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1996_97 Premier League Table

1996/97 Premier League Table: Lowest Points Total To Win

1996/97 Premier League Champions: Manchester United

Runners-up: Newcastle United

Champions League places: Manchester United, Newcastle United

UEFA Cup places: Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa, Leicester City (League Cup)

Cup Winners Cup places: Chelsea

Promoted (from 1995/96): Sunderland, Derby County, Leicester City

Relegated: Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Nottingham Forest

Leading Scorer: Alan Shearer (Newcastle United) 25 goals

Premier League Table 1996 – 1997

PosTeamPldWDLGFGAGDPts
1Manchester United38211257644+3275
2Newcastle United 38191187340+3368
3Arsenal38191186232+3068
4Liverpool38191186237+2568
5Aston Villa381710114734+1361
6Chelsea381611115855+359
7Sheffield Wednesday38141595051-157
8Wimbledon381511124946+356
9Leicester City381211154654-847
10Tottenham Hotspur38137184451-746
11Leeds United381113142838-1046
12Derby County381113144558-1346
13Blackburn Rovers38915144243-142
14West Ham United 381012163948-942
15Everton381012163948-942
16Southampton381011175056-641
17Coventry City38914153854-1641
18Sunderland381010183553-1840
19Middlesborough381012165160-939
20Nottingham Forest38616163159-2834

1996/97 Season Review

Since its formation in 1992, the FA Premier League has played five seasons. Newcastle United, Arsenal, and Liverpool contested most of the season with Manchester United. After Liverpool and Newcastle failed to win their penultimate games, Manchester United eventually won the title.

With 75 points, Manchester United finished on top of the 1996/97 Premier League table. Since the 3-1-0 points system was introduced in 1981–82, it was the lowest points total for a Premier League champion.

Having missed out on the title to Manchester United in the previous season, Newcastle United shelled out a British record of £15 million pounds on Blackburn Rovers’ England striker Alan Shearer.

The Magpies were handsomely rewarded for their outlay, with Shearer scoring 25 times in the league to finish as top scorer, ahead of Arsenal’s Ian Wright.

Italian international Gianfranco Zola moved from Parma to Chelsea in the close season and would have a huge impact, helping the club to an FA Cup triumph, and winning the Football Writers’ Association Player of the Year award.

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Goal Of The Premiership

The season started spectacularly as David Beckham scored from the halfway line in Manchester United’s 3-0 win at Wimbledon on an opening day.

After the game, Neil Sullivan, the Wimbledon goalkeeper, said, “As soon as he brought his foot back, I thought: uh-oh, he’s going to try to do me. I thought I had it covered until the last ten yards. My only consolation is that at least I’ll be on telly every week.”

Beckham won the Professional Football Association Young Player of the Year award later that season, and in 2003 his effort was voted Premier League Goal of the Decade.

Newcastle United went top of the league in November after a stunning 5-0 win over Manchester United. This was the Red Devils’ biggest defeat for 12 years, with the pick of the goals a sublime chip from Newcastle’s Belgian international Philippe Albert.

Unfortunately, things were to get worse for United in the next match when they were humbled 6-3 by Southamption at The Dell.

when did eric cantona retire
Eric Cantona Retires From Football In 1997

Could Liverpool Hold On?

Despite Liverpool going top in December after Robbie Fowler scored four in a 5-1 thrashing of Middlesbrough, United’s form picked up. By the end of January, they were in the first place and remained there until the end of the season. They won the title without kicking a ball as closest rivals, Liverpool lost to Wimbledon, and Newcastle could only draw 0-0 with West Ham on 6th May.

There was controversy at the other end of the table as Middlesbrough was relegated on the season’s final day. Were they not for a three-point deduction from the Football Association for canceling a match against Blackburn in December, they would have finished outside the relegation places.

Middlesbrough blamed the decision on the absence of 23 players through illness or injury. The club had spent millions on players such as Emerson Moises, Branco, Gianluca Festa, and Fabrizio Ravanelli, with the latter scoring 31 goals in all competitions.

Nottingham Forest and Sunderland joined Boro at the bottom of the 1996/97 Premier League table and were relegated to the First Division.

Manchester United striker Eric Cantona retired from the game, playing a significant role in the club’s Premier League dominance.

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1996/97 Cup Results

1996/97 FA Cup Winners: Chelsea [Final – Chelsea 2 v 0 Middlesbrough]

1996/97 League Cup Winners: Leicester City [Final – Leicester City 1 v 1 Middlesbrough], [Replay – Leicester City 1 v 0 Middlesbrough]

1996/97 Champions League Winners: Borussia Dortmund [Final – Borussia Dortmund 3 v 1 Juventus]

1996/97UEFA Cup Winners: Barcelona [Final – Barcelona 1 v 0 Paris Saint-Germain]

when did arsene wenger start managing arsenal
Arsene Wenger Joins Arsenal FC In 1996

1996/97 Managerial Changes

Arsenal: Bruce Rioch out, Arsene Wenger in

Blackburn: Ray Harford out, Tony Parkes in

Chelsea: Glenn Hoddle out, Ruud Gullit in

Coventry City: Ron Atkinson out, Gordon Strachan in

Everton: Joe Royle out, Dave Watson in

Leeds United: Howard Wilkinson out, George Graham in

Newcastle: Kevin Keegan out, Kenny Dalglish in

Nottingham Forest: Frank Clark out, Stuart Pearce in, Stuart Pearce out, Dave Bassett in

Southampton: David Merrington out, Graeme Souness in

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