1998–99 in English football – 19 September 1998 – Newcastle United show signs of a return to their old form with a 5–1 away win over Coventry City. Newly promoted Charlton Athletic hold Liverpool to a 3–3 draw at Anfield. 20 September 1998 – Arsenal beat Manchester United 3–0 in the league at Highbury – the fourth defeat they have inflicted upon Alex Ferguson's team in less than a year. 23 September 1998 – Everton sign 22-year-old goalkeeper Steve Simonsen from Tranmere Rovers for £3.3million. 30 September 1998 – September ends with Aston Villa as Premier League leaders 5 points above second-placed Derby County
2000–01 Aston Villa F.C. season a top-six finish. The arrival of Croatian striker Boško Balaban at the end of the season gave fans renewed hope that next season might deliver more success. "Aston Villa's score comes first" 2000–01 Aston Villa F.C. season During the 2000–01 English football season, Aston Villa competed in the Premier League (known as the FA Carling Premiership for sponsorship reasons). Another season of decent (but rarely exciting) form saw Villa secure another top-10 finish, though this time they dipped slightly into eighth place after occupying sixth place a year earlier. Villa proved themselves as one of the hardest Premiership teams to