The English Premier League is full of drama from the first whistle of the season to the last. There are ups, downs, controversies and more. But nothing really compares to dramatic final days when it’s make or break for one reason or another, and many of them have gone down in history.
Aguerrooo – 2011/12
The final day of the 2011/12 Premier League campaign is arguably the most memorable. Man City were looking to win their first title and needed to defeat QPR to get their hands on the trophy. But their city rivals Manchester United travelled to Sunderland knowing if they got the result and City didn’t, the title would be theirs.
And at one stage, United were in the driving seat as QPR went in front, which was underlined when looking at Premier League betting odds. But when Edin Dzeko equalised, and then Mario Balotelli played in Sergio Aguero to notch a late winner, it was City declared as Premier League champions.
The Great Escape – 2004/05
The final day is either dramatic at the top end of the league or the bottom or both. And, in the 2004/05 Premier League season, the focus was on the relegation battle that had been raging on at the foot of the table. There’s the old saying that if you’re bottom of the pile at Christmas, then you’re nailed on to be relegated to the second tier come May.
So, naturally, many people had written off West Brom. They’d done enough to give themselves a chance of pulling off “The Great Escape” on the final day, which they amazingly managed to achieve by winning their game 2-0, with Southampton, Crystal Palace and Norwich going down.
A Dramatic Recovery – 2021/22
This was another final day featuring Manchester City and a title race. And this time, it was between them and Liverpool. City winning would guarantee them the title, but they found themselves 2-0 down at home to Aston Villa. Liverpool knew they needed three points against Wolves at Anfield to be in with a chance of pipping City to the post.
And, while Jurgen Klopp’s men ran out 3-1 winners on the day, City managed to pull off a dramatic recovery where they went from being 2-0 down to win the game 3-2, and the title was theirs.
The Forty Points Mark Wasn’t Enough – 2002/03
Along with the suggestion that if you’re bottom of the Premier League table at Christmas, it’s also commonly said that if you amass forty points, then you will be clear of danger and in a position to retain your top-flight status for at least another season.
However, the latter failed to ring true for West Ham in 2002/03 because when all was said and done, they had a total of forty-two points on the board, but they still found themselves heading to the second tier of English football. And they didn’t make their return until they won the playoffs in 2004/05.