# 1981–82 Manchester City F.C. season

The 1981–82 season was Manchester City's 80th season of competitive football and 62nd season in the top division of English football. In addition to the First Division, the club competed in the FA Cup and Football League Cup. On New Years Day of 1982, the club were top of the league, but after poor second half of the season which saw them win only 5 league games in 22, the club ended up finishing 10th.

## First Division
### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 8 | Everton | 42 | 17 | 13 | 12 | 56 | 50 | +6 | 64 | |
| 9 | West Ham United | 42 | 14 | 16 | 12 | 66 | 57 | +9 | 58 | |
| 10 | Manchester City | 42 | 15 | 13 | 14 | 49 | 50 | −1 | 58 | |
| 11 | Aston Villa | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 55 | 53 | +2 | 57 | Qualification for the European Cup first round |
| 12 | Nottingham Forest | 42 | 15 | 12 | 15 | 42 | 48 | −6 | 57 | |
* ↑ Aston Villa qualified for the European Cup first round as the 1981–82 European Cup winners.

### Results summary

| Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Overall | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Home | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away | Away |
Source:

### Results

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Venue | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 29 August 1981 | West Bromwich Albion | H | Maine Road | 2 – 1 | Hutchison, Tueart | 36,187 |
| 1 September 1981 | Notts County | A | Meadow Lane | 1 - 1 | McDonald | 14,546 |
| 5 September 1981 | Stoke City | A | Victoria Ground | 3 – 1 | Francis (2), Boyer | 25,256 |
| 12 September 1981 | Southampton | H | Maine Road | 1 – 1 | Reeves | 42,003 |
| 19 September 1981 | Birmingham City | A | St Andrews | 0 - 3 | | 20,109 |
| 23 September 1981 | Leeds United | H | Maine Road | 4 – 0 | Tueart (2), Reeves (2) | 35,077 |
| 26 September 1981 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | Maine Road | 0 - 1 | | 39,085 |
| 3 October 1981 | Brighton & Hove Albion | A | Goldstone Ground | 1 – 4 | Reeves | 18,300 |
| 10 October 1981 | Manchester United | H | Maine Road | 0 – 0 | | 52,037 |
| 17 October 1981 | Arsenal | A | Highbury | 0 – 1 | | 25,470 |
| 24 October 1981 | Nottingham Forest | H | Maine Road | 0 – 0 | | 23,881 |
| 31 October 1981 | Everton | A | Goodison Park | 1 – 0 | Tueart | 31,305 |
| 7 November 1981 | Middlesbrough | H | Maine Road | 3 – 2 | Francis, Reeves, Tueart | 32,025 |
| 21 November 1981 | Swansea City | H | Maine Road | 4 – 0 | Reeves (2), Tueart (2) | 34,644 |
| 28 November 1981 | Ipswich Town | A | Portman Road | 0 - 2 | | 20,476 |
| 5 December 1981 | Aston Villa | H | Maine Road | 1 – 0 | Tueart | 32,487 |
| 12 December 1981 | Coventry City | A | Highfield Road | 1 – 0 | Tueart | 12,398 |
| 19 December 1981 | Sunderland | H | Maine Road | 2 – 3 | Francis (2) | 29,462 |
| 26 December 1981 | Liverpool | A | Anfield | 3 – 1 | Hartford, Bond, Reeves | 37,929 |
| 28 December 1981 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | H | Maine Road | 2 – 1 | Hartford, Francis | 40,298 |
| 9 January 1982 | Stoke City | H | Maine Road | 1 – 1 | Francis | 31,951 |
| 30 January 1982 | Birmingham City | H | Maine Road | 4 – 2 | Francis (2), Reeves (2) | 28,438 |
| 2 February 1982 | West Ham United | A | Boleyn Ground | 1 – 1 | Bond | 26,552 |
| 6 February 1982 | Southampton | A | The Dell | 1 – 2 | McDonald | 22,645 |
| 13 February 1982 | Brighton & Hove Albion | H | Maine Road | 4 – 0 | Francis, Reeves, McDonald, Stevens | 30,038 |
| 20 February 1982 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | White Hart Lane | 0 - 2 | | 46,181 |
| 27 February 1982 | Manchester United | A | Old Trafford | 1 – 1 | Reeves | 57,872 |
| 6 March 1982 | Arsenal | H | Maine Road | 0 – 0 | | 30,287 |
| 10 March 1982 | Leeds United | A | Elland Road | 1 – 0 | Reeves | 20,797 |
| 13 March 1982 | Nottingham Forest | A | City Ground | 1 – 1 | Caton | 20,927 |
| 20 March 1982 | Everton | H | Maine Road | 1 – 1 | Bond | 33,002 |
| 27 March 1982 | Middlesbrough | A | Ayresome Park | 0 – 0 | | 11,709 |
| 3 April 1982 | West Ham United | H | Maine Road | 0 – 1 | | 30,875 |
| 10 April 1982 | Liverpool | H | Maine Road | 0 – 5 | | 40,112 |
| 12 April 1982 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | Molineux Stadium | 1 – 4 | McDonald | 14,891 |
| 17 April 1982 | Swansea City | A | Vetch Field | 0 – 2 | | 19,212 |
| 21 April 1982 | West Bromwich Albion | A | The Hawthorns | 1 – 0 | Francis | 11,703 |
| 24 April 1982 | Ipswich Town | H | Maine Road | 1 – 1 | Hartford | 30,329 |
| 1 May 1982 | Aston Villa | A | Villa Park | 0 – 0 | | 22,150 |
| 5 May 1982 | Notts County | H | Maine Road | 1 – 0 | Power | 24,443 |
| 8 May 1982 | Coventry City | H | Maine Road | 1 – 3 | Francis | 27,580 |
| 15 May 1982 | Sunderland | A | Roker Park | 0 – 1 | | 26,167 |

## FA Cup

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Venue | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 2 January 1981 | 3rd Round | Cardiff City | H | Maine Road | 3 – 1 | Francis (2), McDonald | 31,547 |
| 23 January 1982 | 4th Round | Coventry City | H | Maine Road | 1 - 3 | Bond | 31,216 |

## League Cup
### Results

| Date | Round | Opponents | H / A | Venue | Result F – A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 7 October 1981 | 2nd Round 1st Leg | Stoke City | H | Maine Road | 2 – 0 | Smith (og), Hartford | 23,146 |
| 28 October 1981 | 2nd Round 2nd Leg | Stoke City | A | Victoria Ground | 0 - 2 (9–8 on pens) | | 17,373 |
| 11 November 1981 | 3rd Round | Northampton Town | H | Maine Road | 3 – 1 | McDonald, Tueart (2) | 21,139 |
| 1 December 1981 | 4th Round | Barnsley | A | Oakwell | 0 – 1 | | 33,792 |