Aston Villa spent most of the season challenging for the title, and were top of the Premier League with six games left to play, but were eventually overhauled by manager Ron Atkinson's old club Manchester United, who sealed the title without kicking a ball when on 2 May 1993 Villa were surprisingly beaten 1–0 at home by an Oldham Athletic side who were in the process of pulling off a surprise escape from relegation. The club lost their last three games, allowing United to pull ten points clear at the end of the season.[1]
The season began with three successive 1–1 draws, with striker Dalian Atkinson scoring in each of these games. They then lost 1–0 to Everton, meaning that victory did not come until their fifth league game, when they triumphed 2–0 at Sheffield United.
On 9 September, Villa paid a club record £2.5million for Liverpool striker Dean Saunders, who 10 days later scored twice against his former employers in a 4–2 win for Villa at home. This came during a 10-match unbeaten run which sent Villa to the top of the table. Saunders arrived at Villa Park soon after another Liverpool player, Irish winger Ray Houghton. West Ham United and Scotland striker Frank McAvennie joined Villa at the start of the season, but made just a few substitute appearances before returning to his native Scotland for a second spell at Celtic, having been unable to break up the partnership of Saunders and Atkinson. Veteran goalkeeper Les Sealey was dropped for the first team and loaned to Birmingham City before joining Manchester United for a second spell in January 1993. At the end of the season, veteran striker Cyrille Regis joined Wolverhampton Wanderers.
That unbeaten run ended on 28 November when they lost 3–2 at home to a Norwich City side who were emerging as title contenders after being among the pre-season relegation favourites. A 3–0 defeat at Coventry City on Boxing Day was followed by a five-match winning run which restored Villa's leadership of the league from the East Anglians.
On 14 March, Villa travelled to the league's new leaders Manchester United for what was billed by many as the title decider, and came away with a 1–1 draw. Before the month was out, Villa lost at Norwich, but it was not until a 3–0 defeat at Blackburn Rovers towards the end of April that Villa's title challenge was really looking dead and buried.
Villa had to win their penultimate game of the season at home to Oldham Athletic to stand any chance of catching Manchester United in the title race. But their opponents also had to win that game to have any hope of avoiding relegation, and it was the unfashionable Greater Manchester side who came away victorious from Villa Park, handing the league title to Manchester United.
English apparel manufacturer Umbro remained Aston Villa's kit sponsors, and introduced a new kit for the season, featuring a blue circle around a lace-up collar.[2] The club retained the previous season's away and third kits.[3] A new crest, featuring a yellow lion rampant on a blue and maroon striped design, was introduced, although the away and third kits retained the old club crest.
Mita Copiers remained the kit sponsors.
Source: Premier League Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored. (C) Champion Notes:
^Since League Cup winners Arsenal had qualified for the UEFA Cup Winners Cup by also winning the FA Cup, the UEFA Cup berth for the League Cup reverted to the league and was awarded to Norwich City. England was considered for an extra slot for the UEFA Cup after the 1993 Polish football scandal, but another one was given to Scotland, and it was thought excessive to give both two slots to Great Britain, and the extra place was awarded to Hungary.
The following players made most of their appearances this season for the reserves, and did not appear for the first-team, or only appeared for the first-team in friendlies.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
^McGrath was born in Ealing, England, but was raised in the Republic of Ireland and made his international debut for the Republic of Ireland in 1985.
^Houghton was born in Glasgow, Scotland, but also qualified to represent the Republic of Ireland internationally through his father and made his international debut for the Republic of Ireland in March 1986.
^Regis was born in Maripasoula, French Guiana, and qualified to represent France internationally, but was raised in England from the age of 5 and represented them at U-21 and B level before making his international debut for England in February 1982.
^Byfield was born in Sutton Coldfield, England, but also qualifies to represent Jamaica internationally and would make his international debut for Jamaica in 2003.
^Bunbury was born in Plaisance, Guyana, but also qualifies to represent Canada internationally and represented them at U-20 level before making his international debut for Canada in August 1986.
References[]
^"Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 January 2012. Retrieved 10 January 2012.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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