2022–23 in English football

The 2022–23 season was the 143rd competitive association football season in England. The season began in July 2022 due to the 2022 FIFA World Cup taking place from 20 November to 18 December 2022, the first time that an entire football season commenced a month earlier than normal since the 1945–46 season.

Knockout stage

 * Final

Round of 16

 * }

Quarter-finals

 * }

Semi-finals

 * }

Knockout-round play-offs

 * }

Round of 16

 * }

Quarter-finals

 * }

Play-off round

 * }

Round of 16

 * }

Quarter-finals

 * }

Semi-finals

 * }

Round of 16

 * }

Quarter-finals

 * }

Semi-finals

 * }

Final

 * }

Round 2

 * }

Quarter-finals

 * }

Semi-finals

 * }

Premier League
Having looking like falling short in the early stages of 2023, a fantastic recovery in the closing months of the season saw Manchester City secure their third league title in a row, the first trophy in what proved to be a memorable season for manager Pep Guardiola and the Blue side of Manchester as they also won the FA Cup and the Champions League, the latter of which included a run that included a stunning second-leg demolition of holders Real Madrid, to match their city rivals' Treble - with summer signing Erling Haaland breaking several goal-scoring records for the Premier League along the way. A fantastic start to their campaign saw Arsenal challenge for the title and remain in contention up until the closing months, when a succession of dropped points resulted in the Gunners falling away; however, their second place finish proved their highest for seven years and they secured a return to the Champions League after a six-year absence. Despite making a rough start to the campaign, Manchester United enjoyed a successful first season under Erik ten Hag, winning the League Cup and securing a return to the Champions League – with perhaps the only blemish being many heavy defeats on the road preventing them from potentially challenging for the title. Newcastle United took the final spot in the top four, the Magpies returning to the Champions League after twenty years as they completed a remarkable turnaround from being threatened with relegation twelve months previously; as with Manchester United, perhaps the only disappointment for the Toon side was their early form with too many draws in the season that also prevented an astonishing title challenge.

Having been in contention for an unprecedented quadruple the previous year, Liverpool's overall season proved to be a disappointment, a sluggish start to the league campaign extinguishing the Reds' hopes of challenging for the title following the departure of key player Sadio Mané and a failure to sign a midfielder in both transfer windows; whilst they still enjoyed some impressive results, including a 7–0 home win over Manchester United, a failure to build on these results - despite an equally strong end to the season - ultimately cost the Merseyside club a top-four finish for the first time since 2016. Brighton and Hove Albion enjoyed inarguably their greatest top-flight season, the Seagulls even shrugging off the loss of highly-regarded manager Graham Potter early in the campaign to finish with a record points total under Roberto De Zerbi and their highest goal record for years – successfully finishing in sixth place and qualifying for the Europa League and European football for the first time in their history. Aston Villa took seventh place, qualifying for the Europa Conference League; this achievement looked unlikely in late October, with the Midlands side looking likely to battle relegation once again following a poor start, but the decision to appoint former Sevilla and Arsenal manager Unai Emery proved an inspired choice as the Villans surged away from the drop zone and took advantage of the teams around them dropping points to ensure a return to European football for the first time in thirteen years. Having made a fairly strong start to their season, Tottenham Hotspur's campaign rapidly fell away from mid-October onwards; resulting in growing fan anger towards owner Daniel Levy boiling over, feelings not helped by the dismissal of manager Antonio Conte in March in the aftermath of a furious press conference rant by the Italian over player performances and a lack of backing by Levy – with the London club then going over to appoint two different interim managers to cap a disappointing end to the season, failing to qualify for any European competitions for the first time since 2009 and conceding more than relegation-battling Everton, their only real positive being striker Harry Kane once again smashing the 30-goal mark.

For only the fourth time in the Premier League era, all three promoted teams avoided relegation; Fulham performed easily the best, the Whites comfortably secured a second successive top-flight season for the first time in a decade, even breaking their own club records for most wins and goals scored in a top-flight season, only missing out on European football in the closing weeks. Bournemouth endured a rough return to the top-flight, with manager Scott Parker getting sacked and replaced by former player Gary O'Neill just four games into the campaign with the club facing another relegation battle, days following a 9–0 loss to Liverpool – but having looked likely to endure the drop once again, the Cherries went on to scrap to safety in the closing weeks. Having looked set for an immediate return to the Championship, a successful run of form in the closing weeks helped Nottingham Forest defy the odds and haul themselves over the line in their first top-flight season since 1999; also proving to be key to the East Midlands club staying up were some big home results across the campaign - despite winning only one away game all season - and the continued support given to manager Steve Cooper by owner Evangelos Marinakis, even in the face of poor runs of form.

Chelsea endured their worst league season for 29 years; having made a reasonable start, the bizarre sacking of manager Thomas Tuchel following a defeat to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League in favour of Graham Potter after only a few games saw the London club rapidly fall down the table, with Potter then getting the sack in early April – despite a strong run in the Champions League and some big money signings – and the appointment of former manager Frank Lampard seeing the Blues finish 12th, only mathematically securing their place early in May to cap an underwhelming first season under the ownership of Todd Boehly and missing out on European football for the first time in seven years. West Ham United endured a rough league campaign, only scraping to safety in the closing weeks after two successive seasons finishing in the top seven; however, it was in the Europa Conference League that the Hammers excelled, winning all but one of their games on their way to winning the tournament, securing their first European trophy since the Cup Winners’ Cup triumph in 1965, and in turn, ensuring a return to the Europa League for next season. Crystal Palace and Wolverhampton Wanderers also looked down and out with the Eagles being the only side without a win in 2023 and the Black Country club being bottom of the table at Christmas with both clubs going on to change managers and comfortably secure safety in the closing weeks of the campaign.

At the bottom of the table, the relegation battle proved to be especially tight, with a number of teams in the mix up until the closing weeks – but after eleven years in the top-flight and a succession of lower finishes in recent seasons, Southampton's fortunes finally ran out and they endured relegation to the Championship, the Saints making it through three managers across the campaign and winning just two home games all season. Leeds United were also undone by disastrous form from late August onwards, getting through four managers, ultimately rendering the Marcelo Bielsa era a false dawn and leaving their future prospects looking almost as bleak as they had after their previous relegation from the top-flight in 2004 as they once again faced a player exodus and uncertainty over the club's ownership. Leicester City, who coincidentally had been relegated alongside Leeds United 19 years previously, filled the final relegation spot, the Foxes completing a spectacular fall from grace only two years after winning the FA Cup and seven years after winning the Premier League, bringing an end to nine storied years in the top flight, the East Midlands side's relegation coming as a result of terrible form after the World Cup break whilst changing managers in April. Much like with their previous season, Everton were dragged into the relegation battle very early in the campaign, changed managers at the turn of the year, and only barely secured their Premier League position on the final day amid growing anger off-field from the fans over the running of the club.

Championship
In spite of seeing a number of key players depart in pre-season and making a sluggish start back to life in the Championship, the surprise decision to appoint Manchester City legend Vincent Kompany as their new manager proved an excellent one for Burnley as the Clarets comfortably secured an immediate return to the Premier League, earning promotion on Good Friday, winning the title with victory at local rivals Blackburn Rovers and finishing with over 100 points – with perhaps the only disappointment being their form after promotion to miss out on breaking the record points total for the second tier. Sheffield United took second place, making amends for their narrow play-off semi-final miss the previous season to earn their second promotion to the top flight in four years, the Blades' resurgence under manager Paul Heckingbottom continuing following their disastrous relegation in 2021. The play-off final ended up being between Luton Town and Coventry City, a remarkable achievement for the clubs considering both had played together in League Two in 2018 – with Luton overcoming the loss of manager Nathan Jones for the second time in four seasons to end their 31-year exile from the top-flight (ironically having been relegated in the season before the Premier League was established) and complete the Hatters' rise back up the football pyramid, having been in the fifth tier in 2014, and earn head coach Rob Edwards his second managerial promotion in two years.

Sunderland's first season back in the second tier proved to be a turbulent ride; despite the Black Cats losing manager Alex Neil not even a month into the season, suffering an extensive injury crisis for practically their entire campaign and enduring a number of poor runs of form, they managed to keep themselves in the promotion mix, squeezing into sixth place on the final day and then only narrowly losing in the play-off semi-finals. Having narrowly missed out on promotion the previous season, the unexpected departure of manager Carlos Corberán in pre-season destabilised Huddersfield Town's season and left them battling relegation - with only the appointment of veteran manager Neil Warnock in February providing the Terriers with enough spark to fight their way out of the drop zone and to safety in their penultimate game. After six successive years of moving between the second and third tiers, Rotherham United finally avoided relegation from the Championship and ensured a second successive season in the division, the Millers even overcoming the departure of influential manager Paul Warne early in the campaign and gaining wins at crucial points to secure their place. Queens Park Rangers spent the first half of the season looking to make a surprise promotion challenge, only for their form to completely implode following the departure of manager Michael Beale to Rangers, ultimately only staying up by virtue of two victories in their last three matches.

Despite a battling rally in the closing weeks of the season, Wigan Athletic endured their fourth relegation to League One in eight years, yet again making it through three different managers – whilst also enduring a points deduction for failing to pay players on time. Blackpool finished just above them, the Seasiders never really recovering from the loss of influential manager Neil Critchley in pre-season as they also made it through three different managers across the campaign, dropping back into the third tier after two seasons. After years of narrow escapes from the drop, Reading's luck finally ran out and they endured relegation to the third tier for the first time since 2002 – the Royals also enduring their own points deduction that coincided with a poor run of form, pushing them from a reasonable mid-table finish into the bottom three with weeks to go; had it not been for the points deduction, then Cardiff City would have been relegated.

League One
Having looked all but decided in the early months of 2023, the battle for the League One title ended up going to the final two weeks of the season, with each of Ipswich Town, Plymouth Argyle and Sheffield Wednesday battling it out to finish in the top two – a battle that was ultimately won with Plymouth finishing as champions and Ipswich finishing second; one season after seeing influential manager Ryan Lowe depart and then narrowly missing out on a top-six finish, the Pilgrims continued their climb back up the Football League and returned to the Championship after a 13-year absence, even managing to break the 100-point mark in the process, whilst the Tractor Boys scored over 100 goals to finish with comfortably the highest goal-scoring record in the division (as well as breaking club records for wins and points in a season) to end a four-season exile from the second tier, achieve their first promotion since 2000 and earn manager Kieran McKenna, in his first full season as manager, his first promotion. Wednesday made amends in the playoffs and were promoted in the most dramatic of circumstances, overturning a 4–0 deficit in their semi final against Peterborough United to win on penalties and then winning the final in the last minute of extra time, denying Yorkshire rivals Barnsley in the process.

Forest Green Rovers' maiden campaign in League One proved an absolute disaster, finishing with the worst points total in the division for thirteen years and enduring their first relegation in 68 years in a torrid season that saw them finish with the fewest goals scored and the most conceded. Despite some spirited results across their season, five losses from their final seven games – coupled with some heavy earlier losses – ultimately consigned Accrington Stanley to their first relegation in 24 years, the Lancashire club falling back into League Two after five years. The battle to avoid the last two spots went down to the final day, with Cambridge United – in spite of a collapse in form from mid-January onwards – ultimately scraping across the line to condemn Morecambe and Milton Keynes Dons to the drop after two and four years in the division respectively; Morecambe had looked all but relegated earlier in the season, only for the Shrimpers to save some face and go down fighting with a late run of wins, whilst the Dons were made to pay for a run of six draws in their final eight games that saw them slip from apparently certain safety.

League Two
Despite a few stuttering moments in the second half of the season, Leyton Orient emerged victorious at the top of the table and secured their first promotion to League One for eight years, going up as champions in manager Richie Wellens' first full season in charge. The battle for the remaining automatic spots proved to be much tighter, with five teams in the mix at the start of April - but having spent the previous decade consistently struggling to avoid relegation to the National League (and only avoiding relegation in 2020 thanks to the demise of both Bury and Macclesfield Town), Stevenage enjoyed a major turnaround in Steve Evans' first full season in charge and were promoted as runners-up. Northampton Town made up for losing automatic promotion on the last day of the previous season by winning promotion on the last day, securing their third promotion from League Two in seven years. Taking the final spot through the play-offs were Carlisle United, who scraped past Stockport County on penalties to secure their first promotion since 2006 and cap a wonderful turnaround under manager Paul Simpson, having been battling the drop out of the Football League only the previous year.

In spite of narrowly falling short of a second successive promotion, Stockport County's first season back in the Football League proved an excellent one, the Hatters even keeping the automatic promotion race open until the very last day. A very poor first half of the season saw Gillingham's 73-year status in the Football League under serious threat, with only fourteen points secured and just seven league goals scored by the halfway point – but the signing of forward Tom Nichols in the January transfer window proved a turning point for the Gills' season, the Kent club rocketing away from the relegation battle and comfortably into mid-table, albeit still finishing with the lowest goal tally in the campaign. Despite once again being contenders for promotion and being in the promotion race early in the season, Doncaster Rovers ended up recording their lowest finish since returning to the Football League in 2003, a consequence of indifferent form across their campaign and the second-highest number of losses for the League Two season.

The battle to avoid the drop proved unpredictable up until the final weeks of the season, with several teams looking likely to drop out of the Football League then going on to find form – but in the end, Rochdale suffered their second relegation in three years and dropped into the National League, with even a late improvement in form not being enough to keep their 102-year membership of the Football League from coming to an end. Hartlepool United were relegated after two years, ultimately being made to pay the price for dismal early-season form that saw them win only twice in their first twenty games, the north-east club's struggles following the departure of promotion-winning manager Dave Challinor the previous season continuing. Crawley Town narrowly survived at Hartlepool's expense, with a 2–0 win for Crawley over Hartlepool in their third-to-last game ultimately proving to be decisive.

National League
In one of the most competitive and remarkable title races in the fifth tier's history, with new goal and record points totals being set for both first and second place, Wrexham ended their second full season of ownership under Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney in style, successfully holding off Notts County to end their fifteen-year exile from the Football League and go up as champions – dropping just two points at home all season and giving manager Phil Parkinson his fourth promotion (as well as the club's first promotion in twenty years). Notts County would ultimately make amends for missing out on automatic promotion by winning the play-off final against Chesterfield on penalties, capping their own remarkable season that saw the Magpies regain their status as the oldest league football club in the world (having lost it with relegation in 2019), earn manager Luke Williams his first promotion and saw summer signing Macaulay Langstaff break the goal-scoring record for the fifth tier.

Oldham Athletic's first season outside of the Football League saw the Latics initially face a second successive relegation, before the appointment of former Everton player David Unsworth as manager saw an upturn in results, enough to secure a top-half finish – with perhaps only their indifferent form earlier in the season preventing a potential play-off finish. In their first ever season at this level, Dorking Wanderers enjoyed a roller coaster ride of a campaign; despite conceding over 90 goals and spending a lot of the early months of 2023 hovering around the drop zone, the Surrey side rallied with ten games to go and went on a successful run of form to ensure their place in the fifth tier for another season, even managing to outscore over half the teams in the table.

At the bottom of the table, Maidstone United's return to the fifth tier proved to be a complete disaster, with just five wins all season and over 100 goals conceded, the club securing just four points after the January dismissal of manager Hakan Hayrettin; making even bigger headlines were Scunthorpe United, who suffered the embarrassment of a second successive relegation and fell into the National League North, just twelve years after having played in the Championship – the Iron becoming only the second team to endure back-to-back relegations from the Football League to the sixth tier. A decade after having won promotion to the Championship, Yeovil Town's fall down the football pyramid continued as they fell into the sixth tier for the first time since 1997, the Glovers being let down by the worst goal-scoring record in the division and a failure to turn any of their many draws into wins. A late winning run from Torquay United saw the battle to avoid the last relegation spot go down to the final day, but ultimately the Gulls could not better the results of their rivals and fell back into the National League South, just two years after narrowly missing out on promotion back to the fourth tier.

North
AFC Fylde won the league and returned to the fifth tier for the first time since 2020, King's Lynn Town finished in second, two points behind. Kidderminster Harriers won 2–0 against Brackley Town in the play-off final to seal promotion to the fifth tier. Newly promoted Scarborough Athletic and Buxton impressed, finishing eighth and eleventh respectively. Southport and Farsley Celtic survived relegation on the final day despite defeat to relegated Leamington and Spennymoor Town who missed out on the play-offs due to goal difference. Blyth Spartans survived relegation with a 5–0 win over Hereford on the final day.

South
Ebbsfleet United were champions, breaking the 100-point barrier. Oxford City won promotion to the fifth tier for the first time in their history after beating St Albans City 4–0 in the final. Weymouth looked like they were heading for a second successive relegation but survived on goal difference, as did Dover Athletic.

Managerial changes
This is a list of changes of managers within English league football:

Deaths

 * 3 June 2022: Frank Clarke, 79, Shrewsbury Town, Queens Park Rangers, Ipswich Town and Carlisle United forward.
 * 3 June 2022: Geoff Hunter, 62, Crewe Alexandra, Port Vale and Wrexham midfielder.
 * 4 June 2022: Peter Neale, 88, Oldham Athletic, Scunthorpe United and Chesterfield defender.
 * 9 June 2022: Billy Bingham, 90, Northern Ireland, Sunderland, Luton Town, Everton and Port Vale outside right, who also managed Southport, Plymouth Argyle, Everton and Mansfield Town.
 * 9 June 2022: Ron Farmer, 86, Coventry City, Nottingham Forest and Notts County midfielder.
 * 10 June 2022: Bobby Hope, 78, Scotland, West Bromwich Albion, Birmingham City and Sheffield Wednesday inside forward.
 * 12 June 2022: Alex Russell, 78, Southport, Blackburn Rovers and Tranmere Rovers midfielder.
 * 19 June 2022: Colin Grainger, 89, England, Wrexham, Sheffield United, Sunderland, Leeds United, Port Vale and Doncaster Rovers outside left.
 * c. 20 June 2022: Bruce Crawford, 83, Blackpool and Tranmere Rovers wing half.
 * 22 June 2022: Graham Tutt, 65, Charlton Athletic goalkeeper.
 * 24 June 2022: Martyn Forrest, 43, Bury midfielder.
 * 27 June 2022: Albert Derrick, 82, Newport County inside forward.
 * 1 July 2022: Gary Pearson, 45, Darlington defender/midfielder.
 * 2 July 2022: Andy Goram, 58, Scotland, Oldham Athletic, Notts County, Sheffield United, Manchester United and Coventry City goalkeeper.
 * 3 July 2022: Dave Shearer, 63, Middlesbrough, Grimsby Town, Gillingham, AFC Bournemouth, Scunthorpe United and Darlington striker.
 * 4 July 2022: Clive Middlemass, 77, Workington defender, who also managed Carlisle United and Darlington.
 * 5 July 2022: Len Casey MBE, 91, Chelsea and Plymouth Argyle wing half.
 * 8 July 2022: Henry Mowbray, 75, Blackpool and Bolton Wanderers defender.
 * 8 July 2022: Phil Walker, 67, Millwall and Charlton Athletic midfielder.
 * 9 July 2022: Davie Robb, 74, Scotland and Norwich City forward.
 * 10 July 2022: Ken Armstrong, 63, Southampton and Birmingham City defender.
 * 13 July 2022: Stuart Chapman, 71, Port Vale midfielder.
 * 19 July 2022: Jack Parry, 90, Derby County inside forward.
 * 24 July 2022: Neil Hague, 72, Rotherham United, Plymouth Argyle, AFC Bournemouth, Huddersfield Town and Darlington defender.
 * 28 July 2022: Terry Gulliver, 77, AFC Bournemouth right back
 * 28 July 2022: Terry Neill, 80, Northern Ireland, Arsenal and Hull City defender, who also managed Hull City, Northern Ireland, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal.
 * 1 August 2022: John Hughes, 79, Scotland, Crystal Palace and Sunderland outside left/striker.
 * 3 August 2022: Andrejs Rubins, 43, Latvia and Crystal Palace midfielder.
 * c. 3 August 2022: Adrian Thorne, 83, Brighton & Hove Albion, Plymouth Argyle, Exeter City and Leyton Orient winger.
 * 5 August 2022: Aled Owen, 88, Tottenham Hotspur, Ipswich Town and Wrexham winger.
 * 9 August 2022: Mick Jones, 75, Notts County and Peterborough United defender, who also managed Mansfield Town, Halifax Town, Peterborough United and Plymouth Argyle.
 * 10 August 2022: Billy Legg, 74, Huddersfield Town full back.
 * 11 August 2022: Pat Liney, 86, Bradford City goalkeeper.
 * 15 August 2022: Lenny Johnrose, 52, Blackburn Rovers, Hartlepool United, Bury, Burnley and Swansea City midfielder.
 * 21 August 2022: David Armstrong, 67, England, Middlesbrough, Southampton and AFC Bournemouth midfielder.
 * c. 24 August 2022: Billy Hodgson, 87, Sheffield United, Leicester City, Derby County, Rotherham United and York City inside forward/winger.
 * c. 25 August 2022: Dave Rudge, 74, Aston Villa, Hereford United and Torquay United midfielder.
 * 27 August 2022: Tony Nelson, 92, Newport County and AFC Bournemouth defender.
 * 28 August 2022: Sammy Chung, 90, Reading, Norwich City and Watford striker, who also managed Wolverhampton Wanderers and Doncaster Rovers.
 * c. 29 August 2022: Vince McNeice, 83, Watford defender.
 * c. 30 August 2022: Tommy Carpenter, 97, Watford goalkeeper.
 * 30 August 2022: Michael Slocombe, 81, Bristol Rovers defender.
 * 31 August 2022: Bob Wesson, 82, Coventry City and Walsall goalkeeper.
 * 8 September 2022: Dave Smith, 88, Burnley, Brighton & Hove Albion and Bristol City defender, who also managed Mansfield Town, Southend United, Plymouth Argyle and Torquay United.
 * 13 September 2022: Fred Callaghan, 77, Fulham defender, who also managed Brentford.
 * 21 September 2022: Jimmy Elder, 94, Portsmouth and Colchester United wing half.
 * 25 September 2022: Roy MacLaren, 92, Bury and Sheffield Wednesday goalkeeper.
 * 8 October 2022: John Duncan, 73, Tottenham Hotspur, Derby County and Scunthorpe United forward, who also managed Scunthorpe United, Hartlepool United, Chesterfield and Ipswich Town.
 * 9 October 2022: Kevin Thomas, 78, Blackpool, Tranmere Rovers, Oxford United and Southport goalkeeper.
 * 10 October 2022: Keith Eddy, 77, Barrow, Watford and Sheffield United midfielder.
 * 2 November 2022: Ronnie Radford, 79, Newport County and Hereford United midfielder.
 * 7 November 2022: Eamonn Darcy, 89, Oldham Athletic goalkeeper.
 * 10 November 2022: Billy Russell, 87, Sheffield United, Bolton Wanderers and Rochdale inside/outside forward.
 * 12 November 2022: John Connaughton, 73, Manchester United, Sheffield United, Port Vale and Altrincham goalkeeper.
 * 18 November 2022: Francis Joseph, 62, Wimbledon, Brentford, Reading, Sheffield United, Gillingham, Crewe Alexandra and Fulham forward.
 * 20 November 2022: Frank Rankmore, 83, Wales, Cardiff City, Peterborough United and Northampton Town defender.
 * 23 November 2022: David Johnson, 71, England, Everton, Ipswich Town, Liverpool, Manchester City and Preston North End striker.
 * 24 November 2022: Neil Robinson, 65, Everton, Swansea City, Grimsby Town and Darlington defender/midfielder.
 * 27 November 2022: Mick Meagan, 88, Republic of Ireland, Everton, Huddersfield Town and Halifax Town defender.
 * 27 November 2022: Maurice Norman, 88, England, Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur defender.
 * 8 December 2022: Tony Allen, 83, England, Stoke City and Bury defender.
 * 14 December 2022: Alex Duchart, 89, Southend United winger.
 * 23 December 2022: George Cohen, 83, England World Cup winner and Fulham defender.
 * 24 December 2022: Keith Sanderson, 82, Plymouth Argyle and Queens Park Rangers midfielder.
 * 29 December 2022: John Jackson, 80, Crystal Palace, Leyton Orient, Millwall, Ipswich Town and Hereford United goalkeeper.
 * 29 December 2022: Jackie Overfield, 90, Leeds United, Sunderland, Peterborough United and Bradford City winger.
 * c. 30 December 2022: Derek Lampe, 85, Fulham defender.
 * 6 January 2023: Gianluca Vialli, 58, Italy and Chelsea striker, who also managed Chelsea and Watford.
 * 8 January 2023: Barry Lines, 80, Northampton Town outside left.
 * 19 January 2023: Peter Thomas, 78, Republic of Ireland and Coventry City goalkeeper.
 * 19 January 2023: Anton Walkes, 25, Tottenham Hotspur and Portsmouth defender and midfielder.
 * 23 January 2023: Patrizio Billio, 48, Crystal Palace midfielder.
 * 6 February 2023: Peter Allen, 76, Leyton Orient and Millwall midfielder, who is Orient's record appearance holder.
 * c. 6 February 2023: Christian Atsu, 31, Ghana, Chelsea, Everton, AFC Bournemouth and Newcastle United winger.
 * 7 February 2023: Roy Wood, 92, Leeds United goalkeeper.
 * 12 February 2023: Tony Lee, 75, Bradford City and Darlington winger.
 * 16 February 2023: Kevin Bird, 70, Mansfield Town and Huddersfield Town defender.
 * 16 February 2023: Colin Dobson, 82, Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield Town and Bristol Rovers inside forward.
 * 16 February 2023: Kenny Simpkins, 79, Wrexham and Hartlepool United goalkeeper.
 * 27 February 2023: Sammy Winston, 44, Leyton Orient striker.
 * 8 March 2023: Martin Gorry, 68, Barnsley, Newcastle United and Hartlepool United left back.
 * 9 March 2023: Alan Jones, 77, Swansea City, Hereford United and Southport defender.
 * c. 16 March 2023: Don Megson, 86, Sheffield Wednesday and Bristol Rovers defender, who also managed Bristol Rovers and AFC Bournemouth.
 * 21 March 2023: Willie Bell, 85, Scotland, Leeds United, Leicester City and Brighton & Hove Albion left back, who also managed Birmingham City and Lincoln City.
 * 22 March 2023: Tony Knapp, 86, Leicester City, Southampton, Coventry City and Tranmere Rovers defender.
 * 4 April 2023: John Sainty, 76, Reading, AFC Bournemouth and Aldershot forward, who also managed Chester City.
 * c. 14 April 2023: Andy Mullen, 94, Workington and Scunthorpe United outside left.
 * 16 April 2023: Eddie Colquhoun, 78, Scotland, Bury, West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United defender.
 * 8 May 2023: Neil Matthews, 56, Grimsby Town, Halifax Town, Stockport County and Lincoln City striker.
 * 11 May 2023: Andy Provan, 79, Barnsley, York City, Chester City, Wrexham, Southport and Torquay United winger.
 * 13 May 2023: John Flood, 90, Southampton and AFC Bournemouth winger.
 * 3 June 2023: Josser Watling, 98, former Bristol Rovers defender.

Retirements

 * 1 June 2022: Sebastian Prödl, 34, former Austria and Watford defender.
 * 2 June 2022: Valon Behrami, 37, former Switzerland, West Ham United and Watford midfielder.
 * 4 June 2022: Carlos Tevez, 38, former Argentina, West Ham United, Manchester United and Manchester City forward.
 * 14 June 2022: Arturo Lupoli, 35, former Arsenal, Derby County, Norwich City and Sheffield United forward.
 * 17 June 2022: Artur Boruc, 42, former Poland, Southampton and AFC Bournemouth goalkeeper.
 * 17 June 2022: Jason Pearce, 34, former AFC Bournemouth, Portsmouth, Leeds United, Wigan Athletic and Charlton Athletic defender.
 * 18 June 2022: Paul Caddis, 34, former Scotland, Swindon Town, Birmingham City, Bury, Blackburn Rovers and Bradford City defender.
 * 19 June 2022: Aleksandar Kolarov, 36, former Serbia and Manchester City defender.
 * 22 June 2022: Daryl Janmaat, 32, former Netherlands, Newcastle United and Watford right back.
 * 22 June 2022: Jamie Ness, 31, former Stoke City, Scunthorpe United and Plymouth Argyle midfielder.
 * 8 July 2022: Giles Coke, 36, former Mansfield Town, Northampton Town, Sheffield Wednesday, Ipswich Town, Chesterfield, Oldham Athletic and Grimsby Town midfielder.
 * 8 July 2022: Jack Wilshere, 30, former England, Arsenal, Bolton Wanderers, AFC Bournemouth and West Ham United midfielder.
 * 12 July 2022: Chris Burke, 38, former Scotland, Cardiff City, Birmingham City and Nottingham Forest winger.
 * 19 July 2022: Tommy Oar, 30, former Australia and Ipswich Town midfielder.
 * 20 July 2022: James Meredith, 34, former Australia, Cambridge United, Chesterfield, Shrewsbury Town, Telford, York City, Bradford City and Millwall defender.
 * 10 August 2022: Ben Watson, 37, former Crystal Palace, Wigan Athletic, Watford, Nottingham Forest and Charlton Athletic midfielder.
 * 16 August 2022: Nacho Monreal, 36, former Spain and Arsenal defender.
 * 26 August 2022: Adam El-Abd, 37, former Egypt, Brighton & Hove Albion, Bristol City, Shrewsbury Town, Wycombe Wanderers and Stevenage defender.
 * 29 August 2022: Nathan Baker, 31, former Aston Villa and Bristol City defender.
 * 3 September 2022: Craig Bryson, 35, former Scotland and Derby County midfielder.
 * 9 September 2022: Davide Santon, 31, former Italy and Newcastle United defender.
 * 12 September 2022: Matty Blair, 33, former York City, Fleetwood Town, Mansfield Town, Doncaster Rovers and Cheltenham Town defender.


 * 21 September 2022: Charlie Adam, 36, former Scotland, Blackpool, Liverpool, Stoke City and Reading midfielder.
 * 23 September 2022: Lewis Macleod, 28, former Brentford, Wigan Athletic and Plymouth Argyle midfielder.
 * 25 September 2022: Lee Wallace, 35, former Scotland and Queens Park Rangers defender.
 * 27 September 2022: Fabian Delph, 32, former England, Leeds United, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Everton midfielder.
 * 27 September 2022: John Obi Mikel, 35, former Nigeria, Chelsea, Middlesbrough and Stoke City midfielder.
 * 28 September 2022: Ramires, 35, former Brazil and Chelsea midfielder.


 * 7 October 2022: Jake Howells, 31, former Luton Town defender/midfielder.
 * 9 October 2022: Jacques Maghoma, 34, former DR Congo, Burton Albion, Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City midfielder.
 * 10 October 2022: Enock Mwepu, 24, former Zambia and Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder.
 * 13 October 2022: Jota, 31, former Brentford, Birmingham City and Aston Villa midfielder.
 * 17 October 2022: Gonzalo Higuaín, 35, former Argentina and Chelsea forward.
 * 18 October 2022, Jon Flanagan, 29, former England, Liverpool, Burnley and Bolton Wanderers defender.
 * 19 October 2022, Anthony Pilkington, 34, former Republic of Ireland, Blackburn Rovers, Stockport County, Huddersfield Town, Norwich City, Cardiff City, Wigan Athletic and Fleetwood Town midfielder.
 * 23 October 2022, Ben Turner, 34, former Coventry City, Peterborough United, Oldham Athletic, Cardiff City, Burton Albion and Mansfield Town defender.
 * 28 October 2022: Roman Pavlyuchenko, 40, former Russia and Tottenham Hotspur striker.
 * 6 November 2022: Sebastian Larsson, 37, former Sweden, Arsenal, Birmingham City, Sunderland and Hull City midfielder.


 * 7 November 2022: Neil Taylor, 33, former Wales, Great Britain, Wrexham, Swansea City, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough defender.
 * 8 November 2022: Gerard Piqué, 35, former Spain and Manchester United defender.
 * 11 November 2022: Anders Lindegaard, 38, former Denmark, Manchester United, West Bromwich Albion, Preston North End and Burnley goalkeeper.
 * 15 November 2022: Aaron Lennon, 35, former England, Leeds United,  Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Burnley winger.
 * 16 November 2022: Gary Cahill, 36, former England, Aston Villa, Bolton Wanderers, Chelsea, Crystal Palace and AFC Bournemouth defender.
 * 29 November 2022: Harry Middleton, 27, former Doncaster Rovers and Port Vale midfielder.
 * 2 January 2023: Harry Forrester, 32, former Brentford and Doncaster Rovers midfielder.
 * 6 January 2023: Tyrell Belford, 28, former Swindon Town goalkeeper.
 * 7 January 2023: Brian Murphy, 39, former Swansea City, Ipswich Town, Queens Park Rangers, Portsmouth and Cardiff City goalkeeper.
 * 8 January 2023: Craig Mackail-Smith, 38, former Scotland, Peterborough United, Brighton & Hove Albion, Luton Town and Wycombe Wanderers striker.
 * 9 January 2023: Gareth Bale, 33, former Wales, Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur winger, who holds the record for most caps and goals for his country.
 * 23 January 2023: Jem Karacan, 33, former Reading, Bolton Wanderers, Millwall, Scunthorpe United, and Radcliffe midfielder.
 * 8 February 2023: Jeff Hughes, 37, former Northern Ireland, Lincoln City, Crystal Palace, Peterborough United, Bristol Rovers, Notts County, Fleetwood Town, Cambridge United and Tranmere Rovers midfielder.
 * 14 February 2023: Alfie Mawson, 29, former Wycombe Wanderers, Barnsley, Swansea City, Fulham and Bristol City defender.
 * 14 February 2023: Nicky Hunt, 39, former Bolton Wanderers, Birmingham City, Derby County, Bristol City, Preston North End, Rotherham United, Accrington Stanley, Mansfield Town, Leyton Orient, Notts County, Crewe Alexandra, Darlington, and Ashton United defender.
 * 22 February 2023: Olly Lee, 31, former Dagenham & Redbridge, Gillingham, Barnet, Birmingham City, Plymouth Argyle and Luton Town midfielder.
 * 17 March 2023: Lucas Leiva, 36, former Brazil and Liverpool midfielder.
 * 22 March 2023: Mesut Özil, 34, former Germany and Arsenal midfielder.
 * 23 March 2023: Bojan Krkić, 32, former Spain and Stoke City forward.
 * 28 March 2023: Dale Stephens, 33, former Bury, Oldham Athletic, Rochdale, Southampton, Charlton Athletic, Brighton & Hove Albion and Burnley midfielder.
 * 6 April 2023: Izzy Brown, 26, former West Bromwich Albion, Chelsea, Rotherham United, Huddersfield Town, Brighton & Hove Albion, Leeds United, Luton Town, Sheffield Wednesday forward.
 * 11 April 2023: Rob Kiernan, 32, former Watford, Wigan Athletic and Southend United defender.
 * 21 April 2023: Nick Anderton, 26, former Blackpool, Accrington Stanley, Carlisle United and Bristol Rovers defender.
 * 4 May 2023: Chris Gunter, 33, former Wales, Cardiff City, Tottenham Hotspur, Nottingham Forest, Reading, Charlton Athletic and AFC Wimbledon defender.
 * 5 May 2023, Neil Danns, 40, former Guyana, Blackburn Rovers, Blackpool, Hartlepool United, Colchester United, Birmingham City, Crystal Palace, Leicester City, Bristol City, Huddersfield Town, Bolton Wanderers, Bury, Tranmere Rovers, Radcliffe, FC Halifax Town, and Macclesfield midfielder
 * 5 May 2023, Mark Duffy, 37, former Liverpool, Wrexham, Vauxhall Motors, Prescot Cables, Southport, Morecambe, Scunthorpe United, Doncaster Rovers, Birmingham City, Chesterfield, Burton Albion, Sheffield United, Stoke City, Fleetwood Town, Tranmere Rovers, and Macclesfield midfielder
 * 7 May 2023: Glenn Whelan, 39, former Republic of Ireland, Manchester City, Sheffield Wednesday, Stoke City, Aston Villa, Fleetwood Town and Bristol Rovers midfielder.
 * 8 May 2023: Rory McArdle, 35, former Northern Ireland, Sheffield Wednesday, Rochdale, Bradford City, Scunthorpe United, Exeter City and Harrogate Town defender.
 * 8 May 2023: Shaun Pearson, 34, former Grimsby Town defender.
 * 9 May 2023: Jason Taylor, 36, former Stockport County, Rotherham United, Rochdale, Cheltenham Town, Northampton Town and Barrow midfielder.
 * 12 May 2023: Cole Skuse, 37, former Bristol City, Ipswich Town and Colchester United midfielder.
 * 15 May 2023: Harry Lennon, 28, former Charlton Athletic and Southend United defender.
 * 16 May 2023: Liam Trotter, 34, former Ipswich Town, Millwall, Bolton Wanderers and AFC Wimbledon midfielder.
 * 17 May 2023: Michael Mancienne, 35, former Seychelles, Chelsea, Queens Park Rangers, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Nottingham Forest and Burton Albion defender.
 * 19 May 2023: Mathieu Baudry, 35, former A.F.C. Bournemouth, Leyton Orient, Doncaster Rovers, Milton Keynes Dons and Swindon Town defender.
 * 19 May 2023: Siem de Jong, 34, former Netherlands and Newcastle United forward.
 * 20 May 2023: Alex Rodman, 36, former Aldershot Town, York City, Newport County, Notts County, Shrewsbury Town and Bristol Rovers midfielder.
 * 24 May 2023: Brad Jones, 41, former Australia, Middlesbrough, Stockport County, Blackpool, Sheffield Wednesday, Liverpool, Derby County and Bradford City goalkeeper.
 * 24 May 2023: Chris Taylor, 36, former Oldham Athletic, Millwall, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Blackpool, Bradford City, Barrow, Radcliffe, and FC United of Manchester midfielder.
 * 25 May 2023: Tamás Priskin, 36, former Hungary, Watford and Ipswich Town forward.
 * 31 May 2023: Gaetano Berardi, 34, former Switzerland and Leeds United defender.
 * 5 June 2023: Zlatan Ibrahimović, 41, former Sweden and Manchester United forward.
 * 14 June 2023: Rhys Williams, 34, former Australia, Middlesbrough, Burnley and Charlton Athletic defender.

Diary of the season

 * 31 August 2022: The first month of the Premier League season ends with Arsenal top of the table with the only 100% record in the division, 2 points ahead of Manchester City. Tottenham Hotspur, Brighton & Hove Albion, Liverpool, Leeds United and Fulham complete the top seven. Leicester City finish August bottom of the league, albeit with a game in hand (against Manchester United). Wolverhampton Wanderers (18th) and Aston Villa complete the relegation zone, with Everton evading the bottom three on goals scored. Sheffield United lead the Championship at the end of the month, ahead of the three sides relegated from the Premier League last season – Norwich City, Burnley, and Watford. Blackburn Rovers and Reading complete the top six. Coventry City prop up the Championship, but have three games in hand over most of the rest of the table due to three home games being postponed due to an unsafe playing pitch. One of those is against Huddersfield Town, who stand in 23rd; Birmingham City are 22nd.
 * 30 September 2022: At the end of a month disrupted by the international break and the recent passing of Queen Elizabeth II, Arsenal remain top of the Premier League, a point ahead of Manchester City and Spurs. Brighton, Manchester United, Fulham, and Chelsea round out the top seven. Leicester remain bottom of the Premier League as only one of three teams in the Football League yet to win in the league, joined in the relegation zone by West Ham United (18th) and Nottingham Forest. Sheffield United continue to lead the Championship, 3 points ahead of Norwich. Reading, Burnley, Luton Town (who have played a game more than their promotion rivals), and Sunderland (ahead of Queens Park Rangers and Blackburn on goal difference) make up the play-off places. Coventry City, the second of three winless teams (the third being fourth-tier Hartlepool United), remain bottom with their three games in hand. Huddersfield Town also remain in 23rd. Middlesbrough are 22nd, behind West Bromwich Albion on goal difference.
 * 31 October 2022: Arsenal remain top of the Premier League at the end of October, 2 points ahead of Manchester City. Spurs and Newcastle United hold the other 2 Champions League spots, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Fulham finishing the month in the top seven. Leicester have ended their winless streak but finish October in 18th, forcing Nottingham Forest down to 20th; West Ham have escaped the relegation zone at the expense of Wolves. Burnley have climbed to top of the Championship, 2 points ahead of Lancastrian rivals Blackburn. The play-off zone is completely changed from the end of September, and now consists of QPR, Sheffield United, Watford and Swansea. Coventry have escaped the relegation zone, and now West Brom are now bottom of the league, 4 points behind Huddersfield. Middlesbrough have escaped 22nd at the expense of Wigan Athletic.
 * 30 November 2022: A month with a football schedule ended early by the FIFA World Cup in Qatar finishes with Arsenal having increased their lead over Manchester City at the Premier League summit to 5 points. Newcastle have jumped ahead of Spurs, as Liverpool and Brighton have done to Chelsea and Fulham; Manchester United remain fifth. Wolves end the month bottom of the league and facing the ignomity of being bottom at Christmas. Nottingham Forest are now 18th, with the Midlands clubs sandwiching Southampton in the bottom three. Burnley remain top of the Championship, 3 points ahead of Sheffield United, who have swapped positions with Blackburn. Watford climb to fourth, Norwich return to the play-off zone to stand in fifth, and Coventry complete a spectacular 2 month streak of good form to finish November in sixth. West Brom have enjoyed a similar run to finish November out of the bottom three, though there has been no such turnaround for Huddersfield or Wigan, who are now joined in the relegation zone by Blackpool.
 * 31 December 2022: 2023 arrives with Arsenal now 7 points clear of Manchester City in first. Newcastle remain third, Manchester United have climbed above Spurs to fourth, Liverpool remain sixth, and Fulham completes the top seven. Wolves, Nottingham Forest and Southampton remain in the relegation zone, although Wolves have climbed to 18th. Burnley remain 3 points ahead of Sheffield United in the Championship title race. The Yorkshire club have opened up an 11-point gap over third-placed Blackburn, greater than the point difference between sixth and 21st in the Championship. Sunderland and Watford are tied on 37 points in fourth and fifth, and Middlesbrough claim the coveted sixth position ahead of Norwich, Luton, Millwall and Reading on goal difference. With over half the season played and the aforementioned narrow margins, the play-off chase continues to offer intrigue, with even bottom three clubs Huddersfield, Blackpool, and Wigan only a few matches away from transforming themselves into play-off contenders.
 * 31 January 2023: Arsenal's lead has been whittled down by Manchester City to 5 points at the end of January, though Arsenal have a game in hand. The top seven is unchanged from the end of December, except for Brighton replacing Liverpool in sixth place. Southampton remain bottom of the league, with Bournemouth (18th) and Everton failing into the bottom three. In the Championship, Burnley's lead over Sheffield United has increased to 5, while Sheffield United's lead over third place (now held by Middlesbrough) has increased to 12. Luton, Watford, and Blackburn complete the top six, but with only 6 points between 6th and 16th the race for the top 6 is far from settled. Although Huddersfield, Blackpool, and Wigan remain in the Championship relegation zone, all 3 have at least one game in hand over 21st-placed Cardiff City.
 * 28 February 2023: February ends with Arsenal's lead over Manchester City down to 2 points, though Arsenal still have a game in hand. Poor form has seen Newcastle allow Manchester United and Tottenham to leapfrog them out of the Champions League places and knock them down to fifth. Fulham have climbed to sixth, and Liverpool have rejoined the top seven. The relegation zone is unchanged, except for Everton and Bournemouth swapping positions. Burnley's lead in the Championship has grown to 12 points (albeit having played a game more than Sheffield United) - with 19 points between them and third-placed Middlesbrough, it appears to be only a matter of time before the Lancastrian club confirm an immediate return to the Premier League. Blackburn and Luton finish February exchanging their previous end-of-month positions, with Millwall taking fifth. The Championship relegation zone is unchanged from the end of January.
 * 23 March 2023: Harry Kane becomes the England national football team's all-time record scorer with 54 goals in 81 appearances, after scoring a penalty in a 1–2 win against Italy in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying.
 * 31 March 2023: Arsenal extend their lead over Manchester City at the Premier League summit to 8 points as March ends, though City now have a game in hand over the London side. Manchester United, Spurs and Newcastle remain third to fifth, Liverpool have climbed to sixth, and Brighton return to the top seven. Newcastle, Liverpool, and Brighton all have games in hand over Spurs, including fixtures yet to be played against the North Londoners, so the race for the top four remains up for grabs. Southampton and Bournemouth remain in the relegation zone, though Everton have managed to escape the bottom three at the expense of West Ham. Only four points separate 20th-placed Southampton and 12th-placed Crystal Palace. In the Championship, Burnley need only 8 points from their last 8 games to seal their return to the Premier League. Sheffield United's lead over Middlesbrough in third has been cut down to 3 points, though the Teesside club have played a game more. Luton, Blackburn, and Millwall remain in the top six, as do Huddersfield, Blackpool and Wigan in the bottom three.
 * 2 April 2023: Bolton Wanderers win their first knockout trophy since 1989 when defeating Plymouth Argyle 4-0 in the Papa John's Trophy final at Wembley Stadium. The final's four goal margin is the biggest in the competition's 41-year history.
 * 30 April 2023: The Premier League enters its final stretch with Manchester City now 1 point ahead of Arsenal following a poor April for the North London side, with City still having a game in hand on Arsenal. Newcastle have climbed to third, pushing Manchester United down to fourth, while Liverpool have climbed above Spurs to fifth. Villa, Brighton and Brentford also remain in the chase for European qualification. At the other end of the table, Southampton look doomed with only 4 games left to make up a 6-point deficit on 17th-placed Nottingham Forest. Leicester and Everton have dropped into the bottom three, though they have a head-to-head match at the King Power Stadium in hand over their relegation rivals. Burnley have confirmed their immediate return to the Premier League as Football League champions, while Sheffield United have also sealed promotion. Luton (3rd) and Middlesbrough have also confirmed their places in the play-offs, but the race for the final two spots is going down to the wire. Coventry and Millwall go into the final matchday holding the coveted fifth and sixth positions, but Sunderland, West Brom, and Blackburn all have the opportunity to leapfrog them if results go their way. There is no such hope for Wigan and Blackpool at the bottom end of the table, as both have confirmed their relegation to League One. Reading have dropped into the relegation zone following a points deduction by the EFL for breaching a business plan, but could yet escape if 21st-placed Huddersfield lose their game in hand to Sheffield United and then lose to the Royals on the final day.