The 1997–98 season was Manchester United's sixth season in the Premier League, and their 23rd consecutive season in the top division of English football. The campaign ended poorly, having been pipped to the Premier League title by Arsenal, who managed a ten-match winning streak in the last two months of the season, as well as being eliminated by league strugglers Barnsley and French outfit AS Monaco in the FA Cup Fifth Round and UEFA Champions League Quarter-Finals respectively. To make matters worse, United entered March still in contention for a League and European double after opening up a 12-point gap, regardless of the fact that nearest challengers Arsenal had three games in hand. Thus, the season ended with only the Charity Shield in the cabinet.
Following the loss of captain and star striker, Eric Cantona at the end of the previous season, Ferguson acquired the services of England international Teddy Sheringham as a direct replacement on a three-year deal from Tottenham Hotspur for £3.5 million. Cantona's departure meant that Roy Keane was promoted as captain and a reshuffle of squad numbers occurred; David Beckham was awarded the coveted number 7 shirt and Sheringham was given Beckham's former squad number 10. Henning Berg was the only other new face to arrive at Old Trafford from Blackburn Rovers for a £5 million fee at the start of the season.
Pre-season and friendlies DateOpponentsH/AResultF–AScorersAttendance17 July 1997ThailandA2–0Butt 55', Natee 86' (o.g.)38,00020 July 1997South ChinaA1–0Cruyff 57'36,61122 July 1997Urawa Red DiamondsA2–1Solskjær (2) 13', 39'17,64227 July 1997InternazionaleA1–1(1–4p)Butt 22'49,71830 July 1997InternazionaleH1–1Clegg 67'48,5795 August 1997Slavia PragueH2–2Poborský 1', Cooke 45'22,0755 October 1997Manchester CityA2–2Scholes 9', Notman 84'21,262 Colours: Green = Manchester United win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.
FA Charity Shield
Manchester United faced FA Cup winners Chelsea in the season's annual curtain raiser, the FA Charity Shield. The Premiership champions won the match 4–2 on penalties after both teams produced a 1–1 draw after 90 minutes.
DateOpponentsH/AResultF–AScorersAttendance3 August 1997ChelseaN1–1(4–2p)Johnsen 57'73,636 Colours: Green = Manchester United win; Yellow = draw; Red = opponents win.
FA Premier League
August–October Manchester United started their campaign to win an unprecedented third straight title at White Hart Lane — Teddy Sheringham's former stomping ground. An hour into his debut presented him with a chance to score from a dubious penalty, but he hit the post and blasted the rebound wide. What seemed like a pulsating draw turned out to be business as usual for the champions, who scored twice in the last ten minutes from a Nicky Butt strike and an own goal by hapless defender Ramon Vega. David Beckham came off the bench to grab the winner against Southampton to ensure United remained in the driving seat and despite a lacklustre goalless draw to Leicester at Filbert Street, they managed a third straight clean sheet. Beckham kept up his ever-improving goal-scoring record while Sheringham poached his first goal for the club as Ferguson's all-conquering United dismantled Everton at Goodison Park. At home to Coventry, Andy Cole marked his return from minor surgery with a goal inside 73 seconds that left goalkeeper, Steve Ogrizovic completely bamboozled. Keane and Poborský added to the rout, which Ferguson and Coventry boss Gordon Strachan mutually agreed was a "flattering scoreline". The champions set the benchmark in August with five straight clean sheets and eight goals leaving them joint top with Blackburn Rovers. In such commanding form, pundits alike reckoned that it was a matter of time before they would resume their domestic supremacy.
West Ham took some heart in their performance at Old Trafford by scoring the opening goal, thus breaking United's clean sheet record. The champions responded in typical fashion, scoring twice in both halves of the match to win a third on the trot and give Ferguson the perfect boost ahead of their midweek Champions League tie. Although victorious away to Košice, United couldn't break the deadlock in their next league match to Bolton, squandering numerous chances to remain at the top of the table, most notably from Andy Cole. The main talking point at the Reebok Stadium came in the 35th minute, when a brawl between Nathan Blake and Gary Pallister resulted in both players being controversially sent off. After the game, a furious Ferguson personally sent a video of the incident to The Football Association in the hope of the decision being rescinded. Referee Paul Durkin publicly admitted before the video arrived that, in hindsight, he had made the wrong decision. Mark Hughes returned to Old Trafford and scored what looked to be the winner for Chelsea, before super-sub Ole Gunnar Solskjær popped in to earn a dramatic equaliser with four minutes to go. A first-half header from Leeds defender David Wetherall was enough to condemn United to their first defeat of the season and first in almost three months of football. Worse was to come for the champions, as captain Roy Keane was ruled out for the rest of the season with knee ligament damage, although Ferguson revealed after the Leeds match that they hoped that he would be fit enough to play some part in their next Champions League game, at home to Juventus on the coming Wednesday. Schmeichel was placed as captain in his absence.
Crystal Palace met Manchester United in the first week of October, looking to capitalise on their defeat to Leeds. Ferguson had anticipated that their midweek triumph at home to Italian giants Juventus would act as the "spark" to their league form. A 2–0 win – their first in four attempts – put them a point behind league leaders Arsenal. The first ever sell-out game at Derby's new £20 million Pride Park stadium saw the home side take a commanding 2–0 lead through Paulo Wanchope and Francesco Baiano. A third defeat in five games was on the cards for Alex Ferguson's side after Teddy Sheringham missed his second penalty of the season, but he quickly made amends, connecting his head with Gary Neville's inch-perfect cross. Cole, who was dropped from the first team for the Champions League tie at home to Feyenoord, came on with fifteen minutes of normal time remaining and grabbed a vital equaliser, drilling a low shot past the wretched Derby defence. Old Trafford welcomed Barnsley for the first time in over 60 years and a rampant United display helped them leapfrog Arsenal to the top of the Premiership for the first time since early September. Andy Cole bagged a first half hat-trick and Scholes, Ryan Giggs (2) and Poborský followed up with goals in a breathtaking performance that gave the Tykes their ninth league defeat of the season.
November–February Fergie's fledglings began November in the same fashion they ended the previous month – with a rout. Sheringham, Cole and Solskjær all scored twice each at home to Sheffield Wednesday, in a game that they could have scored so many more. David Pleat managed to get sympathy from Ferguson who admitted "every shot United had in the first half went in" but not from the board, cumulating in his sacking the following Monday. The talk of a one-horse race for the Premiership was put on hold after defeat to Arsenal at Highbury. The psychological impact of United opening up a seven-point lead had they won would have been too much ground to make up for the challengers. Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger admitted before the game that defeat would make it "difficult for them" to catch up on United's ground but not "impossible". The Gunners put themselves in front with Nicolas Anelka's first goal for the club and Patrick Vieira's swooping shot which left Schmeichel rattled. Sheringham's admirable brace just before half time left the match finely poised but former United trainee David Platt headed into the far corner with seven minutes left. Thumping Wimbledon courtesy of a Beckham brace and goals from Cole, Scholes and Butt was the perfect response after their second defeat of the season and United bettered it at home to Blackburn Rovers, the only team with an unbeaten away record. A 4–0 win ensured distance between themselves and the challengers, popping the question as to which team was capable of stopping them. The Red Devils managed to score 30 goals in the last nine fixtures prior to this game and qualification to the quarter finals of the Champions League meant that they could prolong their rich domestic goal-scoring form. Ferguson understandably quashed any sort of hype, but admitted that they were in an "ideal position", in comparison to the same point in the last season.
An early morning kick-off away to fierce rivals Liverpool ended in a routine victory for United. Losing to Juventus in the last match of the Champions League before hiatus had seemed to have no effect on United's domestic dominance. They comprehensively defeated Aston Villa thanks to a solitary Giggs goal and followed it up with a heroic Schmeichel performance to deny Newcastle United at St James' Park. British Prime Minister Tony Blair, a lifelong fan of the Geordies, was among the crowd and was in awe over Ferguson's team, believing that the manager had assembled "one of the greatest sides of the century". Two out of two became three as Everton found no answer to deny the league leaders, who extended their lead at the top of the table to six points on Boxing Day. The win marked the end of Karel Poborský's spell, coming on for David Beckham in the second half ahead of a switch to Graeme Souness' Benfica. However, what was to come at the end of December exemplified the vulnerability of the defence during the second half of the season. In losing to mid-table Coventry City two days after the Everton win, United blew the chance to open up a nine-point lead at the top of the table, which would virtually slam the door shut on the challengers. They again found themselves a goal down, this time courtesy of Noel Whelan, Solskjær and Sheringham responded to restore the advantage back on the champions but a Dion Dublin penalty and mazy run from youngster Darren Huckerby in the last minute ensured an implausible victory, given the fact that Coventry were 2–1 down with five minutes to go. Prior to the game, Ferguson highlighted the fact that the league "wasn't won in December", but following the defeat blasted his side's display as "silly" and "on the verge of complacency".
As 1997 turned to 1998, an inspirational performance from Giggs helped a modest United side labour for a hard-earned three points and still maintain their desire for a fifth title in six seasons. A trip to the Dell to play Southampton – where United were undone last season repeated itself, this time by a solitary Kevin Davies goal in the third minute. The Saints pulled off a valiant performance, most notably from goalkeeper Paul Jones, who denied Solskjær from scoring right at the death of the second half. Things went from bad to worse in January as Tony Cottee popped in to stun Old Trafford and score the winner for Leicester in what proved a wretched season for the striker. This was the Foxes first win in the league since November and United's first home defeat of the season and fifth altogether.