| Pos | Team | Pld | Pts | GD | W | D | L | F | A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aston Villa | 30 | 47 | +35 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 73 | 38 |
| 2 | Sheffield United | 30 | 36 | +13 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 42 | 29 |
| 3 | Derby County | 30 | 36 | +20 | 16 | 4 | 10 | 70 | 50 |
| 4 | Preston North End | 30 | 34 | +15 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 55 | 40 |
| 5 | Liverpool | 30 | 33 | +8 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 46 | 38 |
| 6 | The Wednesday | 30 | 31 | +5 | 10 | 11 | 9 | 42 | 37 |
| 7 | Everton | 30 | 31 | +5 | 14 | 3 | 13 | 62 | 57 |
| 8 | Bolton Wanderers | 30 | 30 | -3 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 40 | 43 |
| 9 | 30 | 30 | -5 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 39 | 44 | |
| 10 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | 30 | 28 | +4 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 45 | 41 |
| 11 | Nottingham Forest | 30 | 26 | -5 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 44 | 49 |
| 12 | West Bromwich Albion | 30 | 26 | -23 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 33 | 56 |
| 13 | Stoke | 30 | 25 | -11 | 11 | 3 | 16 | 48 | 59 |
| 14 | Blackburn Rovers | 30 | 25 | -27 | 11 | 3 | 16 | 35 | 62 |
| 15 | Sunderland | 30 | 23 | -13 | 7 | 9 | 14 | 34 | 47 |
| 16 | Burnley | 30 | 19 | -18 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 43 | 61 |