“What a fantastic goal from John Arne Riise!” » The Premier League paid tribute to the huge missile sent by the former Norwegian left-back of Liverpool into Fabien Barthez’s goal, during a Derby of England won by the Reds at Anfield against Manchester United (3-1 ), on November 4, 2001. We were only playing the 12th day of the English championship but the rout of Sir Alex Ferguson’s team at their historic rival then heralded a difficult season (3rd in the PL, no title, no final contested) , accompanied by the descent into hell of “Fabulous Fab”.
This November 4, 2001, Barthez was especially at fault on the third Liverpool goal. While David Beckham had just reignited the suspense by reducing the gap to 2-1 (50th), the goalkeeper of the French team missed his intervention on a long throw-in from Riise. Emile Heskey deflected the ball with his head and “little” Michael Owen rose in the air to score in an empty goal (51st). The 98 world champion, too feverish in his goals, clearly killed his team during this shock.
Barthez replaced by an American goalkeeper
After a first season of high quality at Man United, Barthez sank in the fall of 2001. He was at fault for two goals for Deportivo La Coruna during a defeat at Old Trafford in the Champions League on October 17. Then on November 25, three weeks after the defeat at Liverpool, Manchester United foundered at Highbury against Arsenal, Barthez giving Thierry Henry a goal with a poor clearance… The Red Devils had no chance of being champions this that season.
Sir Alex Ferguson maintained his faith in Barthez and United cruised to the Premier League in the 2002-03 season, thanks to Ruud van Nistelrooy’s 25 goals, to be crowned ahead of Arsenal. But the memorable LDC quarter-final against Real Madrid of the Galacticos offered a new ordeal to Fabien Barthez, powerless against Ronaldo’s hat-trick in the return match at Old Trafford (1-3, 4-3). American goalkeeper Tim Howard was recruited the following summer and “the Divine Bald” returned to Marseille.
