The previous season had seen Norwich promoted back to the top flight as Second Division champions.[1] Nevertheless, many expected them to struggle, especially since a number of players, including England internationals Chris Woods and Dave Watson, had departed the club just prior to the season. Instead, Norwich would be unbeaten in their first four games and, after experiencing their first defeat against Watford, would be unbeaten in the next six games, topping the table in October. Although they would subsequently suffer a 6–2 defeat to Liverpool, they would remain in the top half for the rest of the season, eventually securing fifth place and finishing the season with a 2–1 win over fourth-placed Arsenal.[2] This was Norwich's highest league finish to that point by some distance, beating the tenth-place finish in 1975–76, and would remain so until they finished fourth in 1988–89. However, there would be no European qualification this season, since the ban on English clubs following the Heysel stadium disaster was still in effect.
In addition to the league, Norwich entered three cup competitions but made relatively early exits from both the FA Cup and the Littlewoods Cup. For the first time, they competed in the Full Members Cup, having instead entered the Football League Super Cup the previous season. Here, they reached the semi-finals, one game away from Wembley, only to be eliminated 2–1 by Charlton Athletic after extra-time.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
