# 1985–86 Manchester City F.C. season

The 1985–86 season was Manchester City's 84th season of competitive football and 64th season in the top division of English football. In addition to the First Division, the club competed in the FA Cup, Football League Cup and Full Members' Cup.

## First Division
### League table

| Pos | Teamvte | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
| 13 | Queens Park Rangers | 42 | 15 | 7 | 20 | 53 | 64 | −11 | 52 |
| 14 | Southampton | 42 | 12 | 10 | 20 | 51 | 62 | −11 | 46 |
| 15 | Manchester City | 42 | 11 | 12 | 19 | 43 | 57 | −14 | 45 |
| 16 | Aston Villa | 42 | 10 | 14 | 18 | 51 | 67 | −16 | 44 |
| 17 | Coventry City | 42 | 11 | 10 | 21 | 48 | 71 | −23 | 43 |

### Results summary

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

### Results by matchday

| Matchday | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 | 37 | 38 | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42 |
| Ground | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | H | A | A | H |
| Result | D | D | L | W | W | L | L | L | D | L | L | L | D | D | L | D | W | W | L | D | W | L | W | D | W | W | W | W | W | L | L | L | L | D | D | L | L | D | L | L | L | D |

### Matches

| Date | Opponents | H / A | Venue | Result F–A | Scorers | Attendance |
| 17 August 1985 | Coventry City | A | Highfield Road | 1-1 | McIlroy | 14,550 |
| 21 August 1985 | Leicester City | H | Maine Road | 1-1 | Lillis (pen) | 25,528 |
| 24 August 1985 | Sheffield Wednesday | H | Maine Road | 1-3 | Simpson | 26,934 |
| 26 August 1985 | West Bromwich Albion | A | The Hawthorns | 3-2 | Lillis, Simpson, Wilson | 12,122 |
| 31 August 1985 | Tottenham Hotspur | H | Maine Road | 2-1 | Simpson, Miller (og) | 27,789 |
| 3 September 1985 | Birmingham City | A | St Andrews | 0-1 | | 11,706 |
| 7 September 1985 | Southampton | A | The Dell | 0-3 | | 14,308 |
| 14 September 1985 | Manchester United | H | Maine Road | 0-3 | | 48,733 |
| 21 September 1985 | West Ham United | H | Maine Road | 2-2 | Lillis, Melrose | 22,001 |
| 28 September 1985 | Oxford United | A | Abbey Stadium | 0–1 | | 9,796 |
| 5 October 1985 | Chelsea | H | Maine Road | 0-1 | | 20,104 |
| 12 October 1985 | Watford | A | Vicarage Road | 2-3 | Lillis, McNab | 15,418 |
| 19 October 1985 | Queens Park Rangers | A | Loftus Road | 0-0 | | 13,471 |
| 26 October 1985 | Everton | H | Maine Road | 1-1 | Simpson | 28,801 |
| 2 November 1985 | Arsenal | A | Highbury | 0-1 | | 22,264 |
| 9 November 1985 | Ipswich Town | H | Maine Road | 1-1 | Lillis (pen) | 20,853 |
| 16 November 1985 | Nottingham Forest | A | City Ground | 0-0 | | 15,140 |
| 23 November 1985 | Newcastle United | H | Maine Road | 1-0 | Lillis | 25,179 |
| 30 November 1985 | Luton Town | A | Kenilworth Road | 1-2 | Lillis (pen) | 10,096 |
| 7 December 1985 | Leicester City | A | Filbert Street | 1-1 | Davies | 10,289 |
| 14 December 1985 | Coventry City | H | Maine Road | 5-1 | Davies (2), Lillis, Simpson (2) | 20,075 |
| 21 December 1985 | Sheffield Wednesday | A | Hillsborough Stadium | 2-3 | Lillis, McNab | 23,177 |
| 26 December 1985 | Liverpool | H | Maine Road | 1-0 | Wilson | 35,384 |
| 28 December 1985 | Birmingham City | H | Maine Road | 1-1 | McNab | 24,955 |
| 1 January 1986 | Aston Villa | A | Villa Park | 1-0 | Lillis | 14,215 |
| 11 January 1986 | Southampton | H | Maine Road | 1-0 | Philips | 21,674 |
| 18 January 1986 | Tottenham Hotspur | A | White Hart Lane | 2-0 | Davies, Lillis | 17,009 |
| 1 February 1986 | West Bromwich Albion | H | Maine Road | 2-1 | Power, Davies | 20,540 |
| 8 February 1986 | Queens Park Rangers | H | Maine Road | 2–0 | Simpson, Davies | 20,414 |
| 11 February 1986 | Everton | A | Goodison Park | 0-4 | | 30,006 |
| 1 March 1986 | Oxford United | H | Maine Road | 0-3 | | 20,009 |
| 8 March 1986 | Chelsea | A | Stamford Bridge | 0-1 | | 17,573 |
| 15 March 1986 | Watford | H | Maine Road | 0-1 | | 18,899 |
| 22 March 1986 | Manchester United | A | Old Trafford | 2-2 | Wilson, Albiston (og) | 51,274 |
| 29 March 1986 | Aston Villa | H | Maine Road | 0-0 | McNab, Wilson | 20,935 |
| 31 March 1986 | Liverpool | A | Anfield | 0-2 | | 43,316 |
| 5 April 1986 | Arsenal | A | Maine Road | 0-1 | | 19,590 |
| 12 April 1986 | Ipswich Town | A | Portman Road | 0-0 | | 13,928 |
| 19 April 1986 | Nottingham Forest | A | City Ground | 1-3 | Davies | 19,715 |
| 26 April 1986 | Newcastle United | A | St James Park | 1-3 | Davies | 22,689 |
| 28 April 1986 | West Ham United | A | Boleyn Ground | 0-1 | Stewart (pen) | 21,753 |
| 3 May 1986 | Luton Town | H | Maine Road | 1-1 | Davies | 20,361 |