Season Dates: August 1996 – May 1997
Champions: Manchester United
Top Scorer (Golden Boot): Alan Shearer (Newcastle United) – 25 goals
Relegated Teams: Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Nottingham Forest
European Qualification:
- Champions League: Manchester United, Newcastle United
- Cup Winners’ Cup: Chelsea (FA Cup winners)
- UEFA Cup: Arsenal, Liverpool, Aston Villa (via UEFA Respect Fair Play ranking), Leicester City
Season Overview:
The 1996/97 Premier League season saw Manchester United securing their fourth title in five years, despite amassing the lowest points total (75) for a champion in the history of the competition. Newcastle United finished as runners-up for the second consecutive season, while Arsenal and Liverpool completed the top four, all three clubs finishing with 68 points but separated by goal difference.
Middlesbrough’s campaign was particularly eventful; despite reaching both the FA Cup and League Cup finals, they were relegated due to a three-point deduction for postponing a fixture, which ultimately placed them 19th. Should they have played the game and lost it, they would have remained in the division.
Nottingham Forest and Sunderland also faced relegation, with the latter marking the end of their tenure at Roker Park before moving to the Stadium of Light.
Match Results
The 1996-97 season was packed with exciting matches that kept fans on the edge of their seats. From high-scoring thrillers to tactical masterclasses, this season had it all. The results of these matches played a crucial role in shaping the final league table, with every point won or lost having a significant impact on the teams’ fortunes.
Season Stats & Key Records
Golden Boot & Top Goal Scorers
- Alan Shearer (Newcastle United) – 25 goals
- Ian Wright (Arsenal) – 23 goals
- Robbie Fowler (Liverpool) – 18 goals
Most Assists
- Eric Cantona (Manchester United) – 12 assists
- Neal Ardley (Wimbledon) – 11 assists
- Dennis Bergkamp (Arsenal) – 9 assists
Big Matches & Moments
- Best Match: Liverpool 4-3 Newcastle United (11 March 1997) – A thrilling encounter reminiscent of the previous season’s classic, featuring goals from Fowler, McManaman, Collymore, and Asprilla. Liverpool’s last-minute winner dented Newcastle’s title hopes and indirectly sent the title to Old Trafford.
- Biggest Upset: Derby County 3-2 Manchester United (5 April 1997) – Derby stunned the champions with a dramatic win, with Ole Gunnar Solkskjaer’s goal to make it 3-2 provig to be nothing more than a consolation.
- Most Dramatic Match: Middlesbrough 3-3 Manchester United (5 May 1997) – A final-day thriller as Middlesbrough fought for survival. Goals from Juninho, Ravanelli, and Emerson weren’t enough to save them from relegation though.
- Best Goal: David Beckham (Wimbledon vs Manchester United – 17 August 1996) – The young midfielder introduced himself to the world with a stunning 60-yard lob over Neil Sullivan on the opening day of the season in the 87th minute.
Top Goalscorers
The 1996-97 season saw some of the league’s best strikers in top form, lighting up matches with their goal-scoring prowess. The race for the Golden Boot was a closely contested affair, with several players consistently finding the back of the net. Their goals not only thrilled fans but also played a pivotal role in their teams’ performances throughout the season.
| Place | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alan Shearer | Newcastle | 22 |
| 2 | Ian Wright | Arsenal | 20 |
| 3 | Robbie Fowler | Liverpool | 19 |
| 4 | Ole Gunnar Solskjaer | Man Utd | 17 |
| 5 | Dwight Yorke | Aston Villa | 16 |
| 6 | Les Ferdinand | Newcastle | 16 |
| 7 | Fabrizio Ravanelli | Middlesbrough | 15 |
| 8 | Dion Dublin | Coventry City | 15 |
| 9 | Matt Le Tissier | Southampton | 15 |
| 10 | Dennis Bergkamp | Arsenal | 15 |
| 11 | Steve Claridge | Leicester City | 15 |
| 12 | Stan Collymore | Liverpool | 15 |
| 13 | Osvaldo Juninho Paulist | Middlesbrough | 15 |
| 14 | Eric Cantona | Man Utd | 15 |
| 15 | Efan Ekoku | Wimbledon | 14 |
| 16 | Dean Sturridge | Derby County | 14 |
| 17 | Chris Sutton | Blackburn | 14 |
| 18 | Andy Booth | Sheffield Wed | 13 |
| 19 | Duncan Ferguson | Everton | 12 |
| 20 | Kevin Gallacher | Blackburn | 12 |
| 21 | Emile Heskey | Leicester City | 10 |
| 22 | Savo Milosevic | Aston Villa | 10 |
| 23 | Egil Ostenstad | Southampton | 10 |
Month-by-Month Breakdown
August 1996 – The Season Begins
Manchester United began their title defense with a 3-0 win against Wimbledon, but drew against Everton, Blackburn and Derby County in the three games that followed. It was a rocky start to the season for the Red Devils.
Player of the Month: David Beckham (Manchester United)
September 1996 – Early Contenders Emerge
Arsenal, under caretaker management, maintained an unbeaten run. Liverpool also showed some strong form, positioning themselves as title contenders as well. However, Man United bounced back by winning three of their four games this month
Player of the Month: Patrick Berger (Liverpool)
October 1996 – Managerial Changes
Arsène Wenger officially took charge of Arsenal, becoming the club’s first foreign manager. In terms of managerial outgoings though, Nottingham Forest struggled leading to the departure of manager Frank Clark. Man United were shocked by a 5-0 loss to Newcastle, however.
Player of the Month: Matt Le Tissier (Southampton)
November 1996 – United’s Resurgence
The poor results continued for Man United with only two wins in November. Cracks were beginning to show for Sir Alex Ferguson, but would they end up proving costly come the end of the season?
Player of the Month: Ian Wright (Arsenal)
December 1996 – Festive Period Drama
Liverpool’s form dipped, allowing Manchester United to overtake them at the top. With three back-to-back wins to close out the month. Middlesbrough controversially postponed a fixture against Blackburn, leading to a future points deduction that ended up costing them their place in England’s top-flight.
Player of the Month: Gianfranco Zola (Chelsea)
January 1997 – Transfer Movements
Kevin Keegan resigned as Newcastle United manager; Kenny Dalglish was appointed as his successor. Arsenal’s Dennis Bergkamp continued to impress, bolstering their attacking options.
Player of the Month: Tim Flowers (Blackburn Rovers)
February 1997 – Title Race Intensifies
Manchester United and Arsenal both maintained strong form, keeping the title race competitive. Liverpool’s inconsistency saw them drop crucial points though against Blackburn, with the Reds appearing to fall away.,
Player of the Month: Robbie Earle (Wycombe Wanderers)
March 1997 – Decisive Clashes
A 2-1 loss to relegated Sunderland didn’t deter United, as the Red Devils won three of their four games that month to remain right in the hunt for the Premier League title, with Liverpool losing to Aston Villa and drawing to Nottingham Forest. Chelsea’s push for European qualification gained momentum with consecutive wins.
Player of the Month: Juninho (Middlesbrough)
April 1997 – Relegation Battles
A huge 3-1 win for Man United against Liverpool at Anfield looked like it was going to send the title to Old Trafford. At the other end of the table, Middlesbrough’s fight for survival was hampered by their points deduction and Sunderland’s poor run of form placed them in the relegation zone.
Player of the Month: Mickey Evans (Southampton)
May 1997 – Season Conclusion
Manchester United clinched the title with a game to spare by drawing 0-0 with Newcastle. Sunderland’s defeat to Wimbledon confirmed their relegation while in more positive news, Chelsea secured the FA Cup with a 2-0 win over Middlesbrough.
Managerial Changes
- Arsenal – Bruce Rioch signed by QPR (September 16, 1996) – replaced by Arsène Wenger
- Blackburn Rovers – Ray Harford resigned (October 25, 1996) – replaced by Tony Parkes (caretaker)
- Coventry City – Ron Atkinson promoted to Director of Football (November 5, 1996) – replaced by Gordon Strachan
- Nottingham Forest – Frank Clark resigned (December 19, 1996) – replaced by Stuart Pearce (caretaker)
- Newcastle United – Kevin Keegan resigned (January 8, 1997) – replaced by Kenny Dalglish
- Everton – Joe Royle resigned (March 27, 1997) – replaced by Dave Watson (caretaker)
Transfers & Squad Movement
- Alan Shearer – (Blackburn Rovers to Newcastle United) – £15m
- Fabrizio Ravanelli – (Juventus to Middlesbrough) – £7m
- Nick Barmby – (Middlesbrough to Everton) – £5.75m
Awards & Honors
- Premier League Manager of the Season: Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United)
- Premier League Player of the Season: Juninho (Middlesbrough)
- PFA Young Player of the Year: David Beckham (Manchester United)
European Performance
- Manchester United- UCL Semi-finals by Borussia Dortmund)
- Newcastle United – UC First Round by AS Monaco
- Aston Villa – UC First Round to Helsingborgs IF
- Arsenal – CWC Quarter-Finals by PSG
- Chelsea – CWC Semi-Finals to Vicenza
