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The 1999–2000 season was the 102nd season of competitive football played by Arsenal. The club ended the campaign second in the league, 18 points behind Manchester United. Arsenal exited both domestic cup competitions on penalties, being eliminated by Leicester City in a FA Cup fourth round replay and by Middlesbrough at the same stage of the Football League Cup. For the second consecutive season Arsenal failed to progress past the group stage of the UEFA Champions League; a third-place finish however earnt them a consolation place in the UEFA Cup. Arsenal eventually reached the final to play Galatasaray in Copenhagen – the match was overshadowed by altercations between both sets of supporters. The team lost 4–1 on penalties after a goalless draw. A number of signings were made by Arsenal in the summer transfer window, namely defenders Sylvinho and Oleg Luzhny, and striker Thierry Henry, who joined from Juventus on a club record fee. Davor Šuker departed Real Madrid to sign for Arsenal, following Nicolas Anelka's move in the opposite direction. Steve Bould left Arsenal to play for Sunderland, while Stephen Hughes signed for Everton in the spring. Inconsistent performances in the league, particularly away from home, meant Arsenal never posed a serious threat to Manchester United, the reigning champions. Midfielder Patrick Vieira was suspended from playing for much of late autumn after a confrontation with West Ham United player Neil Ruddock. In October, Arsenal notably staged a comeback against Chelsea, with Nwankwo Kanu scoring a hat-trick in the final 15 minutes of the game. A run of eight straight wins between March and May propelled Arsenal from fifth to second and the team finished on 73 points. ==Background== Arsenal ended the previous season as runners-up to Manchester United in the Premier League. The club made an indifferent start to the campaign as reigning league champions and failed to progress past the group stages of the UEFA Champions League. After defeat to Aston Villa in December 1998, Arsenal embarked on a 19 match unbeaten run (21 in all competitions) to climb up the league table. The run in all competitions ended against Manchester United in a FA Cup semi-final replay. In April Arsenal moved to the top of the Premier League after beating Middlesbrough 6–1, albeit having played a match more than Manchester United. A 3–1 away win against Tottenham Hotspur put Arsenal three points clear as United lost to Liverpool on the same night. Going into the final two matches of the season both clubs were on the same points, but Arsenal's defeat to Leeds United all but ended their chances of retaining the title.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://www.arseweb.com/history/faq/faq99.html )〕 At the start of the 1999–2000 season, Arsenal ended its long-standing kit sponsorship with JVC. The club signed a three-year deal with SEGA as replacement, worth £10 million. The SEGA Dreamcast name was carried on the home kit, while SEGA was embroidered on the new yellow away kit.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「1999–2000 Arsenal F.C. season」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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