Manchester United were missing Eric Cantona, their French international forward who was serving a nine-month suspension, and their attacking partnership of Andy Cole and Mark Hughes was not well regarded by pundits.

Despite the record score at Old Trafford, Ipswich's victory at Portman Road proved to be the more significant result with regard to the final placings, as Manchester United missed out on the title by a single point.

[4] In response to their elimination from European competition, and their need for a goal-scorer, they signed Andy Cole from Newcastle United for a British record fee of £7 million in January 1995.

[3][a] Ipswich Town had returned to the top flight of English football in time for the start of the Premier League in the 1992–93 season;[5] however, they had finished in the bottom half of the table in both of the new league's first two seasons and had narrowly avoided relegation to the First Division in the final minutes of the 1993–94 campaign, finishing one point above the relegation zone.

According to Rogan Taylor's report for The Observer, the Ipswich defence was panicked by these early attacks, and he suggested that Andy Cole should have scored from one of them, had he not accidentally stepped on the ball.

In the 37th minute, Kanchelskis attacked up the right wing for Manchester United, and crossed the ball into the box; Hughes shot at goal with a bicycle kick that hit the bar and rebounded to Cole, who scored his second of the game and made it 3–0.

In the confusion, it was initially reported that Yallop had put the ball into his own goal,[20] but video replays showed that the final touch had been from Cole, securing his hat-trick.

The pair were also responsible for United's next goal; the Ipswich goalkeeper Craig Forrest parried a shot from Giggs out to Hughes, who headed it in.

[22] A minute later, Hughes helped to set up the seventh goal with a pass to McClair, whose shot was saved by Forrest but rebounded to Cole, who put it in the net.

While Forrest was arguing the decision, Manchester United took the free kick quickly, and Paul Ince lobbed the ball straight into the empty goal to make the score 8–0.

"[22] Although he was hurt in a tackle by Ipswich defender Linighan, Cole was determined to play on in the second half despite his manager's suggestion he be substituted as the points were already secured.

[9] The record Manchester United set for the biggest Premier League win would not be equalled until Leicester City beat Southampton by the same scoreline, away from home on 25 October 2019.

[36] The following season, United would equal their biggest victory, also against Southampton, with a 9–0 win at Old Trafford on 2 February 2021,[37] and the record was again matched in August 2022, when Liverpool beat AFC Bournemouth 9–0.