After just five minutes Peter Schmeichel (Man Utd) concedes the very-first goal of the new FA Premier League – Brian Deane the scorer in a 2-1 victory for Sheffield Utd. Shock of the day – Norwich come from 2-0 down to win 4-2 at Arsenal, and new signing Mark Robins scores twice on his Canaries debut.
The new back-pass rule is applied for the first time, whereby the goalkeeper is no longer permitted to pick up or catch a ball passed directly by a teammate’s foot.
The first BskyB televised game. Teddy Sherringham (Nottingham F.) scores the only goal to beat Liverpool.
After weeks of speculation, Blackburn withdraw a £3m offer for Crystal Palace captain Geoff Thomas.
Niall Quinn (Man City) becomes the first player sent-off in a Premier League game in their 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough.
Future Newcastle and Slovenian international midfielder Haris Vučkić born in Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Terry Phelan (Wimbledon) to Man City (£2.5m) – a British record for a full-back.
Eric Cantona scores the first Premier League hat-trick as Leeds crush Spurs 5-0.
Coventry coach Phil Neal is to take over as an England coach from Exeter (Div 2) boss Alan Ball.
Norwich are top of the Premier League as they inflict a 3-1 defeat on Nottingham F., who have now lost four games on the spin.
Dion Dublin (Man Utd) breaks his leg in 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace.
Arsenal – averaging home gates of fewer than 23,000 – ditch their all-ticket policy.
At the age of 17 years and 166 days, Andy Turner (Spurs) becomes the youngest scorer in a Premier League game in a 2-1 victory over Everton.
Eight Premier League clubs vote against a sponsorship deal with brewing giants Bass.
Midfield hard man Vinny Jones (Chelsea) takes a pay-cut to return to Wimbledon (£700,000)
Striker Dean Saunders (Liverpool) to Aston Villa for a club record £2.3m. Manager Ron Atkinson has previously had offers for John Aldridge (Tranmere – Div 1 – Tier 2) and Mark Hughes (Man Utd) rebuffed.
Striker Mark Bright (Crystal Palace) to Sheffield Wed (£375,000 + exchange for striker Paul Williams)
Norwich beat Chelsea 3-2 to remain top, with Blackburn second after their 1-0 victory at Arsenal. At the other end Nottingham F. lose 2-1 to Sheff Wed at the City Ground. They have now lost six league games in succession.
Spurs announce a trading profit of £2.9m compared with the previous seasons loss of £3.1m.
Future England midfielder Rob Lee (Charlton – Div 1) to Newcastle (Div 1 – £700,000)
Nick Barnby (18) makes his league debut in Spurs’ 2-0 defeat at Sheffield Wed.
Wimbledon owner Sam Hammam describes Vinny Jones as a ‘mosquito brain’ for his involvement in the video Soccer’s Hard Men, which glorifies cheating, and violence in football.
Future Fulham striker Marcello Trotta born in Santa Maria Capua Vetere, Italy.
Vinny Jones (Wimbledon) is charged with misconduct by the FA for his involvement in Soccer’s Hard Men.
Future Chelsea and Newcastle boss Ruud Gullit (AC Milan) announces his retirement from international football.
Spurs striker Gordon Durie becomes the first player to be found guilty by an FA disciplinary hearing of feigning injury. He is banned for three games.
Norwich recover from their nightmare against Blackburn by beating QPR 2-1, and return to the top.
Ian Rush overhauls Roger Hunt’s Liverpool record when he nets his 287th goal against Man Utd in a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford.
Striker David Speedie (Southampton) loaned to Birmingham (Div 1)
Future QPR defender Michael Harriman born in Chichester.
Glenn Roeder (36) is handed his first managerial appointment as player-manager of Gillingham (Div 3) – currently bottom of the whole Football League.
With a third of the season gone, the top of the Premier League has an unfamiliar look.
FA Premier League – Top six.
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| 1 | Blackburn | 14 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 24 | 9 | 27 |
| 2 | Norwich | 14 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 24 | 25 | 27 |
| 3 | QPR | 13 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 20 | 13 | 23 |
| 4 | Arsenal | 13 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 17 | 12 | 23 |
| 5 | Coventry | 14 | 6 | 5 | 3 | 18 | 15 | 23 |
| 6 | Aston Villa | 13 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 21 | 15 | 21 |
And meanwhile, at the bottom…
FA Premier League – Bottom six
| Pos | Club | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts |
| 17 | Spurs | 14 | 3 | 6 | 5 | 14 | 22 | 15 |
| 18 | Wimbledon | 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 18 | 21 | 14 |
| 19 | Southampton | 14 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 12 | 17 | 14 |
| 20 | Everton | 14 | 3 | 4 | 7 | 12 | 19 | 13 |
| 21 | Crystal Palace | 13 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 17 | 21 | 11 |
| 22 | Nottingham F. | 14 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 11 | 23 | 10 |
Arsenal go top. They beat Coventry 3-0 as Blackburn lose 2-0 to Spurs.
Ian Rush scores his 200th league goal as Liverpool beat Middlesbrough 4-1.
A Mark Robins hat-trick takes Norwich back to the top as they win 3-2 at Oldham.
Wimbledon boss Joe Kinnear is found guilty of insulting comments to a referee – his third offence in three months. He is consequently banned form the touchline for a month.
Brian Clough – boss of bottom club Nottingham F. – signs a 12-month extension to his contract.
Transfer-listed striker Micky Quinn (Newcastle – Div 1) loaned to Coventry.
Following Vinny Jones’s (Wimbledon) involvement in Soccer’s Hard Men, the FA’s. Disciplinary committee fine him £20,000 for bringing the game into disrepute. They also impose a six-month suspension, suspended for three years.
In need of a striker – and having had recent bids turned down for Matt Le Tissier (Southampton) and Brian Deane (Sheff Utd) – Man Utd offer £3.5m for David Hirst (Sheff Wed). Again they are rebuffed. However, they do sell ex-England midfielder Neil Webb back to Nottingham F. for £800,000.
Future Premier League strikers and TV pundits Steve Claridge (Luton – Div 1) back to Cambridge (Div 1 – £190,000), and Stan Collymore (Crystal Palace) is loaned to Southend (Div 1)
Nicky Butt (17) makes his league debut for Man Utd as a substitute for Paul Ince in the 3-0 victory against Oldham. It will be his only league appearance of the season.
Sam Allardyce (38) makes his final league appearance as a player in Preston’s 1-0 defeat at Rotherham (Div 2)
Man Utd, having turned down an enquiry from Leeds about Republic of Ireland international full-back Dennis Irwin, make a counter-inquiry. The result is that Leeds allow Eric Cantona to join their rivals for £1.2m.
Norwich win 3-2 at third-place Aston Villa to open up a five-point lead at the top.
Chelsea central defender Paul Elliot issues a writ against ex-Liverpool striker Dean Saunders (Aston Villa) over a career threatening injury incurred in September.
Norwich beat Wimbledon 2-1 to go 8 points clear at the top. Shock result of the day is bottom club Nottingham F. beating champions Leeds 4-1 at Elland Road – their first league defeat at home for nearly eighteen months. Elsewhere debutant Sol Campbell (18) comes on as a substitute for fellow teenager Nick Barnby, and scores for Spurs in their 2-1 home defeat to Chelsea.
Charlton (Div 1) return to The Valley after a seven-year exile at both Selhurst Park and Upton Park.
Future Arsenal forward and Wigan loanee Ryo Miyaichi born in Aichi, Japan.
Chelsea chairman Ken Bates clinches a deal worth £16.5m as the Royal Bank of Scotland buys Stamford Bridge and gives the club a 20-year lease. Meanwhile future Chelsea boss Ruud Gullit makes a return to international football with a goal as Holland beat Turkey 3-1.
Gordon Durie (Spurs) wins his appeal and is cleared of feigning injury. But Ian Wright (Arsenal) is charged with misconduct for aiming a punch at David Howells (Spurs) in their 1-0 defeat on Saturday.
Striker Micky Quinn (Newcastle – Div 1) to Coventry (£250,000) following six goals in four games whilst on loan.