News Archive 2002/03
| 29/07/03 Dennis scores again Arsenal beat Besiktas 1-0 in today's friendly and again Bergkamp scored the match-winner. Three minutes in to the second half, Gael Clichy fed Ljungberg who tricked his way into the area and rolled the ball expertly for the onrushing Bergkamp to prod trough the keeper's legs and into the net. |
| 26/07/03 Bergkamp shines in Austria Bergkamp again proved his worth with a superb individual display last night as Arsenal beat Austria Vienna 2-0. Dennis underlined just how important he will be in Arsenal's bid to regain the Premiership as he ran the show in the first half, opening the scoring and unselfishly setting up a second for Francis Jeffers. Wenger was also pleased with Bergkamp's fitness and added: "I was pleased with him. We had a very young squad and his experience was important." |
| 20/07/03 BERGKAMP SIGNS NEW ONE-YEAR DEAL Arsenal confirmed that Dennis Bergkamp has today committed his future to the Club by signing a new one-year contract. more... |
| 14/07/03 Dennis will stay, says Wenger Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger expects Dennis Bergkamp to sign a new contract with the Gunners this week. The Gunners boss is adamant talks are progressing well and is optimistic he will keep the former Ajax and Inter man at Highbury. "Talks with Bergkamp are going a lot better than his agent has said. I'm confident he will sign," he told the News of the World. "Despite what people say our best players are not for sale, definitely." Bergkamp, who has said he wants to finish his career at Arsenal, is expected to sign a one-year deal. |
| 12/07/03 Don't let Bergkamp go Arsenal have been urged to hang on to Dennis Bergkamp at any cost - by the man who brought him to Highbury. more... |
| 07/07/03 Site News: Season summary All the stuff from the 02/03 season are now updated. See biography, gallery and stats. |
| 06/07/03 Exclusive Bergkamp agent's fury Bergkamp believes that Arsenal are forcing him out of the club after eight glorious years with the Gunners. The Dutch player's agent is raving mad at Arsenal because of the way they are now treating the man who has turned the entire club around since arriving in 1995, Sunday Mirror claims. more... |
| 05/07/03 "I want to stay at Arsenal" "I would like to take this opportunity to explain my current situation with regards to Arsenal Football Club and my future as a player." more... |
| 30/06/03 Site News: New poll of the month See the poll of the month for July. Previous poll results: 59% of you want Arsenal to buy a new provider to replace Kanu as Bergkamp's back-up. Total of 81 votes were submitted, thanks to all involved. |
| 24/06/03 Site News: Season stats See the stats & facts -page for this season's statistics. End of season summary coming soon to the biography section. |
| 14/06/03 Bergy is silent on wage cut The Mirror claims that Bergkamp is stalling on signing on a new one-year contract with Arsenal which could spell the end of his Highbury career. more... |
| 02/06/03 Site News: New poll of the month See the poll of the month for June. Previous poll results: 41% of you are satisfied with the number of goals Bergkamp scored this season. Total of 130 votes were submitted, thanks to all involved. |
| 18/05/03 The FA Cup belongs to Arsenal! Bergkamp showed again his exquisite passes in yesterday's one-nil victory over Southampton in Cardiff. He almost even scored a few times, but it was Robert Pires who scored the match-winner. At least one trophy for the Gunners this year - FA Cup winners 2003! |
| 11/05/03 League season over After playing the last half an hour in Wednesday's 6-1 win over Southampton, Bergkamp was in the starting eleven in today's last Premier League match of the season against Sunderland. Dennis assisted a few goals before being substituted in the 75th minute. The Gunners took impressive 4-0 win before next Saturday's FA Cup final in Cardiff. |
| 10/05/03 Happy birthday, Dennis! Today is Bergy's 34th birtday. Let's all hope he gets the best present he could ask by winning the FA Cup next Saturday. Go Gunners! |
| 04/05/03 Title goes to Old Trafford Despite Bergkamp's 2-2 equaliser Arsenal lost 3-2 to Leeds at Highbury today and the Premier League crown belongs to Man Utd. Still looking forward to the Cup final.. |
| 04/05/03 Site News: New poll of the month See the poll of the month for May. Previous poll results: 61% of you think that Arsenal is too reliant on Bergkamp: when he's having a bad day, then Arsenal's not successful. Total of 83 votes were submitted, thanks to all involved. |
| 27/04/03 Draw not enough A 2-2 draw for the Gunners in yesterday's match against Bolton. Bergkamp was on the bench but didn't play. |
| 19/04/03 Vital win for Arsenal Wiltord took Bergkamp's place up front in today's match against Middlesbrough and thanked with a match-winning goal. Henry scored the second in this 2-0 win and Dennis replaced him just a few minutes from time. Man Utd still three points ahead, but Arsenal have a game in hand. |
| 19/04/03 Wenger hoping DB will finish
career at Highbury Arsène Wenger will be offering Dennis Bergkamp another year's contract and hopes that the Dutchman will finish his career at Highbury. more... |
| 17/04/03 Arsenal 2-2 Manks So the "title decider" ended to a draw and the rest of the season will be (or remain) very exciting. Bergkamp's striker partner Henry scored both Gunner-goals. DB himself didn't get so much support from the midfield after Vieira had been injured, and Wiltord took Dennis' place on the pitch after 75 minutes. |
| 13/04/03 Cardiff calling - again Arsenal beat Sheffield Utd 1-0 in the FA Cup semi-final today. Jeffers and Wiltord started up front, while Bergkamp and Henry had a rest before Wednesday's crunch tie against title rivals Man Utd. Dennis came on for Wiltord ten minutes before the final whistle. |
| 06/04/03 It's up for grabs now Bergkamp was rested in the victorious FA Cup match against Chelsea and was back in action against Aston Villa yesterday. The influential Dutch master couldn't help Arsenal to gain more than one point with a 1-1 draw. Both Arsenal and Man Utd have now 67 points. |
| 02/03/03 Site News: New poll of the month See the poll of the month for April. Previous poll results: 21% of you regard Bergkamp as a bit "dirty" player. Total of 150 votes were submitted, thanks to all involved. |
| 24/03/03 League title still in sight After missing the Champs League match in Spain, Bergkamp played again this Sunday against Everton. Dennis had his part in the match-winner as he muscled a defender off the ball and Vieira charged in to beat Wright from close range. It was 2-1 for the Gunners and the team is again top of the table. Earlier this week, Bergkamp was fined £7000 and warned to his future conduct. This relates to a charge of improper conduct following an incident with Lee Bowyer at our Premiership match against West Ham at Highbury on Sunday 19th January 2003. |
| 16/03/03 Not so good week Dennis Bergkamp was back in the starting line-up on Tuesday against Roma and was involved but his passes didn't always work out. Yesterday was even worse as Dennis had one of his poorest displays this season, as did Arsenal. Blackburn beat the Gunners 2-0 and the gap between Arsenal and Man United diminished to two points. |
| 09/03/03 Bergkamp training, Arsenal
playing Dennis wasn't involved in yesterday's 2-2 FA Cup draw with Chelsea. Arsene Wenger said before the match: "I could have used Dennis. But he'll have another training session instead. He will be available for Tuesday." |
| 02/03/03 Bergkamp suffers a minor injury Arsenal won Charlton 2-0 today, but Dennis was sidelined due to a slight calf strain. The gap between The Gunners and Man United is now eight points! |
| 02/03/03 Site News: New poll of the month See the poll of the month for March. Previous poll results: 82% of you would like to see Bergkamp winning the Champions League rather than the Double (once again :-). Total of 114 votes were submitted, thanks to all involved. |
| 28/02/03 Bergkamp to face FA charge Dennis Bergkamp has been charged by the F.A. with improper conduct, following an alleged incident during the home match against West Ham on Sunday 19th January 2003. After the match he said: "It was just an accident. I was protecting the ball. I never knew Lee Bowyer was there and the referee saw it. I tried to tell Lee that it was an accident. I feel sorry for him but there was nothing else that I could have done." |
| 28/02/03 No miracles against Ajax In the warm-up against Ajax, the home support had heartily applauded Dennis Bergkamp, who was returning for his first competitive game against Ajax in Holland since he left them to join Inter Milan. In the match he had his moments, but no goals were scored and 0-0 was the final score. Parlour replaced Bergkamp ten minutes before the final whistle. |
| 24/02/03 Dennis hitting the road home It looks like Dennis Bergkamp is travelling to Amsterdam for the game in Wednesday, according to ArseWeb. Arsene Wenger said: "I will let him go quite early so he can rest over there. It is not ideal but the game is big, he is used to travelling to Holland and I will take a chance." |
| 23/02/03 Bergkamp in business Bergkamp rested the FA Cup match against Man United (2-0 -win) and was fresh against Ajax in the Champs League clash. He assisted Arsenal's only goal in the 1-1 draw and almost scored another. The Dutchman's bobbling shot left Ajax keeper helpless as it bounced off the post and away to safety. Yesterday, Dennis started again - This time against Man City - and again he provided one goal with a clever pass which sent Vieira clear. Earlier Bergkamp had scored his third Premiership goal of the season with a close range shot. Arsenal trashed their hosts with a 5-1 win. |
| 02/02/03 Site News: New poll of the month See the poll of the month for February. Previous poll results: 67% of you think that, for Bergkamp, it was more important to score 100 goals than to play 300 games for Arsenal. Total of 149 votes were submitted, thanks to all involved. |
| 02/02/03 Another goal for Bergkamp in
week nr.5 On Wednesday, Bergkamp started the match against Liverpool (2-2) and reached 300 games for the club. Like usually, Dennis pulled the strings in the Arsenal attack and was involved in both goals. After eight minutes Bergkamp raced down the right and sent a perfect, angled ball into the path of Henry, whose shot was blocked by Dudek but Pires finished the job. In the second half Dennis scored himself with a deflected strike from long range. On Saturday he passed a late fitness test on his foot and played against Fulham. For once, DB10 lacked penetration but still Arsenal won 2-1 with a last-gasp goal by Pires. |
| 24/01/03 Dennis scores again in the FA Cup After great displays against Birmingham and West Ham in recent weeks, Bergkamp was rested in the FA Cup match against Farnborough and wasn't in the starting eleven. Still he played the last 30 minutes and managed to score one of Arsenal's five goals. |
| 05/01/03 Site News: New poll of the month See the poll of the month for January. Previous poll results: 84% of you think that Arsenal is way more vulnerable when Bergkamp isn't on the pitch. Total of 109 votes were submitted, thanks to all involved. |
| 05/01/03 Wenger lauds ton-up Dennis Arsene Wenger hailed Dennis Bergkamp's 'immense contribution' to Arsenal after the striker scored his 100th goal for the club as the FA Cup holders eased past Oxford into the fourth round. more... |
| 05/01/03 The Iceman's century Dennis Bergkamp hit the 100th goal of his Arsenal career in the FA Cup third round tie with Oxford United at Highbury on Saturday. 15 minutes into the clash, the Dutch Master picked up on a Francis Jeffers pass and stroked the ball past Andy Woodman - to rapturous applause from the Highbury crowd. The Iceman signed from Inter Milan in July 1995 and made his debut in the home game with Middlesbrough a month later. Since then he has established himself as a firm favourite of the Highbury crowd, and is admired by fans of every team for his skill and professionalism. Well done Dennis - a true Arsenal great. |
| 02/01/03 Bergkamp fully recovered Dennis played 25 minutes against Liverpool on Sunday and started yesterday's match against London rivals Chelsea. The ever-perceptive Iceman had a good afternoon and was strongly involved in Arsenal's first goal. The Gunners remain at the top of the table with a 3-2 win over the Blues. |
| 24/12/02 Merry
Christmas! Just want to wish a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you all. It's been a great year for Dennis and Arsenal, let's hope the new one will be even better! |
| 21/12/02 2-0 to the Arsenal Arsenal beat Middlesbrough in today's league match, scorers Campbell and Pires. Bergkamp was sidelined with a knee injury. He's days away from fitness. |
| 20/12/02 Bergkamp fined by FA A Football Association disciplinary hearing in Birmingham has found Bergkamp guilty of improper conduct following an incident with Nils-Eric Johansson at Arsenal's home match against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday 26th October. As a result Dennis has been fined £5,000 and warned to his future conduct. Manager Arsene Wenger was satisfied with the punishment "I am happy. It was not a malicious attack. I think a reprimand and a £5,000 fine is OK." |
| 15/12/02 Arsenal draw with Spurs Second North-London derby in a month - and again Tottenham was unable to win the Gunners. Like on Tuesday against Valencia, Bergkamp started the match. This time Dennis was quiet and looked a bit tired. |
| 11/12/02 Bergkamp considers postponing
retirement Bergkamp may postpone his retirement to keep on playing next season. The Dutch international was expected to retire at the end of the current season but is considering extending his career for another year. more... |
| 08/12/02 Bitter defeat to Arsenal Bergkamp was rested against Man Utd yesterday and played only the last twenty minutes. Even Dennis couldn't help the Gunners and the Moaners gained a rare 2-0 -win. |
| 06/12/02 Site News: New poll of the month See the poll of the month for December. Previous poll results: 56% of you are afraid that Bergkamp is getting more and more injury-prone towards the end of his career. Total of 110 votes were submitted, thanks to all involved. |
| 01/12/02 Dennis keeping his form After left at home from the trip to Rome Bergkamp played against Aston Villa yesterday. Dennis' radar was working perfectly and one of his perceptive passes helped Pires to score the opener. The final result was 3-1 for Arsenal like against AS Roma. |
| 24/11/02 99th for Bergkamp Last week Bergkamp played 30 minutes against PSV in the Champs League but was forced of with damaged ribs against Tottenham. Now Dennis was available again for Arsenal's trip to Southampton and was in the starting line-up. Soon Arsenal took the lead thanks to Bergkamp on 36 minutes. The Dutch master rifled a shot past Finnish keeper Antti Niemi - who pulled off some superb saves during the game - from the edge of the box after 36 minutes to leave him one short of a century of goals for the champions. Still this wasn't enough and Southampton took three points with 3-2 -win. |
| 10/11/02 One-nil to the Arsenal... Another 1-0 victory for Arsenal in the Premier League, this time against Newcastle. Bergkamp started up front alongside Henry and just after three minutes The Iceman jinked around a couple of defenders before beating the keeper with a curling right-foot shot - just to hit the post. He played 70 minutes, with his usual enthusiasm. |
| 08/11/02 FA charge Bergkamp with violent
conduct Bergkamp has been charged with violent conduct following the match against Blackburn Rovers on Saturday 26th October 2002. Arsenal has 14 days in which to respond. Arsène Wenger said: "What can I say. If he is charged we will defend him. I believe Dennis did not want to injure the player. It was just a frustrated reaction. If you look at the number of players Dennis Bergkamp has injured during his career you will find it is zero. But he has had his share of kicks. The record of Dennis Bergkamp will speak for us and we will try to defend him well." |
| 03/11/02 Win for Arsenal After four defeats Arsenal are now back in track. Today's result was one-nil to the Gunners against Fulham. Bergkamp was in the starting line-up and was increasingly influential. |
| 03/11/02 Site News: Double Celebration
Print offer Now you can order an unique Arsenal Double Celebration Print and receive a FREE Highbury Print worth £14.95 if you place your order before the 20th November 2002. Visit allsportsmart.net for more. There's also a Bergkamp print available! |
| 02/11/02 Bergkamp hopes to face Fulham The Iceman is facing a fitness test on his Achilles before Sunday's match against Fulham - despite coming on as a substitute against Blackburn last Saturday. "There is a chance for Dennis," said Arsene Wenger. "I will make a decision on Sunday morning after we see how he reacts to training." |
| 02/11/02 Site News: New poll of the month See the poll of the month for November. Previous poll results: 58% of you would like to see Dennis in the next few seasons with Arsenal instead of retiring, even if he's dropped to the bench. Total of 132 votes were submitted, thanks to all involved. |
| 02/11/02 "We have to find our form" Despite four straight defeats, Dennis Bergkamp believes there is nothing wrong with Arsenal at the moment. But our Dutch striker has called on his team-mates to return to winning ways as soon as possible. more... |
| 28/10/02 Bergkamp faces trial by video Dennis is facing the possibility of trial by television. He was seen to commit offence away from the eyes of the referee against Blackburn on Saturday, and the FA disciplinary committee could now act. more... |
| 28/10/02 Bergkamp to miss Borussia trip DB will not travel to Germany for this week's Champions League tie - even though he insists the trip would be no major obstacle for him. Bergkamp, who does not fly, will be staying at home this week even after travelling by road to the opening Champions League away game this season at PSV Eindhoven. 'It's not far, not that much further than Eindhoven. I don't have a problem with getting there,' he said. But just a few minutes later Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger confirmed he would not be asking Bergkamp to travel because he is happy with his options up front in Thierry Henry, Kanu and Sylvain Wiltord. The Arsenal boss is well aware it was in Eindhoven that Bergkamp picked up the Achilles injury which ruled him out of the next five games, and there is also an important league game at Fulham next Sunday to think about. |
| 27/10/02 Bergkamp returns After missing the match against Auxerre on Tuesday, Bergkamp made a comeback after his achilles injury against Blackburn yesterday. He played the last 30 minutes - replacing Kanu - but couldn't prevent Arsenal losing 2-1 third time in a row. |
| 19/10/02 Dennis still injured Bergkamp wasn't in the squad in today's match against Everton. He was hoping to be back for the trip to Goodison but suffered a slight setback in his return from achilles injury in training yesterday. The Gunners were defeated 2-1. |
| 29/09/02 Arsenal play down Bergkamp
report Arsenal have played down reports that Dennis Bergkamp will quit the Gunners at the end of this season. The Dutchman had been quoted as saying he would leave Highbury when his contract expires in May. He told the News of the World: "My family and I are very happy in England but when my contract ends I will go back to Holland. I left there 10 years ago but it will always be my home." But the Gunners described the reports as "premature" - although they did not refute the 33-year-old's claims entirely. A spokesperson said: "Reports suggesting that Dennis Bergkamp will retire at the end of the season are somewhat premature. "Dennis would like to stress that he has not actually stated that he will be retiring at the end of this season." |
| 29/09/02 Bergkamp drops retirement hint Bergkamp has hinted he will retire when his contract with the Premiership champions runs out at the end of the season. "I can smell the end of my career. I know the end is coming," Dennis said. more... |
| 29/09/02 Site News: New poll of the month See the poll of the month for October. Previous poll results: 42% of you think that Arsenal should have tried to snap Jari Litmanen as Bergkamp's substitute before Litmanen went to Ajax as a freebie. Total of 109 votes were submitted, thanks to all involved. |
| 28/09/02 Bergkamp sidelined with injury Dennis was injured in our 4-0 away win against PSV on Wednesday and couldn't play in today's victory match against Leeds. He played 80 minutes on Wednesday before the Achilles injury and was - again - one of the best on the pitch. He will miss the trip to Auxerre in the Champions League on Wednesday and Arsenal's home Premier League match with Sunderland on October 6. "Dennis has an inflamed Achilles after getting a kick in the first half against Eindhoven," Arsene Wenger told reporters. "He will miss certainly Auxerre and Sunderland next Sunday." |
| 21/09/02 Fine form continues Like in last week, Arsenal and Bergkamp gained full six points from this week's matches. First it was Borussia Dortmund who was trashed 2-0 in the Champions League and today the team won Bolton 2-1 with Kanu's last-minute strike. Bergkamp was highly influential in both games and even scored once against the Germans. Looks like he's more and more important for the rolling Gunners. |
| 21/09/02 Bergkamp going to Holland After the win against Dortmund, Dennis set his sights on European glory. "I think this is my best chance of winning the Champions League because you never know what will happen next year, not only for yourself but for the team," he told Arsenal.com. "You never know how long you can keep a unique team like this together. It is the best I've played in, and we've proved that with the way we started this season." Now Arsene Wenger has confirmed that Bergkamp will be travelling to Holland for our Champions League clash with PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday. |
| 15/09/02 Arsenal keeps winning Another two victories for Arsenal last week. Bergkamp started both games, against Manchester City and Charlton, and orchestrated our best moves. It looks like he has recoreved fully from his injury and is in a great form right at the beginning of the season. |
| 15/09/02 Leprosy charity auction - DB's
shoes for sale Now you can own a pair of shoes worn and donated to LEPRA by Dennis Bergkamp. Fans worldwide will have the unique opportunity to become the proud owners of their favourite stars' footwear when a unique internet auction starts on eBay on 8th November. The stunning collection of famous footwear has been brought together by LEPRA, The British Leprosy Relief Association, to help raise awareness of the disease and funds for the charity. Even though leprosy is curable, there are still over 700,000 people diagnosed with the disease every year. Dennis has donated his Reebok DMX size 9 (view pictures here). These match-worn boots have both been signed by Dennis in white ink/marker along the instep. Bidding starts at just £1. |
| 02/09/02 Bergkamp still injured Bergkamp limped off at half time during West Ham game with a calf injury. He missed the WBA match (5-2 win) and was also sidelined against Chelsea yesterday (1-1). However, the man might be fit again before Arsenal's next match on 10/09 against Man City. |
| 01/09/02 Site News: New poll of the month See the poll of the month for Septemeber. Previous poll results: 58% of you think that Arsene Wenger's rotation system is bad for Bergkamp, he needs to play as much as possible despite the fact that he could be injured more often. Total of 112 votes were submitted, thanks to all involved. |
| 30/08/02 Good CL draw for Bergkamp The draw for the Champions League could probably not have been better Bergkamp-wise. Dortmund, Auxerre and Eindhoven are all within a (long) day's travel for the grounded one, Arseweb reports. |
| 24/08/02 West Ham 2-2 Arsenal Bergkamp was in the starting line-up today despite being injury doubt in midweek. After only seven minutes two touches of typical vision from Dennis put the galloping Henry in the clear. The Frenchman's sidefooted shot beat David James in the West Ham goal but rolled inches wide of the upright. But soon, at the break, Wenger withdrew Bergkamp in favour of Kanu. Henry and Wiltord scored the goals for the Gunners. |
| 19/08/02 Arsenal starts with a win After several friendly matches Arsenal started their league season with an impressive 2-0 -win over Birmingham City yesterday. The bad news is that Bergkamp went off with a tight calf on the half-hour. Arsene Wenger said afterwards that his substitution was a precaution and he was expected to recover "in a few days". |
| 01/08/02 Site News: New poll of the month See the poll of the month for August. Previous poll results: 66% of you think that Bergkamp will stay with Arsenal after 2002/03 season. 21% believes that he will go to Ajax Amsterdam, and just 13% thinks the man will retire. Total of 128 votes were submitted, thanks to all involved. |
