Arsenal finished the 2011/12 Premiership season in third place but that position has failed to satisfy the fans who have seen their team missing out on one of the major honours for a seventh year running.

The Arsenal chiefs continue to keep the faith with long-serving manager Arsene Wenger even if some sections of the fans would love to see a new man in charge.

The Aston Villa supporters were also unhappy with the club’s selection of manager last season as Gerrard Houllier was forced to step down due to health problems and Alex McLeish, formerly of rivals Birmingham, was handed the job.

At the Emirates, Wenger’s assistant Pat Rice has decided to step aside and the Londoners have now Steve Bould as no.2.

Rice wanted to leave last year but he was persuaded to stay for his final fling.

The form of Gunners’ striker Robin Van Persie has been im-pressive to say the least.

Last season, the Dutchman finally proved that he can replace the prolific Thierry Henry after hitting the back of the net 30 times, finishing as the leading scorer in the league.

Van Persie, the 2012 Player of the Year, came agonisingly close to equal the all-time record of goals scored in the Premier League held by both Cristiano Ronaldo and Alan Shearer – 31 goals.

Villa finished just two places above the drop zone with 38 points from the same number of matches – their lowest tally ever in a Premier League campaign.

Another negative statistic for Villa was the fact that for the first time since 2007 they had failed to secure a place in Europe.

Villa’s best performers last season were Marc Albrighton and Charles N’Zogbia and the team sorely felt their absence when they were recovering from injury. Midfielder Stilyan Petrov was forced to retire due to health problems.

In domestic cup competitions, Aston Villa did not set any houses on fire.

In the League Cup, they were ousted in the third round by Bolton (0-2 at home) and in the FA Cup, Villa were eliminated in the fourth round after going down at 3-2 Arsenal.

In the Champions League, Arsenal were so close to make it to the last eight.

After a 0-4 upset at the San Siro, they just failed to match Milan in the return leg as they won 3-0.

Manchester City ousted Arsenal in the quarter-finals of the League Cup (1-0 at the Emirates).

In the FA Cup, the Gunners were knocked out by Sunderland in round five (0-2 at the Stadium of Light).

Premier League 2011-12

Arsenal

August
Away vs Newcastle 0-0.
Home vs Liverpool 0-2.
Away vs Manchester United 2-8 (Walcott, Van Persie).
September
Home vs Swansea 1-0 (Arshavin).
Away vs Blackburn 3-4 (Gervinho, Arteta, Chamakh).
Home vs Bolton 3-0 (Van Persie 2, Song).
October
Away vs Tottenham 1-2 (Ramsey).
Home vs Sunderland 2-1 (Van Persie 2).
Home vs Stoke 3-1 (Gervinho, Van Persie 2).
Away vs Chelsea 5-3 (Van Persie 3, Santos, Walcott).
November
Home vs West Brom 3-0 (Van Persie, Vermaelen, Arteta).
Away vs Norwich 2-1 (Van Persie 2).
Home vs Fulham 1-1 (Vermaelen).
December
Away vs Wigan 4-0 (Arteta, Vermaelen, Gervinho, Van Persie).
Home vs Everton 1-0 (Van Persie).
Away vs Manchester City 0-1.
Away vs Aston Villa 2-1 (Van Persie pen, Benayoun).
Home vs Wolves 1-1 (Gervinho).
Home vs QPR 1-0 (Van Persie).
January
Away vs Fulham 1-2 (Koscielny).
Away vs Swansea 2-3 (Van Persie, Walcott).
Home vs Man. Utd 1-2 (Van Persie).
February
Away vs Bolton 0-0.
Home vs Blackburn 7-1 (Van Persie 3, Oxlade-Chamberlain 2, Arteta, Henry).
Away vs Sunderland 2-1 (Ramsey, Henry).
Home vs Tottenham 5-2 (Sagna, Van Persie, Rosicky, Walcott 2).
March
Away vs Liverpool 2-1 (Van Persie 2).
Home vs Newcastle 2-1 (Van Persie, Vermaelen).
Away vs Everton 1-0 (Vermaelen).
Home vs Aston Villa 3-0 (Gibbs, Walcott, Arteta).
April
Away vs QPR 1-2 (Walcott).
Home vs Man. City 1-0 (Arteta).
Away vs Wolves 3-0 (Van Persie, Walcott, Benayoun).
Home vs Wigan 1-2 (Vermaelen).
Home vs Chelsea 0-0.
Away vs Stoke 1-1 (Van Persie).
May
Home vs Norwich City 3-3 (Bena-youn, Van Persie 2).
Away vs West Brom 3-2 (Benayoun, Santos, Koscielny).

Aston Villa

August
Away vs Fulham 0-0.
Home vs Blackburn 3-1 (Agbon-lahor, Heskey, Bent).
Home vs Wolves 0-0.
September
Away vs Everton 2-2 (Petrov, Ag-bonlahor).
Home vs Newcastle United 1-1 (Agbonlahor).
Away vs QPR 1-1 (Bannan pen).
October
Home vs Wigan 2-0 (Agbonlahor, Bent).
Away vs Man. City 1-4 (Warnock).
Home vs West Bromwich Albion 1-2 (Bent pen).
Away vs Sunderland 2-2 (Dunne, Petrov).
November
Home vs Norwich 3-2 (Bent 2, Agbonlahor).
Away vs Tottenham 0-2.
Away vs Swansea 0-0.
December
Home vs Manchester United 0-1.
Away vs Bolton 2-1 (Albrighton, Petrov).
Home vs Liverpool 0-2.
Home vs Arsenal 1-2 (Albrighton).
Away vs Stoke 0-0.
Away vs Chelsea 3-1 (Ireland, Petrov, Bent).
January
Home vs Swansea 0-2.
Home vs Everton 1-1 (Bent).
Away vs Wolves 3-2 (Bent pen, Keane 2).
February
Home vs QPR 2-2 (Bent, N’Zogbia).
Away vs Newcastle 1-3 (Keane).
Home vs Manchester City 0-1.
Away vs Wigan 0-0.
March
Away vs Blackburn 1-1 (N’Zogbia).
Home vs Fulham 1-0 (Weinmann).
Away vs Arsenal 0-3.
April
Home vs Chelsea 2-4 (Collins, Lichaj).
Away vs Liverpool 1-1 (Herd).
Home vs Stoke 1-1 (Weinmann).
Away vs Manchester United 0-4.
Home vs Sunderland 0-0.
Home vs Bolton 1-2 (Warnock).
Away vs West Brom 0-0.
May
Home vs Tottenham 1-1 (Clark).
Away vs Norwich City 0-2.