At the start of the 2001–02 season, Arca suffered a setback when he suffered a knee injury that saw him missed two matches. He made his return from injury, starting the whole game, in a 1–0 win over Blackburn Rovers on 8 September 2001. Following this, he regained his first team place, playing in the midfield position. In a 1–1 draw against Arsenal, Arca scored a header from two minutes into injury time but referee Mike Riley for offside. Riley's decision to disallow Arca's goal was criticised by then club captain Michael Gray and Manager Peter Reid. But Arca managed to score his first goal of the season, in a 2–1 win over Leeds United on 18 November 2001. He did not manage to rediscover his form of the previous season and was out of action from February. Because of his trouble by a series of niggling injuries, Arca's 2001–02 campaign was disappointing like so many Sunderland's players.