0:00 The last day of the 2011 -12 Barclays Premier League season, and as it turned out, an astonishing encounter at the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City took on Queen's Park Rangers. City boss Roberto Mancini was on the brink of delivering a first English league title for the club since 1968. It was to be the final act of arguably the most exciting season in Premier League history. The simple facts were that the host needed to match Manchester United's result at Sunderland to claim that elusive title. The simple facts were that the host needed to match Manchester United. However, in Queen's Park Rangers, they faced a team that was looking to save itself from relegation. The best home record in the Premier League, going head -to -head with the worst away record. Logic suggested a comfortable day for City. Instead, what
0:48 followed was one of the most amazing, intriguing and gripping ends to a season ever seen in England. or anywhere else for that matter. Five consecutive victories led to Mancini understandably naming another unchanged side. Of these starting XI, just two had won the Premier League before. Carlos Tevez twice with Manchester United, and Gael Clichy once with Arsenal. Vincent Kompany had been a title winner in Belgium, Yaya Torre in Greece and Spain. As well as their manager, Mark Hughes, QPR had three players with close city connections. Joey Barton, Sean Wright -Phillips and Nedden Anua had all turned out for the Eastlands outfit. Wright -Phillips made his first start for two months and Gibral Cisse returned from suspension to lead the line
1:36 in a 4 -4 -2 formation. Mike Dean was the referee. A day of plot and subplot, of personal agenda and collective longing. a day of dread and excitement with several A day of dread and excitement. widely variable possibilities commentary from Peter Drury alongside Craig Byrd Mike Dean is the referee there will be tears you know there will be tears a day which set in the context of the generations leading up to it will one way or another be a part of sporting history and yet a day which can only be in the moment. It is about the here and now.
2:22 Fantastically tense, fantastically upbeat. And yet the coolest customer is the one on whose shoulders the greatest burden lies, Roberto Mancini. Touré, through by Barry, taken up by Tevez, Barry Silva Silva's cross, and Kenny lost to him, gathered it again off the very toe of Samia Nasri. I got a good drive into the box from David Silva, who actually just backed off a little bit, just the lack of anybody getting across the front. Off a
3:07 little bit, it's the lack of anybody getting across the front of Paddy Kenny there. Cissé, he's been caught and QPR have a free kick yielded to them by Gareth Barry, perhaps himself wound up after being on the receiving end from Joey Barton only moments previously. Two centre back, well, two City players go for the same ball there, I don't think there's a bundle of contact. Two centre back, well two City players go for the same ball there. In fact, it's the nearest contact on Xibriogsisi, and over he goes to win the free kick, so it was a rather soft one. It only takes a second. Joe Hart arranging a wall
3:56 of four plus. He's kept four clean sheets in his last five since Mikel Arteta's late free kick for Arsenal. The last five since Mikel Arteta's late free -kick for Arsenal a month ago. Well, Tarab did score a super free -kick against Spurs, but he of course is on the bench today. Cisse behind the ball, Taiwo close to him too, Zamora retreats, Cisse huts behind it. He did well there, I think he saw it late, also the first thing he's had to do it with a quarter of this match already gone. just drifted away from him a little bit, Zamora was there to pick up any bits and pieces, and with the United winning, Peter, you always felt that City were going to have to do it
4:41 for themselves here today. Silver for Zabaleta. Away by Hill.
5:48 It's blue! Yeah, and ironically as Yaya Toure is involved, he's now lying on the centre circle on the penalty spot as you watch this replay, because I think his day has run, but what a super little reverse ball just flicked onto Zabaleta there. Taiwo lets him run, Kenny gets a hand to it, and what a huge, huge slice of luck as it comes off the post and goes over the line. No doubt about it, no doubt about it, it was over. And it certainly was by the time he'd finished. And now they're dancing up and down. There's nothing United can do if City win. City are winning. He remains calm. Those around him are celebratory. It's only his first goal of the
6:34 season. You wouldn't believe it. He saved it for the last day. The biggest day. It is half -time, it is engrossing, absolutely gripping, undulating, entirely absorbing. And Manchester City, above all, are winning, courtesy of Pablo Zabaleta's shot, which somehow penetrated Paddy Kenny and dropped over the line. For a few moments, United have it, but City at the end. For a few moments, United have it, but City at the break have it back. Manchester City 1, Queen's Park Rangers on the cusp of catastrophe, nil.
7:23 Manchester City on the edge of glory, Queen's Park Rangers on the edge of Premier League oblivion. And it's all on this. Here we go, this is all that's left of the season. The games did kick off at precisely the same moment. they will all find out their fate together manchester united lead manchester city lead bolton lead queens park rangers trail mancini looking to follow in the footsteps of wilf wild who managed city to the title in 1937 1968 he's won three Serie A titles as the manager
8:08 of Inter Milan this would be yet another major feather in his cap there are jokers in the QPR pack as well Buzaki, Tarat both waiting on the bench inventive, attacking, goal -hungry players who might just need them Oh, Lescote's error, and Cissé's in here and Cissé scores for Queensport Rangers Astonishingly That just was not meant to happen Desperate for
8:54 Julian Lescott thrilling for Queensport Rangers Top Rangers, battling for Roberto Mancini, and what must Manchester United be thinking when they hear this news? baffling for Roberto Manchin Queen's Top Rangers are level at City. And when Julian Lescott looked round and saw who was on the end of it, he must have thought, not Gabriel Ceci, because when he's been on the field at Kupi Art, and he's not been on the side for Super Red cards, he has been absolutely fantastic. he's going to be the last player you want to see in the end, he fairly dispatched it, He's got to be the last. and I tell you, the QPR coaching staff are all out, they could not believe it. Well you're right, Greg, he's
9:39 missed far too many games since arriving at QPR, far too many, but he's played in eight now and he's scored six times. He's got quality, there's no doubt about it. Nashley for City, oh, Trent Hill's a bit in his mouth then Well he couldn't do anything else, he couldn't do anything else, he's got to deal with this He cannot leave that My God, Manchester City, they never do things the easy way Will they find another way? Lescott wanting to make amends up for the corner Silva takes it And it came back to Zabaleta, and Aguero twitched, and the ball was lofted over. And it came back to Zabaleta I
10:26 think De Jong gets in Tevez's way, and it's a fantastically well -worked corner off the training ground here with Tevez coming round the back. But nobody's told Nigel De Jong, he's dragged the marker into that area. Joey Barton reverted to type. Carlos Tevez has been to hell and back this year. can he revert to type and score City's title winner Tevez into the wall Kenny away from Nasri's follow -up Tevez up in the air by Hill down again for Tevez who's flashed across it
11:13 Tywo lost it to Barry, Manchester City with a power play now, Zabaleta, Silva, challenge from Wright Phillips, challenge from Derry, both allowed to go, Zabaleta, Lescott, De Jong, Zabaleta, corner, how long will it take them to score, surely they must score. Tevez! Tevez! exchanging with De Jong. Tevez again. fine save Kenny, really good save. In goes Tevez once more, Aguero! And Kenny kept it from crossing the line this time. Well, a call from the handball in there
12:01 as well, I think there was a handball, not sure who it was, but bottom line is, Peter Aguero should score from six yards. what a great save from Kenny, but he should score. It's a brilliant save, a brilliant point -black save. Yeah, but he shouldn't be allowed, a great strike here from Tevis, now there's a handball in there, absolutely, is it Derry? And he keeps it from going over the line, Paddy Kenny, what a save, but really and truly, that should have been in the back of the net. Tension and angst and worry and huge weight of expectation. and only 26 or 27 minutes to satisfy the demands of him and 40 -odd thousand others in the ground and Balotelli is warming
12:49 up Tevez, Kenny's got it again, when he's looking to float the ball in like that, he really hasn't got anything to hit with only Aguero and Nasri in the box. Barry tried to get in there, there's no Yaya Turi now to get forward for midfield. Well, here perhaps is how they mount an attack. It's Traore. Beyond Zamora. Oh, it's in! Unbelievable! Mackie for Queen's Park Rangers, who've only got him taking the lead! Who've only gone and taken the lead. The world is on its head. They are dumbfounded. None. Disbelieving. They've nowhere to look.
13:40 QPR with 10 men. Against all odds. Against all logic. Against all sense. Have taken the lead at the Etihad. It's yours United. It's yours. Well it certainly is, this is capitulation of the highest order, this is bottling it at the highest order at the moment, 10 men, 10 man Coupier, 1 -0 down, Bolton winning away at Stoke, Jamie Markey picked out by Armand Traore with a wonderful cross, wonderful cross and what a header that is son. Well it certainly is. This is capitulation of the highest order. This is bottom. Clichy for Silva, Aguero kept it in play, Jekyll, some thought he had scored, it was deflected into the side letter. before he had scored it was deflected into the side netting the wrong side of the side
14:26 netting from City's point of view this is how it is to be a football fan just can't bear it only grey -faced Manchester City supporters who came here to witness a coronation company De Jong is 44 years about to turn 45 here is number 45 Mario Balotelli. He's got it back. Balotelli, beaten out by Kenny. And once more, thrust upfield by Wright Phillips. And emotions are taught, and faces are pained. De Jong,
15:14 Zabaleta. Manchester City will get their 17th corner here. Queen's Park Rangers have had none. Just the most staggering football match this in almost any circumstances, but played in the
16:02 context it is. It denies, it defies all sense. Well, he should score from there, but Kenny's been inspired today. And Kenny comes and Kenny claims. What a day to be a supporter of Queen's Park Rangers. What a day to be a supporter of Manchester City. Where will they hide tonight? Hyde tonight. Where will they go? Where will they find the moral fibre to get up and go to work in the morning? De Jong.
16:52 Silva. If they score now, there just might be time. Zavalleta, corner again there, 18th. Staggering, just staggering. Silva, Dzeko scores! Four minutes to save themselves! Four minutes to find that crown! 2 -2, in stoppage time, the most thrilling Premier League finale of all time! Eddie Dzeko, Holt, a vestige of Holt! Well, that talk from the very first minute of this game about when City got it wide without Balotelli and Dzeko.
17:39 They just didn't have that physical presence to trouble Ferdinand in hell, but great ball then, great leap from Dzeko and Holt, Holt for Mancini. This is why you love the game, absolutely phenomenal. And there are two minutes to play. Manchester United's game is over. So is Dalton's game at Stoke. QPR are safe, they don't know it yet. Aguero! Staggering! Just staggering! He's won the lead with 90 seconds of stoppage time. to play,
18:28 United's game was over, they had it, they've had it, stolen back, it's just the most extraordinary scenario you could have dreamt of, where does football go from here? Drama of the ultimate type, tears of distress. turn to tears of unbridled joy! Well, I've got to say, Peter, I don't think I've ever witnessed emotions like I've seen today. From crowd, to the field, to the lead, to being behind, to the clock running out, to Paddy Kenny making save after
19:17 save, and what he could have gone down there, Sergio Aguero. After saving, well he could have gone down there, Sergio Aguero, and arguably he's been the most consistent player this season. He stays on his feet, and boy, does he get his rewards. The title is heading to the Etihad. We are in the 95th minute of the last game of the season, and the Barclays Premier League has produced here the ultimate in sporting drama. it just does not get better than this, it will never get better than this in blue, there is going to be here universal celebration, QTR are safe and they know it, Manchester
20:03 City are seconds away from being the champions The Blue Moon has risen! Just like a dream in their hearts! City are champions! And they did it in the most staggering fashion! Sergio Aguero, legend forever! Never mind joy unconfined. There is mere incredulity here.
20:49 So many have wondered down the years whether dear old city could ever manage this again. So many have questioned over the weeks whether they would get across the line. And so many inside this ground have questioned inside the last half hour inside the last five minutes, inside the last few seconds, whether City could claim the title, well now the doubters must doubt no more, and the wealthy owners embrace in mutual respect and celebration, because Queen's Park Rangers, despite, despite defeat, have survived in the Barclays Premier League, inside the last five minutes. and Manchester City, despite the most almighty scare, have
21:34 only gone and won it. Most almighty scare have only got to want it. And so after 44 years, the title did finally belong to Manchester City. But what hard work they made of it. Manchester United's 1 -0 win at Sunderland meant they'd done all they could. But City's fans were now able to walk the streets of Manchester with their heads held high. After being in the shadow of their neighbours for so long, it felt so good. Relief, of course, for Queen's Park Rangers, with results elsewhere going their way. But for City, the start, perhaps, of a golden era. They have the players and the resources
22:21 required to dominate in England and Europe. And having tasted success, they're determined to make it a habit. Yes, they're determined to make it a habit.
