The 1997-98 Premier League title was won by Arsenal, Arsene Wenger’s superb squad chasing down a beleaguered Manchester United side in the closing stages of the season to win in style.
The Gunners finished on 78 points, one clear of Manchester United, but they lost their two final matches of the season when the title was already theirs. Liverpool were a distant third, followed by Chelsea and Leeds United.
CHANGES
Arsenal were keen to build on a positive first season under new manager Arsene Wenger, and they supported him in the transfer market with the arrivals of Marc Overmars from Ajax and Emmanuel Petit from Monaco.
Manchester United were faced with an immeasurable headache – how to replace Eric Cantona, who had chosen to go into retirement at the age of 31. It was a move that was unexpected, even to Sir Alex Ferguson. Teddy Sheringham had to bear the burden of replacing the icon.
Tottenham took a punt that David Ginola and Les Ferdinand could invigorate them in the way that they had done in Kevin Keegan’s swashbuckling Newcastle team, while Liverpool added Champions League winner Karl-Heinz Riedle to their squad, and there were rumours of a young goalscorer by the name of Michael Owen who was almost ready for first-team football.
Bolton Wanderers scored 100 goals on the way to a comprehensive First Division Championship and they would take their place in the top flight, along with Barnsley, who surprised many to finish in second, and Crystal Palace, who won in the playoff courtesy of a brilliant David Hopkin goal to defeat Sheffield United.
SEASON SUMMARY
United started the season well, and the manner of their victories over Barnsley and Sheffield Wednesday (7-0 and 6-1) suggested that they would once again be hugely difficult to pass.
But the first indication that Arsenal were up for the challenge came in early November, when David Platt’s towering header thrilled Highbury in a 3-2 triumph over the Red Devils, though Arsene Wenger’s side would follow…
Source link : https://www.footballcritic.com/season-reviews/when-wenger-came-from-japan-and-ended-man-utds-dominance-the-1997-98-premier-league-season/61
Author : editors@footballcritic.com (Martin Macdonald)
Publish date : 2024-07-24 10:00:00
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