The 2001–02 English football season was Aston Villa's 10th season in the Premier League and their 14th consecutive season in the top division of English football. The Premier League was known as the FA Barclaycard Premiership for sponsorship reasons. Aston Villa's early season form was good and the Midlanders even went top briefly at the end of October, but followed that with a run of eleven games with only one win, falling out of the title race.
John Gregory announced his surprise resignation after four years as Villa manager on 24 January. A host of names were linked with the vacancy, but in the end it was Graham Taylor, who took Villa to promotion in 1988 and second place in the league in 1990, who was appointed manager. Taylor was unable to improve Villa's form, but two wins against Southampton and Chelsea at the end of the season where enough to see Villa finish eighth thus finishing in the top 10 for the seventh year in succession.
Kit Supplier Sponsor Diadora NTL
League
Results summary
Results by matchday
Aston Villa's score comes first
Legend WinDrawLoss
Matches DateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceScorers 18 August 2001 Tottenham HotspurA0–036,059 26 August 2001 Manchester UnitedH1–142,632Vassell 4' 8 September 2001 LiverpoolA3–144,102Dublin 31', Hendrie 55', Vassell 86' 16 September 2001 SunderlandH0–031,668 24 September 2001 SouthamptonA3–126,794Boateng 9', Ángel 15', Hadji 79' 30 September 2001 Blackburn RoversH2–027,732Ángel 46', Vassell 72' 14 October 2001 FulhamH2–028,579Vassell 50', Taylor 61' 20 October 2001 EvertonA2–333,352Hadji 71', Schmeichel 90' 24 October 2001 Charlton AthleticH1–027,701Kachloul 9' 27 October 2001 Bolton WanderersH3–233,599Ángel 13', (pen) 47', Vassell 43' 3 November 2001 Newcastle UnitedA0–351,057 17 November 2001 MiddlesbroughH0–035,424 25 November 2001 Leeds UnitedA1–140,159Kachloul 35' 1 December 2001 Leicester CityH0–230,711 5 December 2001 West Ham UnitedA1–128,377Dublin 1' 9 December 2001 ArsenalA2–338,074Merson 21', Stone 34' 17 December 2001 Ipswich TownH2–129,320Ángel 44', 70' 22 December 2001 Derby CountyA1–328,001Ángel 45' 26 December 2001 LiverpoolH1–242,602Hendrie 21' 29 December 2001 Tottenham HotspurH1–141,134Ángel (pen) 90' 1 January 2002 SunderlandA1–145,324Taylor 59' 12 January 2002 Derby CountyH2–128,881Vassell 12', Ángel 26' 21 January 2002 Charlton AthleticA2–125,681Vassell 8', Ángel 42' 30 January 2002 EvertonH0–032,460 2 February 2002 FulhamA0–020,041 9 February 2002 ChelseaH1–141,137Merson 28' 23 February 2002 Manchester UnitedA0–167,592 2 March 2002 West Ham UnitedH2–137,341Ángel 23', Vassell 90' 5 March 2002 Blackburn RoversA0–321,988 17 March 2002 ArsenalH1–241,520Dublin 69' 23 March 2002 Ipswich TownA0–025,247 30 March 2002 Bolton WanderersA2–324,600Warhurst (own goal) 15', Taylor 17' 2 April 2002 Newcastle UnitedH1–136,597Crouch 26' 6 April 2002 MiddlesbroughA1–226,003Ángel 60' 13 April 2002 Leeds UnitedH0–140,039 20 April 2002 Leicester CityA2–218,125Vassell 22', Hitzlsperger 27' 27 April 2002 SouthamptonH2–135,255Vassell 8', 42' 11 May 2002 ChelseaA3–140,709Crouch 21', Vassell 63', Dublin 88'
FA Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR36 January 2002 Manchester UnitedH2–338,444Taylor 51', Neville (own goal) 53'
League Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR310 October 2001 ReadingH1–023,431Dublin 45'R428 November 2001 Sheffield WednesdayH0–126,526
Intertoto Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR3 First Leg 14 July 2001 NK Slaven Belupo A1–23,000Ginola 88'R3 Second Leg 21 July 2001 NK Slaven Belupo H2–0 (won 3–2 on agg)27,580Hendrie 19', 41'SF First Leg 25 July 2001 Rennes A1–215,753Vassell 90'SF Second Leg 1 August 2001 Rennes H1–0 (won on away goals)30,782Dublin 5'F First Leg 7 August 2001 Basel A1–125,879Merson 59'F Second Leg 21 August 2001 Basel H4–1 (won 5–2 on agg)39,593Vassell 45', Ángel 55', 79', Ginola 83'
UEFA Cup
+RoundDateOpponentVenueResultAttendanceGoalscorersR1 First Leg 20 September 2001 NK Varteks H2–327,132Ángel 54', 70'R1 Second Leg 27 September 2001 NK Varteks A1–0 (lost on away goals)12,100Hadji 90'
Players Squad at end of season
Transfers
Transferred in DatePosPlayerFromFee 20 June 2001 AM Hassan Kachloul Southampton Free transfer 7 July 2001 LM Mustapha Hadji Coventry City £4,500,000 12 July 2001 GK Peter Schmeichel Sporting Free transfer 19 July 2001 CB Olof Mellberg Racing Santander £5,000,000 24 August 2001 CF Boško Balaban Dinamo Zagreb £5,800,000 27 March 2002 CF Peter Crouch Portsmouth £5,000,000£20,300,000
Loaned in DatePosPlayerFromLoan End
Transferred out DatePosPlayerToFee 1 July 2001 CM David Curtolo - Released 1 July 2001 GK Neil Cutler Stoke City Free transfer 7 July 2001 CF Julian Joachim Coventry City £2,000,000 11 July 2001 GK David James West Ham United £3,500,000 11 July 2001 CB Gareth Southgate Middlesbrough £6,500,000 31 October 2001 CF Neil Tarrant Ross County Free transfer 20 December 2001 CF Richard Walker Blackpool £50,000 8 February 2002 LM David Ginola Everton Free transfer 19 March 2002 AM Michael Standing Bradford City Free transfer£12,050,000
Loaned out DatePosPlayerToLoan End 26 July 2001 CF Neil Tarrant Motherwell 31 October 2001 14 September 2001 CF Richard Walker Wycombe Wanderers 11 December 2001 25 October 2001 LB Jlloyd Samuel Gillingham 3 December 2001 26 October 2001 LM Thomas Hitzlsperger Chesterfield 10 December 2001 9 March 2002 CM Stephen Cooke Bournemouth 21 April 2002 28 March 2002 CF Dion Dublin Millwall 31 May 2002
Overall transfer activity
Expenditure £20,300,000
Income £12,050,000
Balance £8,250,000
Appearances and goals
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Goalkeepers
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Defenders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Midfielders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Forwards
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Players transferred out during the season
Starting 11 Considering starts in all competitions
Statistics # Name Position Nationality Place of birth Date of birth (age) Signed from Date signed Fee Apps Gls Goalkeepers 1 Peter Schmeichel GK Gladsaxe Sporting 12 July 2000 Free transfer - - 12 Peter Enckelman GK Turku TPS 1 February 1999 £200,000 14 0 13 Boaz Myhill GK Modesto, CA Academy 1 July 2001 - - 39 Wayne Henderson GK Dublin Academy 1 July 2001 - - Defenders 2 Mark Delaney RB Haverfordwest Cardiff City 9 March 1999 £250,000 59 1 3 Alan Wright LB Ashton-under-Lyne Blackburn Rovers 10 March 1995 £1,000,000 286 5 4 Olof Mellberg CB Gullspång Racing Santander 19 July 2001 £5,000,000 - - 5 Alpay Özalan CB İzmir Fenerbahçe 28 July 2000 £5,600,000 36 0 11 Steve Staunton LB Dundalk Liverpool 6 December 2000 Free transfer 281 17 15 Gareth Barry LB Hastings Academy 1 January 1998 121 4 25 Jon Bewers RB Kettering Academy 1 July 1999 1 0 31 Jlloyd Samuel LB San Fernando Academy 1 January 1999 17 0 Midfielders 6 George Boateng CM Nkawkaw Coventry City 20 July 1999 £4,500,000 86 4 7 Ian Taylor CM Birmingham Sheffield Wednesday 21 December 1994 £1,000,000 255 36 10 Paul Merson (c) AM Harlesden Middlesbrough 8 September 1998 £6,750,000 117 16 14 David Ginola LM Gassin Tottenham Hotspur 30 July 2000 £3,000,000 28 3 17 Lee Hendrie RM Solihull Academy 1 July 1995 146 16 18 Steve Stone RM Gateshead Nottingham Forest 11 March 1999 £5,500,000 88 6 20 Mustapha Hadji LM Ifrane Atlas-Saghir Coventry City 7 July 2001 £4,500,000 - - 21 Thomas Hitzlsperger LM Munich Bayern Munich 5 August 2000 Free transfer 1 0 24 John McGrath CM Limerick Academy 1 July 1999 3 0 27 Michael Standing AM Shoreham-by-Sea Academy 1 July 1998 0 0 28 Gavin Melaugh CM Derry Academy 1 July 2000 0 0 29 Stephen Cooke CM Walsall Academy 1 July 2000 1 0 30 Hassan Kachloul AM Agadir Southampton 1 July 2001 - - Forwards 8 Juan Pablo Ángel CF Medellín River Plate 13 January 2001 £9,500,000 10 1 9 Dion Dublin CF Leicester Coventry City 5 November 1998 £5,750,000 97 35 16 Peter Crouch CF Macclesfield Portsmouth 27 March 2002 £5,000,000 - - 19 Boško Balaban CF Rijeka Dinamo Zagreb 24 October 2001 £5,800,000 - - 22 Darius Vassell CF Birmingham Academy 1 January 1998 58 7 23 Stefan Moore CF Birmingham Academy 1 July 2001 - - 26 Richard Walker CF Birmingham Academy 1 July 1997 Loan 10 2 42 Peter Hynes CF Dublin Academy 1 July 2001 - - 44 Neil Tarrant CF Darlington Ross County 28 April 1998 £250,000 0 0
Squad Reserve squad The following players made most of their appearances for the reserves this season, but may have also appeared for the reserves or the U-17s, or may have appeared for the first team in a friendly.
U-19 squad The following players made most of their appearances for the U-19s this season, but may have also appeared for the reserves or the U-17s.
U-17 squad The following players made most of their appearances for the U-17s this season, but may have also appeared for the reserves or the U-19s.
Other players The following players did not play for any Aston Villa team this season.
Notes
References
External links Aston Villa official website https://www.avfchistory.co.uk/