Their biggest rivals in the title race were Manchester United, who led the table at several stages of the season before dropping points in several crucial games later in the season to finish fourth. Southampton enjoyed their best league season to date with a second place finish, while Nottingham Forest finished third and also reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup. QPR, newly promoted, finished top of all the London clubs with a fifth place final position - which saw manager Terry Venables offered the job as manager of FC Barcelona, which he duly accepted. Tottenham Hotspur were unable to sustain a title challenge but lifted the UEFA Cup in Keith Burkinshaw's final season as manager.
