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By Martyn Herman
LONDON, May 13 (Reuters) – Manchester City secured a first
English title in 44 years in extraordinary circumstances on
Sunday as stoppage-time goals from Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero
snatched a 3-2 win over Queens Park Rangers to deny Manchester
United another championship.
In a breathless, tension-wracked finale to one of the most
dramatic and unpredictable seasons for decades, United’s 1-0 win
at Sunderland seemed to have sealed their 20th title but with
the final whistle blown at the Stadium of Light, City produced a
last twist.
In the second of five minutes of stoppage time, substitute
Dzeko rose to head City level against a QPR side who had struck
twice after the break despite losing former City midfielder Joey
Barton to a red card for elbowing Carlos Tevez.
With just a minute of the season remaining, Aguero roared
into the area to dispatch a right-foot shot past the diving
Paddy Kenny for his 23rd league goal and the most precious of
the 93 amassed by Roberto Mancini’s City throughout the
campaign.
Both United and City finished on 89 points but City’s
superior goal difference of eight proved decisive as the English
title was settled on goals, rather than points, for only the
sixth time and the first since Arsenal edged out Liverpool on
the final day of the 1989-90 season.
As United’s players trudged off at Sunderland contemplating
a first trophyless season since 2004-05, the biggest party since
1968 kicked off for the long-suffering sky blue half of the
city.
“Five minutes from the end I did not think we could win this
game. We deserved to win this championship,” City manager
Roberto Mancini told Sky Sports.
“After 44 years I dedicate this to all our supporters.”
Captain and central defensive rock Vincent Kompany, a 6
million pounds ($9.7 million) bargain in the estimated half a
billion pounds invested on players since Abu Dhabi’s Mansour bin
Zayed Al Nahyan bought City in 2008, shared the feelings of most
of the 4?,000 fans witnessing an afternoon of drama.
“I want to say it is the best moment of my life but if I’m
honest then I would say please never again this way,” he said.
“We have been so good at home all season but in the second
half we just couldn’t get through the QPR defence.
“Did I give up? No, I never stopped believing. When Edin
Dzeko scored to make it 2-2, it reminded me of our late goals
against Tottenham and Sunderland.”
BOLTON HEARTBREAK
Away from the euphoria of Manchester there was heartbreak
for Bolton Wanderers who drew 2-2 at Stoke City and were
relegated long with Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackburn
Rovers.
Victory would have earned them another season in the top
flight but instead QPR survived to make sure all last season’s
promoted sides live to fight another campaign amongst the elite.
Arsenal claimed third spot and a Champions League place
after coming from 2-1 down to beat West Bromwich Albion 3-2 at
the Hawthorns.
Tottenham Hotspur sealed fourth place, and a possible
Champions League qualifying tie, after beating Fulham 2-0 while
Newcastle United finished fifth after losing 3-1 at Everton.
Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham face an anxious wait, however, as
victory for Chelsea in the Champions League final against Bayern
Munich would mean they take a spot in next season’s competition
and send Tottenham into the Europa League.
With 17 wins and a draw from their previous 18 league
matches at their Etihad fortress, the victory City required to
seal the title, barring a United goal avalanche at Sunderland,
over relegation-haunted QPR had looked a formality.
Then again, the Premier League has delivered twists galore
throughout its 20th edition and the climax was to be no
exception as the goals thundered in around the country to set a
new cumulative season record of 1,066.
News of Wayne Rooney’s goal for United at Sunderland added
to an already tense atmosphere at City and the relief was
palpable when Pablo Zabaleta’s shot beat Kenny after 38 minutes
despite the keeper getting both gloves on the ball.
It prompted premature celebrations among City fans who
watched on in horror after the break as Joleon Lescott’s headed
howler allowed Djibril Cisse to equalise and Jamie Mackie put
QPR ahead either side of Barton’s act of madness.
As City laid siege to the QPR goal only to be denied by
Kenny’s heroics and frantic defending, the headlines look set to
gloat over the day City threw it away and former manager Mark
Hughes, now in the QPR dugout, got the last laugh.
Some City fans were in tears as they watched the title slip
away but in a mind-boggling final act, their team snatched the
trophy from United’s grasp to finally move out of the shadow of
their illustrious neighbours and complete their journey from
harmless also-rans to the new powerhouse of English football.
($1 = 0.6212 British pounds)
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Justin Palmer and Ed
Osmond)
