The 2000–01 season was Manchester City Football Club's 109th season playing in a division of English football, most of which have been spent in the top flight. The club spent this season playing in the Premier League after winning successive promotions from the Second Division and First Division in the previous two seasons. This was the club's fifth season playing in the Premier League since its initial formation as the top tier of English football eight years earlier, with Manchester City as one of its original 22 founding member clubs.
Season review Manchester City's return to the Premiership after a four-year exile was the result of back-to-back promotions from the Second Division. But perhaps the team's two-tier climb back to the top flight again had been a little too rapid because it became apparent after just a few games into the new season that Joe Royle's men would be struggling to hang on to their newly acquired top flight status. After their first ten games though, they were enjoying reasonably stable mid-table form with four wins and defeats each; however, after a 5–0 humbling at Arsenal, it all went wrong and only four wins were achieved during the remainder of the season.
The team's relegation was confirmed by a defeat in the penultimate game of the season, and manager Royle, who had been the guiding hand that had brought the team so quickly back to the Premiership from the Second Division, was dismissed within days. Former England coach Kevin Keegan was appointed to replace Royle on a three-year contract and fans were given renewed hope of an immediate return to the elite.
Team kit The team kit was produced by Le Coq Sportif and the shirt sponsor was Eidos Interactive.
Historical league performance Prior to this season, the history of Manchester City's performance in the English football league hierarchy since the creation of the Premier League in 1992 is summarised by the following timeline chart – which commences with the last season (1991–92) of the old Football League First Division (from which the Premier League was formed).
Final league table
Results summary
Results by round
Results Manchester City's score comes firstSoccerbase: 2000–01 Manchester City results
Legend WinDrawLoss
FA Premier League
FA Cup
League Cup
First-team squad Squad at end of season
Left club during season
Reserve squad
Statistics Appearances and goals
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Goalkeepers
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Defenders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Midfielders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Forwards
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Players transferred out during the season
Starting 11 Considering starts in all competitions
Transfers In Alf-Inge Haaland – Leeds United, 12 June, £2,500,000 George Weah – Milan, 1 August, free Paulo Wanchope – West Ham United, 8 August, £3,650,000 Steve Howey – Newcastle United, 11 August, £2,000,000 (rising to £3,000,000 depending on appearances) Paul Ritchie – Rangers, 21 August, £500,000 Richard Dunne – Everton, 16 October, £3,000,000 Laurent Charvet – Newcastle United, 25 October, £1,000,000 (rising to £1,500,000 depending on appearances) Darren Huckerby – Leeds United, 29 December, £2,500,000 Carlo Nash – Stockport County, 11 January, £100,000 Andrei Kanchelskis – Rangers, 25 January, three-month loan Egil Østenstad – Blackburn Rovers, 5 February, two-month loan
Out Craig Russell – St Johnstone, 11 July, free Lee Peacock – Bristol City, 9 August, £600,000 Jamie Pollock – Crystal Palace, 11 August, £75,000 Robert Taylor – Wolverhampton Wanderers, 15 August, £1,550,000 George Weah – released, 16 October (later joined Marseille on 18 October) Nick Fenton – Notts County, 9 November, £150,000 Gary Mason – Dunfermline Athletic, 15 December, free Ian Bishop – Miami Fusion, 28 February, undisclosed Lee Crooks – Barnsley, 2 March, undisclosed Tommy Wright – Bolton Wanderers, 22 March, free Gareth Taylor – Burnley, 22 March, loan Chris Shuker – Macclesfield Town, 22 March, loan Andy Morrison – Sheffield United, 22 March, loan Lee Crooks – Northampton Town, December, loan Daniel Allsopp – Notts County, December, £300,000 Richard Jobson – Tranmere Rovers Shaun Holmes – released David Laycock – released Chris Killen – Wrexham, loan Danny Granville – Norwich City, October, loan Terry Cooke – Sheffield Wednesday, loan
References