- English Barclays Premier League
- 13 May 2012, 3:00pm
- Etihad Stadium
- Attendance: 48,000
Man City | v | QPR |
3
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live commentary
90+6 mins: FULL TIME! CITY ARE CHAMPIONS! STUNNING, JUST STUNNING! AND QPR ARE SAFE!Mancini's men have scored twice in injury time to clinch their first title for 44 years! Put your earplugs in tonight United fans - the noisy neighbours are going to have one hell of a party!
90+4 mins: AGUERO HAS SCORED FOR CITY! I REPEAT, AGUERO HAS SCORED FOR CITY! Balotelli slides in in the box, the ball breaks to Aguero who slots home low past Kenny into the far corner - the Etihad erupts!
90+2 mins: DZEKO SCORES! He heads home from six yards from a corner! City need one more in three minutes to win the title!
90 mins: Nasri takes another corner, Traore heads behind and the board goes up with FIVE MINUTES addded on - and Kenny beats away Balotelli's header brilliantly on the line!
88 mins: Traore clears into the stand, Hart races across and takes the throw. Another cross finds nobody. Panic stations now.
86 mins: City win a corner on the far side, but it's over Balotelli's head. That's one stony-faced looking sheikh in the main stand. Mancini's down on the haunches on the touchline, going through all kinds of agony. Nobody saw this coming, did they?
84 mins: Free-kick to City 22 yards out, Derry blocks Balotelli's effort, Dzeko then fires it back in but it's comfortable for Derry at the left stick.
82 mins: Blimey, there's a City fan kicking his seat in. Calm down son, it's only a game. Just have a blub like a few of the others. Dzeko has a crack after a nice feint inside but it's a mile off target.
80 mins: It's ALL City who, with United still winning, need two goals in ten minutes against ten men. What a climax to the season this is.
Dave, Manchester:"embarrasing against ten men"
78 mins: Dzeko hits the side netting! Half the ground thinks his deflected shot is in! The corner's stoutly defended again!
76 mins: QPR sub Bothroyd's on for Zamora. Stoke have levelled against Bolton so QPR really are bouncing along now!
75 mins: Big sub for City - Tevez OFF, Balotelli ON. Here we go!
73 mins: Just saw the replay of the Barton red card again, Tevez DID throw the first blow which led to Barton elbowing him. No excuse for Barton's disgraceful actions after the red card was shown though.
72 mins: Kenny tips Tevez's header over! Two quick corners for City, all hands to the pump for QPR now, Nasri now having a shot blocked!
71 mins: Clichy dinks a cross in but Aguero can't get to it at the far post!
70 mins: Tevez is giving the ball away too often and not chasing down, he looks out of sorts.
69 mins: It's the brown stuff or bust for City now who chuck Dzeko on for Barry. Balotelli's still on the bench too...
66 mins: TEN-MAN QPR STUN THE ETIHAD! Traore motors down the left, crosses for MACKIE and he heads home past Hart and the despairing Lescott in the net! Mancini is raging! City fans are crying! What a game!
63 mins: Back to the 21 men still on the pitch, and City are still piling the pressure on. 16 attempts on goal for City, to two for QPR, but the scoreline means that United are retaining their title at the moment though, and QPR are staying up.
61 mins: Barton's protesting in the tunnel that Tevez landed the first blow, and that he merely struck out in retaliation. Haven't we been here before?
59 mins: Huge handball shouts in the box after Kenny parries a Tevez shot and it hits Onuoha on the hand - nothing doing, then Kenny claws the ball back on the line with Aguero claiming it's over!
55 mins: BARTON HAS LOST IT! RED CARD! That's surely his QPR career over, even if they stay up - shameful. He catches Tevez in the box off the ball - looks like an elbow, and after ref Dean has a word with the linesman he's shown a straight red. In the ensuing melee he then blatantly kicks Tevez who goes down again, then aims aheadbutt at Kompany! He's physically hauled off the pitch by QPR staff with Balotelli trying to get to him on the sidelines too! Madness, utter madness.
51 mins: Nasri crosses from the right, Hill stabs behind for a corner. A defiant Blue Moon rings out as Tevez has a shot blocked, Zabaleta then rifles it back in, Aguero sees it very late and diverts it way off target!
48 mins: CISSE LEVELS FOR QPR! Lescott tries to head the ball back to to Hart, it's short and Cisse nips in to fire past the City keeper! Celebrates not only in the QPR end but also at the Stadium of Light!
Devil, Work: "I'm really hoping QPR bounce back 1 from zamora and 1 from barton will do. Or even just one, and no more city goals... please?"
47 mins: Clichy whips in a teasing cross from the left which is put out for a corner just ahead of Aguero. It comes to nothing, but City soon win a free-kick 25 yards out, off to the left. Nasri spurns the runs and has a dig direct but it's a good two yards over.
46 mins: City get the second half under way at exactly the same time as United do at Sunderland, playing right to left with no subs to report.
45+3 mins: That's half time! Pats on the back for Zabaleta as City jog off, as it's his goal which has released the pressure at the Etihad. City are 45 minutes away from their first title in 44 years. Join me at 1605 for the second half, and keep your thoguhts coming on the game via my name above.
45+2 mins: City are utterly dominant.I'm sure QPR would be attacking with gusto if they could actually get the ball!
45 mins: There's three minutes added on as the QPR fans hear the news from the Potteries - now it's their turn to look like they've gone on holiday and forgotten to cancel the milk.
44 mins: Bolton take the lead at Stoke, QPR are in the bottom three! Sub for City as Toure concedes defeat, being replaced by De Jong.
42 mins: Blue Moon booms out, and as I cast my eye to another telly in the office I can see a lot of glum United fans at the Stadium of Light as the news filters through.
40 mins: The delirious City fans are still doing the Poznan as Toure comes off for some more treatment, has a chat with Mancini then limps back on. Think they'll try and get him through to half time. What an atmosphere in the Etihad now!
39 mins: HUGE RELIEF AS CITY TAKE THE LEAD! Silva plays in Zabaleta, he shoots right-footed from eight yards, Kenny gets a hand to it but fails to keep it out at the far post!
37 mins: Toure's really struggling now, he's signalling to the bench that he's OK but certainly doesn't look it. Aguero's about two foot too short to get on the end of a cross from the left - it's still wave after wave of City attacks.
Josh dale, Milton Keynes: "come on man u. take the title from city"
34 mins: Toure's down with what could be a done hamstring... he's going to play on though. Up in the north-east Rooney's just missed an absolute SITTER.
33 mins: Silva's closed down well by QPR yet again in the middle, this time it's Barton on him like a tramp on a kipper. It's soon back to him though, this time he snatches at the shot and it darts harmlessly wide.
31 mins: We're a third of the way through the game. If all the scores stay like this then United have won the title and QPR are staying up. Too early to be thinking like that? Just saying, like!
28 mins: Cisse crosses from right to left but Zamora's not in the box and SWP can't keep it in on the near side. City have had 80 per cent of the ball, though it actually feels like more!
26 mins: Silva hits the wall with a free-kick from 22 yards out. One Kenny fumble aside, QPR are dealing comfortably with everything City have thrown at them.
24 mins: Cisse wins a free-kick 22 yards out, off to the left. It's touched to Cisse, he drills it low, the wall parts like a... well, badly-built wall, and Hart makes the stop down to his left.
22 mins: Tevez feeds Silva on the edge of the box but he runs up against a wall of red and white shirts. Barry then goes in strong on Barton, ref Dean sees no problem with it.
20 mins: Goal at Sunderland! Jones' cross, Rooney's header! No pressure, City!
19 mins: Clash of heads between Barton and Barry leaves the former on the floor needing treatment. The physio asks him to recite the first verse of The Smiths' 'How Soon Is Now' to check he's not concussed. He passes the test.
18 mins: Kenny's having to make running repairs on his fingers, strapping them up HIMSELF during play after bending them back making a stop, waving the physios away!
15 mins: Kenny nearly fumbles a cross towards Nasri but gathers at the second attempt! He then follows up with a fine stop from Silva, who has a crack from a tight angle.
Steve, Guildford: "if QPR can do the impossible and grab a draw here and united end up winning the title i'll buy their kit next season and wear it everyday!"
14 mins: Mackie brings the ball down the right as the Hoops (or quarters) retain possession for the first time today. They win a couple of throws and give the defenders a welcome early breather.
11 mins: Huge cheers from the QPR fans as Stoke have scored against Bolton! Bit of controversy about it according to my colleague - cross came in, Bogdan had it in his hands and was bundled over the line!
10 mins: Cisse's dropped back into midfield now so they may just need a light buffing after all. Zabaleta crosses after a lengthy spell with the ball, it's cleared before Nasri has a pop from distance but it's no danger for Kenny.
8 mins: Short corner to City, eventually sent in by Silva but the Hoops head clear - and City come straight back at them. You get the feeling Cisse won't need his boots cleaning after today.
Josh, Milton Keynes: "please city make my dream come true. ive supported u all my life its time to get something back for it"
6 mins: Toure blazes over! Great work by Aguero to keep a ball in by the flag which Barton gives up on, he tees up Tevez who miskicks on the edge of the box before Toure shanks over.
4 mins: Tevez takes a ball to feet and digs out a shot in the box but it takes a deflection for a corner on the near side. Silva's ball in is headed away by firstman Zamora.
Nik, Leeds""44 years is a long time, but its coming home. 4-1 scoreline"
2 mins: Zabaleta bids to keep a lost cause in down the right. City have started brighter, as you may expect. And the din!
0 mins: QPR get us under way in red and white quarters, playing right to left. 'Expectant' doesn't even begin to sum up the buoyant stadium.
1455: Nervous faces in the City tunnel? Not a bit of it. Joe Hart's set to play in the biggest game of his life, but looks like he's about to go out on the lash.
Ghetly, Bombay: "I think Manu will loose to Sunderland and city will draw with QPR and lift the title!!!"
1424: Afternoon all, and welcome to Orange's live commentary as Manchester City bid to wrap up their first league title for 44 years. City are unchanged, so birthday boy Yaya Toure starts in midfield alongside Gareth Barry, with Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero up front, Balotelli on the bench.
- English Barclays Premier League
- 13 May 2012, 3:00pm
- Etihad Stadium
- Attendance: 48,000
| Man City | v | QPR |
3
| 2
|
match report
Manchester City scored twice in stoppage-time to clinch their first league title since 1968 with a dramatic 3-2 victory over QPR.
A quite incredible season ended in the most stunning way possible, with City snatching victory from the jaws of what seemed certain to become the most disastrous defeat imaginable.
Second-half goals from Djibril Cisse and Jamie Mackie, either side of a ridiculous Joey Barton red card, seemed to have turned the entire season on its head.
But with the game entering five minutes of stoppage time, City produced a finish equally as memorable as that of Manchester United in the 1999 Champions League final.
That United should be denied just made the joy so much sweeter, as first Edin Dzeko nodded the Blues level before Sergio Aguero collected Mario Balotelli's return pass and drove home the goal that crowned City champions.
Bolton's failure to beat Stoke meant QPR survived anyway, which was the very least their defiant defending deserved in a truly astonishing game.
There is nothing quite like the last day of the season for making the most straightforward of tasks seem akin to scaling Mount Everest.
On the face of it, City, having dropped just two points at home all season, had little to worry about from QPR, who had two points in 11 away games and conceded six at Chelsea a fortnight ago.
For 38 long minutes though, the Blues could not find a way through their opponents' blanket defence.
Mark Hughes had set his side up to spend long periods without the ball and challenged City to find a gap.
David Silva came closest, driving one shot wide, having a near-post effort saved by Kenny and another goalbound strike blocked by Barton.
QPR remained defiant though, if not exactly composed.
It needed something a little bit different for City to open their opponents up. Pablo Zabaleta provided it.
In 152 previous appearances for the club, the full-back had managed just three goals. His last came in May 2011, 35 matches ago.
With a sense of anxiety gripping the stands as news of their temporary status as number two in the Premier League filtered through, Zabaleta scorched in from the right flank.
He kept advancing after laying a pass off to Silva, who in turn fed Yaya Toure.
It meant he was within striking range when Toure flicked the ball through and let fly with a fierce effort towards the far post. TV replays did not do Kenny many favours as the ball slithered through his fingers, but in real-time, the QPR keeper had been exposed and his reaction was not quick enough as he turned and tried to claw the ball out of his goal after it had bounced in off the woodwork.
The stadium erupted. Suddenly, what was happening at the Stadium of Light did not seem quite so important.
Instead it was events at the Britannia Stadium that were of huge importance as, from being in a position of relative comfort in terms of their own top-flight status, QPR were now hanging over the trapdoor, with the famous fat lady beginning to clear her throat.
It meant Mark Hughes, returning to the club that dumped him so unceremoniously in December 2009, knew he could no longer rely on his containment policy, which was both an opportunity for City and a reason to be wary.
And so it proved as Joleon Lescott made a disastrous decision to head Shaun Wright-Phillips' hopeful lofted pass back to Joe Hart. Cisse read it and duly smashed a first-time shot into the bottom corner.
Back came all those nerves, although the worry was soon replaced by fury at Barton's antics.
The one-time City midfielder, whose time at the club was scarred by so many problems, will receive an automatic suspension for elbowing Carlos Tevez in the face, but surely there will be an additional sanction for his attack on Aguero, which was deliberate, as he was ushered from the field, the incident sparking a mass confrontation which substitute Mario Balotelli wanted to get involved in.
The drama had only just begun though. And when substitute Armand Traore skipped past Zabaleta on a rare foray forward, his far-post cross was perfect for Mackie, who launched himself at the ball with a diving header neither Hart nor Lescott could keep out.
Now City had only one course of action open to them.
On came Dzeko, then Balotelli in a frantic attempt to grab a lifeline.
Both came close, Dzeko hitting a post, Balotelli drawing a fine save from Kenny as QPR abandoned any pretext of attacking intent.
It all looked to be in vain as the game entered five minutes of stoppage time.
Even the celebrations at Dzeko's leveller, when there were under four minutes left, were muted.
But when Aguero scored his 30th - and by far the most important and dramatic - goal of the season 120 seconds later, the roof came off the Etihad Stadium.
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