Fifteen years ago: Remembering Wayne Rooney vs Arsenal

Everton and Arsenal are playing each other on Sunday. Everton won the last head-to-head against Arsenal in 2002. The game was won by an up-and-coming young player. David Moyes was appointed as manager in March 2002 after four years in charge of Preston North End. He had taken the club from the third tier to within a whisker of the Premier League.

Rooney came through the Everton ranks at the age of 16. He was a promising player but only made a few starts and a couple of substitute appearances. Freddie Ljungberg scored the opening goal for Arsenal against Everton in mid-October. The result was predictable. The team had been unbeaten for two seasons. David Moyes brought something different to Everton. It was fearlessness and determination. Arsenal have now scored in 49 consecutive games. They beat Everton 2-1. Jonathan McEvoy wrote in the Liverpool Daily Post that the result had all been predictable, but it was prescient. For the fans, it turned out to be the case.

Everton came back from a goal down to draw with Arsenal. The game finished 1-1. Rooney came on for a ten-minute cameo. He was making all the headlines the next day. He played well. Simon Magner, chair of the Everton Supporters Trust, thinks it was an uncharacteristically bold substitution. It was a big performance for him. For the rest of his career, he will be remembered for that. His performance was the only thing that people talked about after the game. In the second half, Arsenal had more chances but they couldn't break down Everton. Ljungberg came close twice and Henry missed a shot.

This is an extract from Everton’s Greatest Games, written by Jim Keoghan and published by Pitch Publishing.