 His development as a player may have been hampered by injuries sustained in an incident with a burglar in his home in 2001, in which Vernazza and fellow Arsenal trainee Andrew Douglas were both stabbed.He made his first-team debut in a League Cup match against Birmingham City on 14 October 1997.He only played one league game (against Crystal Palace) as Arsenal won the 1997-98 FA Premier League, meaning he didn't qualify for a winners' medal.