In the 2000–01 season Liverpool won three competitions to complete a unique treble of trophies. The first trophy was the League Cup, when they beat Birmingham City 5–4 in a penalty shoot-out after the match had finished 1–1. They then won the FA Cup, as Owen scored two goals in the last ten minutes to overturn a one-goal deficit to win the match against Arsenal 2–1. The final trophy the club won was the UEFA Cup. An own goal in the last minute of extra time by Delfí Geli secured a 5–4 victory over Spanish team Alavés. Liverpool finished the league in third place, securing a return to the European Cup (now the UEFA Champions League) for the first time since the Heysel Stadium disaster. Liverpool's participation in the UEFA Champions League in the 2001–02 season saw the club reach the quarter-finals, where they were eliminated by German team Bayer Leverkusen 4–3 on aggregate. The season was Liverpool's best in the league in recent years, as they finished second, seven points behind Arsenal. Despite their improved performance in the league, Liverpool were unable to defend the FA and League Cup, exiting in the fourth and third rounds respectively. The season was overshadowed by Houllier's heart problems. He suffered chest pain at half-time during a match with Leeds at Anfield. He had an eleven-hour operation to fix an acute dissection of the aorta and did not return until February. His assistant Phil Thompson took charge of the team in the interim.