leeds's problems become clear; they had more debt than the rest of the Premier League (barring Fulham and Chelsea) combined, and were in imminent danger of bankruptcy.
While their runners-up finish the previous year had sparked hopes that Liverpool were finally becoming serious contenders again, and at the start of the season the title seemed to be heading to them after remaining unbeaten in their first 12 games which saw them 7 points ahead at one point, however a dramatic collapse which saw 2 win in 16 games made even a Champions League place out of sight, a revival which saw them win 7 out of 8 games seemed to put them back on track but a last day defeat to Chelsea saw them finish 5th. They also failed to make it past the group stages of the Champions League, and suffered a humiliating FA Cup exit to Division One side Crystal Palace in the fourth round. A 2-0 victory in the final of the League Cup did provide some consolation (moreso because it happened to be over bitter rivals Manchester United), but a disappointing fifth place finish capped off a distinctly underwhelming season and put manager Gerard Houllier under renewed pressure.
Kevin Keegan continued to restore his reputation as a manager, and the blue half of Manchester secured their joint-highest finish since the Premier League started. Their cup runs were disappointing, going out in the third round of both the FA and League Cups, but it seemed as if City had finally put the nightmares of the late-1990s behind them.
United looked like more of a threat than they had done in the previous season and kept touch with holders Arsenal during the first half of the season. What really set United apart from the rest and secured them their eighth Premier League title was an astonishing run of form after the turn of the year; after a defeat to Middlesbrough on Boxing Day, the club did not lose a single Premier League game and won all but three of their remaining matches to win back the Premier League title in an emphatic manner. Their celebrations were somewhat clouded by the loss of David Beckham, who was signed by Real Madrid post-season.
Steve McClaren's second season in charge of the Teeside team went smoother than the first, and they remained clear of relegation danger for most of the season. They were even in with a chance of a UEFA Cup spot late in the season, after winning only one of their last six matches they fell away towards the end of the campaign. Nonetheless, the season was a marked improvement over the relegation battles they had mostly been fighting since returning to the Premier League in 1998.
Despite actually doing slightly worse in terms of Premier League results, Bobby Robson's side managed to improve on their previous finish and achieved third place and looking like possible title contenders for much of the season. Their progress in the domestic cup competitions was rather disappointing as they fell at the first hurdle in the League and FA Cups. In the Champions League, Newcastle pulled off a surprising turnaround to qualify for the second group stage despite losing their first three first group stage matches.
The South Coast club continued their impressive progress under Gordon Strachan, and recorded their best-ever Premier League finish of eighth place. They made bigger headlines in the FA Cup however, as they reached the final for only the second time in their history and gave a good account of themselves in the final, losing by only a single goal to Arsenal. Their comparatively weak away form was the only real let-down for the club; with better form on the road they might have achieved a UEFA Cup place through their league placing instead of through their FA Cup Final appearance.
While few had tipped Sunderland to do well this season, even fewer predicted just how disastrous it would turn out to be for the Mackems. A dreadful start to the season resulted in the sacking of longtime manager Peter Reid, and, while it was widely predicted that Mick McCarthy would take over, the Sunderland board wrongfooted everyone by appointing the FA's Technical Director Howard Wilkinson as manager. No substantial improvement resulted under Wilkinson, who was in turn axed in March and McCarthy was finally appointed to the manager's job. By this stage it was far too late to save Sunderland's top-flight status, and they were relegated with the worst record in the history of the Premier League and the second-lowest points total since the League began using three points for a win in 1981.
Spurs' Premier League season was a near-exact copy of the previous one: they hovered in mid-table for the whole campaign before eventually finishing in tenth place, one lower than the previous year, but with the same points total. The club were in fact arguably lucky not to have done worse given their terrible defensive record, which was worse than any other team barring the two bottom ones. The pressure on manager Glenn Hoddle only continued to increase.
In their Premier League début, Gary Megson's side lost their first three games of the season, but then a sequence of three victories gave fans hope that Megson might somehow be able to keep them in the top flight. After that, however, it became evident that the club were completely out of their depth and they only managed three more victories in the whole season. Any other year they would almost certainly have finished bottom, but Sunderland's dire season spared West Brom that embarrassment. Megson quickly started planning how to bounce back the following season.
Like the previous season, West Ham made a bad start and were in the relegation zone from the first few weeks. Unlike the previous season, however, the Hammers' form did not improve significantly and they remained in the bottom three for virtually the entire season, with disputes between manager Glenn Roeder and several high-profile players, most notably Paolo Di Canio, all but destroying the club's morale. The club did put together a good run in the final six weeks of the season (during which Roeder temporarily stepped down for health reasons, with Trevor Brooking taking control of the team), losing only once in their last eleven matches. Unfortunately, that loss happened to be against relegation rivals Bolton Wanderers, themselves in the midst of an excellent run. It ultimately proved fatal in West Ham's fight to avoid relegation.
Teams promoted from Nationwide Division 1
Teams relegated to Nationwide Division 1
| Month | Manager | Player |
|---|---|---|
| August | Glenn Hoddle (Tottenham Hotspur)[9] | Sylvain Wiltord (Arsenal)[10] |
| September | Arsène Wenger (Arsenal)[11] | Thierry Henry (Arsenal)[11] |
| October | Gérard Houllier (Liverpool)[12] | Gianfranco Zola (Chelsea)[12] |
| November | David Moyes (Everton)[13] | James Beattie (Southampton)[14] |
| December | Gordon Strachan (Southampton)[15] | Alan Shearer (Newcastle United)[16] |
| January | Sir Bobby Robson (Newcastle United)[17] | Paul Scholes (Manchester United)[18] |
| February | Alan Curbishley (Charlton Athletic)[19] | Robert Pires (Arsenal)[20] |
| March | Glenn Roeder (West Ham United)[21] | Steven Gerrard (Liverpool)[22] |
| April | Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United)[23] | Ruud van Nistelrooy (Manchester United)[23] |
The PFA Players' Player of the Year award for 2003 was won by Thierry Henry of Arsenal.[24] This was the Frenchman's first award of the season and he beat off competition from the previous winner Ruud van Nistelrooy.
The shortlist for the PFA Players' Player of the Year award, in alphabetical order, was as follows:
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
| James Beattie | Southampton |
| Thierry Henry | Arsenal |
| Ruud van Nistelrooy | Manchester United |
| Paul Scholes | Manchester United |
| Alan Shearer | Newcastle United |
| Gianfranco Zola | Chelsea |
The PFA Young Player of the Year award was won by Jermaine Jenas of Newcastle United.[25] Wayne Rooney was voted runner-up, and John O'Shea finished third in one of his first full seasons as a United player.
The shortlist for the award was as follows:
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
| Craig Bellamy | Newcastle United |
| Jermain Defoe | West Ham United |
| Jermaine Jenas | Newcastle United |
| John O'Shea | Manchester United |
| Scott Parker | Charlton Athletic |
| Wayne Rooney | Everton |
| Goalkeeper: | Brad Friedel (Blackburn Rovers) |
| Defence: | Stephen Carr (Tottenham Hotspur), Sol Campbell (Arsenal), William Gallas (Chelsea), Ashley Cole (Arsenal) |
| Midfield: | Patrick Vieira (Arsenal), Paul Scholes (Manchester United), Kieron Dyer (Newcastle United), Robert Pires (Arsenal) |
| Attack: | Thierry Henry (Arsenal), Alan Shearer (Newcastle United) |
The award was won by Sir Alex Ferguson[26] for winning his eighth title and regaining the league after a superb second half to the season, involving an 18-match unbeaten run.
The award was given to Ruud van Nistelrooy,[27] whose form, creativity and goals all helped Manchester United regain the league from Arsenal.
This award was also won by Ruud van Nistelrooy who scored 25 goals in 38 league matches and 44 in all competitions. He also equalled his record of eight goals in eight successive matches at the beginning of the season, a milestone he had reached the previous season. Van Nistelrooy finished one goal ahead of Arsenal's Thierry Henry while James Beattie managed 23 league goals for Southampton. Since the reduction of the number of games from 42 to 38 in 1996, only Kevin Phillips had scored more Premiership goals in one season – 30 for Sunderland in the 1999–2000 season.
The award was given to Chelsea goalkeeper Carlo Cudicini, who proved vital in their quest for UEFA Champions League football. He kept twelve clean sheets – the most in the season – and only conceded 35 goals. Viewers of ITV's On the Ball voted Cudicini ahead of Southampton keeper Antti Niemi and Blackburn Rovers' Brad Friedel.[28]
The annual award was won by a wonder goal from Thierry Henry against Tottenham Hotspur, on 16 November 2002, voted by viewers of ITV's The Premiership.
Henry – chance for a break out, Wiltord to his right, Bergkamp to his left...they'll do well to catch up with Thierry Henry though...he's drifted away from Carr – HENRY! What a fabulous solo goal by Thierry Henry. A long distance goal followed by a long distance celebration...and Arsenal are back in the goalscoring business, after their midweek blank. Henry's been short of a goal or two just recently...but look at the confidence as he breaks from inside his own half, shrugging off Etherington, stepping away from Carr and from King...and picking his spot – he had options...but he had eyes for only one thing – the back of Kasey Keller's net. Thierry Henry moves into double figures for the season.
— Clive Tyldesley on Thierry Henry's solo goal when commentating the North London derby for The Premiership on ITV1.[29]
The French striker picked up the ball from his side of the pitch and ran almost 30 yards (27 m), twisting and turning the Spurs defence to unleash a thunderous shot. In celebration, he ran the distance of the whole pitch and skidded in front of the Spurs faithful. The goal proved important as it helped them regain their position at the top of the Premiership from Liverpool.
(as of 11 May 2003)
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Position in table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunderland | Peter Reid | Sacked | 7 October 2002[30] | Howard Wilkinson | 10 October 2002[31] | 17th |
| Leeds United | Terry Venables | Sacked | 21 March 2003[32] | Peter Reid | 21 March 2003[33] | 15th |
| Fulham | Jean Tigana | Sacked | 17 April 2003[34] | Chris Coleman | 15 May 2003[35] | 15th |
| West Ham United | Glenn Roeder | Temporary[D] | 17 April 2003[36] | Trevor Brooking | 11 May 2003[37] | 18th |
| Team | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester United | Old Trafford | 68,174 |
| Newcastle United | St James' Park | 52,387 |
| Sunderland | Stadium of Light | 49,000 |
| Liverpool | Anfield | 45,522 |
| Aston Villa | Villa Park | 42,573 |
| Chelsea | Stamford Bridge | 42,055 |
| Everton | Goodison Park | 40,569 |
| Leeds United | Elland Road | 40,242 |
| Arsenal | Highbury | 38,419 |
| Tottenham Hotspur | White Hart Lane | 36,240 |
| West Ham United | Boleyn Ground | 35,647 |
| Manchester City[B] | Maine Road | 35,150 |
| Middlesbrough | Riverside Stadium | 35,049 |
| Southampton | St Mary's Stadium | 32,689 |
| Blackburn Rovers | Ewood Park | 31,367 |
| Birmingham City | St Andrew's Stadium | 30,009 |
| Charlton Athletic | The Valley | 27,111 |
| Bolton Wanderers | Reebok Stadium | 28,723 |
| West Bromwich Albion | The Hawthorns | 28,003 |
| Fulham[C] | Loftus Road | 19,148 |
Liverpool had the longest winning run in the league – 7, which started on 14 September 2002 against Bolton Wanderers and ended on 9 November against Middlesbrough.
Manchester United hold the record for the longest unbeaten run – 18, starting against Birmingham and lasting throughout the entire season.
Arsenal hold the record for the most goals scored in the season – 83, while Manchester United conceded the least amount of goals – 34, four better than Chelsea. Arsenal also broke the record for the most away games without defeat, goals scored in consecutive games and equalled Manchester United's unbeaten record. However, the Gunners failed to set a new all-time English football record of 15 consecutive victories after drawing to West Ham United in August 2002.
Birmingham City were given the most yellow cards in the season, while Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur were given the most red cards. Manchester United were the most disciplined side with only one red card and 45 yellow cards.
The most goals in one match were between Manchester United and Newcastle, which involved eight goals. The biggest home win was between Chelsea's 5–0 win against Manchester City, while the biggest away win was Liverpool's 6–0 victory over West Bromwich Albion.
Sunderland ended the season relegated with the fewest points, while West Ham United became the first team to be relegated with more than 40 points. Sunderland also had the longest losing run of 15 games.
The highest attendance in the season was 67,721 who watched Manchester United against Charlton at Old Trafford, while the lowest attendance was between Fulham and Blackburn Rovers at Loftus Road; 14,017 watched the match. The average attendance of the season was 35,470.
Top scorers
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Top assists
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