The Premier League title is set to be decided on the final day for only the eighth time since 1992 with Manchester City and Liverpool both in contention to win the title with just one game to play.
City are in control, one point clear of their rivals from Merseyside as they travel to Brighton while Liverpool host Wolves with a slim chance of lifting their first Premier League trophy. Jurgen Klopp’s men have done incredibly well to turn this season into a title race and will finish with the record points total for second place which is a testament to their good work over the year.
However, it looks like they will just come up short during the Premier League era because no side in second at the start of the final day has finished the day as champions. The last team to pull off such a feat was Arsenal in 1988-89, when they famously beat leaders Liverpool at Anfield 2-0, to win the title on goals scored. Let’s take a look at the other final day title deciders.
1994-95 Blackburn or Manchester United
Leaders Blackburn travelled to Anfield two points clear of Manchester United – who had made up ground over the second half of the season. A win on the final day would secure the title for Rovers and when Alan Shearer gave them the lead all seemed smooth for the table toppers.
However, Liverpool turned it around and a 90th minute winner by Jamie Redknapp meant that Manchester United just needed a goal away at West Ham to win the title. Despite peppering the goal, a heroic performance from keeper Ludek Miklosko saw United draw 1-1 and Blackburn win the title by a solitary point.
1995-96 Manchester United or Newcastle
Newcastle may have blown a 12 point lead at the top of the table to Manchester United over the course of the second half of that season but were surprisingly still in with a shout of winning the trophy on the final day.
They needed a win as well as a defeat for Sir Alex Ferguson’s side but that slim hope quickly diminished as David May opened the scoring for United against Middlesbrough early on.
Andy Cole and Ryan Giggs put the icing on the cake and Newcastle could only draw to bring the title back to Manchester.
1998-99 Manchester United or Arsenal
Manchester United’s most famous season. The treble-winning season was simply remarkable but the first leg of that – the Premier League title – went right down to the final game. Arsenal were the reigning champions and the Wenger v Ferguson rivalry was reaching its peak in an era where these two sides were the top dogs in English football.
Arsenal needed to better United’s result and when Tottenham went ahead at Old Trafford it looked like they could retain their title. However, David Beckham scored an equalizer before Andy Cole scored the goal that won the title for the Red Devils and put them on the way to recording that famous treble.
007-08 Manchester United or Chelsea
This one technically counts but Chelsea were three points behind United with a much inferior goal difference so this was all but over. United beat Wigan away while Avram Grant’s (!) Chelsea could only manage a point against Bolton. Barely worth a mention this one as Fergie won the title yet again.
2009-10 Chelsea or Manchester United
This one was more successful for the Blues. They just needed to beat Wigan at home to secure the title whilst United had to hope they slipped up as they played Stoke at Old Trafford. Fergie’s boys won 4-0 but unfortunately for them, Chelsea was in no mood to mess about and slammed eight goals past Latics as they won the double that season.
This one was not a tense final day for the Premier League as Carlo Ancelotti won his first English title but that drama was saved for two years later…
2011-12 Manchester City or Manchester United
Possibly the best finish to a football season eve – certainly the best in the Premier League era. Manchester United travelled to Sunderland while City hosted QPR, leading the division on goal difference. Fans thought it would be a relatively simple day for City as they were playing a relegation-threatened QPR but that couldn’t have been further from the truth.
Pablo Zabaleta put City in front but QPR battled back with a goal from Djibril Cisse. Joey Barton was then sent off and the game looked to be swaying in City’s favour but Jamie Mackie didn’t read the script as he headed the visitors in front.
We all know what happened next. In the 92nd minute, Edin Dzeko pulled a goal back and with Manchester United having won 1-0 at Sunderland – they awaited the full-time whistle at the Etihad. Then in the final moments – “Manchester City are still alive here… Balotelli… AGUEROOOOOOOO!”