| Season | 1972–73 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Liverpool 8thEnglish title |
| Relegated | Crystal Palace West Bromwich Albion |
| European Cup | Liverpool |
| UEFA Cup | Leeds United Ipswich Town Wolverhampton Wanderers Tottenham Hotspur |
| Watney Cup | West Ham United Stoke City |
| Matches | 462 |
| Goals | 1,160 (2.51 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Pop Robson (28 goals)[1] |
| Biggest home win | Liverpool 5–0Sheffield United (23 September 1972) Leeds United 5–0Derby County (7 October 1972) Crystal Palace 5–0Manchester United (16 October 1972) Derby County 5–0Arsenal (25 November 1972) Leeds United 6–1Arsenal (9 March 1973) |
| Biggest away win | West Bromwich Albion 0–4Crystal Palace (3 March 1973) |
| Highest scoring | Wolverhampton Wanderers 5–3Stoke City (30 September 1972) |
1973–74 → | |
Statistics ofFootball League First Division in the 1972–73 season.
Liverpool won the First Division title for the eighth time in the club's history that season. They made sure of the title with a 0–0 draw againstLeicester City atAnfield and finished the season three points ahead of title challengersArsenal.Crystal Palace were relegated on 24 April, after losing 2–1 at relegation rivalsNorwich City.West Bromwich Albion joined them the next day after losing 2–1 at home toManchester City.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GAv | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liverpool(C) | 42 | 25 | 10 | 7 | 72 | 42 | 1.714 | 60 | Qualification for theEuropean Cup first round |
| 2 | Arsenal | 42 | 23 | 11 | 8 | 57 | 43 | 1.326 | 57 | |
| 3 | Leeds United | 42 | 21 | 11 | 10 | 71 | 45 | 1.578 | 53 | Qualification for theUEFA Cup first round |
| 4 | Ipswich Town | 42 | 17 | 14 | 11 | 55 | 45 | 1.222 | 48 | |
| 5 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 42 | 18 | 11 | 13 | 66 | 54 | 1.222 | 47 | |
| 6 | West Ham United | 42 | 17 | 12 | 13 | 67 | 53 | 1.264 | 46 | Qualification for theWatney Cup[a] |
| 7 | Derby County | 42 | 19 | 8 | 15 | 56 | 54 | 1.037 | 46 | |
| 8 | Tottenham Hotspur | 42 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 58 | 48 | 1.208 | 45 | Qualification for theUEFA Cup first round |
| 9 | Newcastle United | 42 | 16 | 13 | 13 | 60 | 51 | 1.176 | 45 | |
| 10 | Birmingham City | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 53 | 54 | 0.981 | 42 | |
| 11 | Manchester City | 42 | 15 | 11 | 16 | 57 | 60 | 0.950 | 41 | |
| 12 | Chelsea | 42 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 49 | 51 | 0.961 | 40 | |
| 13 | Southampton | 42 | 11 | 18 | 13 | 47 | 52 | 0.904 | 40 | |
| 14 | Sheffield United | 42 | 15 | 10 | 17 | 51 | 59 | 0.864 | 40 | |
| 15 | Stoke City | 42 | 14 | 10 | 18 | 61 | 56 | 1.089 | 38 | Qualification for theWatney Cup[a] |
| 16 | Leicester City | 42 | 10 | 17 | 15 | 40 | 46 | 0.870 | 37 | |
| 17 | Everton | 42 | 13 | 11 | 18 | 41 | 49 | 0.837 | 37 | |
| 18 | Manchester United | 42 | 12 | 13 | 17 | 44 | 60 | 0.733 | 37 | |
| 19 | Coventry City | 42 | 13 | 9 | 20 | 40 | 55 | 0.727 | 35 | |
| 20 | Norwich City | 42 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 36 | 63 | 0.571 | 32 | |
| 21 | Crystal Palace(R) | 42 | 9 | 12 | 21 | 41 | 58 | 0.707 | 30 | Relegation to theSecond Division |
| 22 | West Bromwich Albion(R) | 42 | 9 | 10 | 23 | 38 | 62 | 0.613 | 28 |
| Home \ Away | ARS | BIR | CHE | COV | CRY | DER | EVE | IPS | LEE | LEI | LIV | MCI | MUN | NEW | NWC | SHU | SOU | STK | TOT | WBA | WHU | WOL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 5–2 | |
| Birmingham City | 1–1 | 2–2 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 4–1 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 0–1 | |
| Chelsea | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 4–2 | 2–1 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 1–3 | 0–2 | |
| Coventry City | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | |
| Crystal Palace | 2–3 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 5–0 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | |
| Derby County | 5–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 4–0 | 0–3 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | |
| Everton | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 2–3 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | |
| Ipswich Town | 1–2 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | |
| Leeds United | 6–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 5–0 | 2–1 | 3–3 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | |
| Leicester City | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | |
| Liverpool | 0–2 | 4–3 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–2 | 3–1 | 5–0 | 3–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 4–2 | |
| Manchester City | 1–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 4–3 | 1–1 | |
| Manchester United | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–4 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 2–1 | |
| Newcastle United | 2–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 4–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–1 | |
| Norwich City | 3–2 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | |
| Sheffield United | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | |
| Southampton | 2–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | |
| Stoke City | 0–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 5–1 | 2–2 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | |
| Tottenham Hotspur | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 4–3 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–2 | |
| West Bromwich Albion | 1–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–4 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 2–3 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | |
| West Ham United | 1–2 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 5–2 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 4–0 | 3–1 | 4–3 | 3–2 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 2–2 | |
| Wolverhampton Wanderers | 1–3 | 3–2 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 4–2 | 0–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 5–1 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 5–3 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 3–0 |
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coventry City | End of caretaker spell | 15 June 1972 | Pre-season | 15 June 1972 | ||
| Manchester United | Sacked | 19 December 1972 | 21st | 22 December 1972 | ||
| Crystal Palace | Mutual consent | 28 March 1973 | 20th | 30 March 1973 | ||
| Manchester City | Signed by Crystal Palace | 30 March 1973 | 14th | 30 March 1973 | ||
| Everton | Resigned | 7 April 1973 | 15th | 7 April 1973 |