Sunday 13th May 2012 is a date that is etched into the history of Manchester City Football Club. It was the date that the club’s won the Premier League championship for the first time and it could not have happened in a more dramatic way.
They went into the game at the top of the table, level on points with bitter rivals Manchester United, who had won the league championship 19 times in their history. United were the reigning champions and were managed by Sir Alex Ferguson, who had won twelve Premier League titles during his time at the club.
Queens Park Rangers needed a draw to stay in the Premier League. They were in 17th place, just above the relegation zone but the odds of them getting a result were against them as City aimed to secure their 28th league win of the season.
Argentine right-back Pablo Zabaleta broke the deadlock in the 39th minute after cutting in from the right wing and hitting a shot that Paddy Kenny let slip through his hands. Despite Kenny trying desperately to claw the ball back, it crossed the line and City were deservedly ahead.
Zabaleta’s goal was his first of the season, but more importantly, it put City back at the top of the table. Wayne Rooney had given Manchester United a 20th-minute lead at Sunderland, meaning that they were leading the title race. QPR however, were due to be relegated as Bolton Wanderers (who started the day below them in 18th), were winning 2-1 against Stoke City.
City went into half-time ahead, but QPR drew level three minutes after the restart courtesy of a goal from Djibril Cisse after Joleon Lescott flicked the ball back towards his own goal. City were now in second place in the table.
Former City player Joey Barton was then sent off for QPR, which added another twist to the match. City then had two great chances to score in very quick succession, but Paddy Kenny kept out efforts from Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero.
QPR then shocked the City fans by taking a shock lead in the 66th minute. Jamie Mackie scored with a downward header after a cross from wide on the left by Armand Traore. City were now three points behind Manchester United and QPR were safe from relegation.
Edin Dzeko and Mario Ballotelli both came within a whisker of getting an equaliser that City so desperately needed before Dzeko scored with a close-range header from a David Silva corner in the 92nd minute. City were now just a goal away from the league title and QPR were safe from the drop.
The Manchester United players waited on the touchline at the Stadium of Light, anxiously waiting for news of the final whistle at the Etihad. Their fans celebrated in the away end, certain that yet another league title had been won.
Then the most famous moment in Manchester City’s long history occurred in the 94th minute. Vincent Kompany brought the ball forward from his own half, running forty yards unchallenged by an opponent.
The Belgian defender hit a short pass to Sergio Aguero who quickly laid the ball off to Mario Ballotelli and proceeded to make a run into the right-hand side of the penalty area.
Ballotelli held onto the ball until Aguero passed him and returned the ball to his strike partner, who evaded a challenge from a QPR defender and slammed the ball low into the back of the net.
Bedlam ensued with many City fans running onto the pitch. The game finally resumed before a full-scale pitch invasion at the final whistle. Meanwhile in Sunderland, news had spread to the Manchester United fans who were in a state of shock that their neighbours had turned the game around and had got the result that they needed.
This victory secured Manchester City’s first league title win in 44 years since 1968 and was only the third in the club’s history. They have since won the Premier League on seven occasions, four of those titles have come in the last four years.
QPR managed to stay safe as well because Bolton were pegged back to a 2-2 draw by Stoke City. They were relegated from the Premier League the following season but made an instant return to the top flight in the 2013/14 season. The 2014/15 season resulted in yet another relegation for the London club and they have yet to return to the Premier League.
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