of the season came on 1 January 2001, in a 4–1 win over Ipswich Town. However, he missed five matches throughout January because of his continuous international commitment with Argentina U20. It wasn't until on 10 February 2001 when Arca made his return to the first team, in a 1–1 draw against Liverpool. Arca played for his previous club and national team at left-back, but was successfully converted to left midfield by Reid. Arca scored three times in thirty appearances for the Black Cats in his first season in the Premiership. For his performance, he won the club's Young Player of the Year award. Arca also became a fan favourite among Sunderland supporters. At the start of the 2001–02 season, Arca suffered a setback when he suffered a knee injury that saw him miss 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. At the start of the 2002–03 campaign, Arca continued to recover from his injuries he sustained from the previous season. His first appearance of the season came on 28 August 2002, coming on as a late substitute, in a 1–0 win over Leeds United. Arca, who had then played 54 games for the club, stated his determination to get back to his best – both in fitness and form, especially playing under the management of Reid's successor, Howard Wilkinson. Due to being a fan favourite among Sunderland supporters, they chanted "Julio, Julio when he was not in the squad". Despite this, Arca scored his first goal of the season, in the second round of the League Cup, in a 2–0 win over Cambridge United on 1 October 2002. He