Is This The Most Dramatic Match In Football?

93-20. Till date, I don't think there's a more significant number in Manchester City history than that one right there. It points to the exact second in a certain game when history was made in the most dramatic fashion ever. Ladies and gentlemen, come with me as we look back at the most dramatic match in football history, the one between Manchester City and Queens Park Rangers, on the final matchday of the 2011-2012 Premier League season. But before we get to the match proper, we need some background. Going into that match, Manchester City were top of the table on goal difference. They were tied on points with their City rivals Manchester United. So basically, they just needed to match Man United's result on the last day to be sure champions. And City didn't have an easy opposition at all. They had to face a QPR team that was just one place above the relegation zone, and so desperately wanted to avoid the drop on the last day. City had not won the league for 44 years, and they wanted to make history so badly. And of course, it would be even sweeter if they managed to do it at the expense of their arch-enemies Manchester United, especially with Sir Alex Ferguson still in charge. The Scotsman, a couple years earlier, had dubbed Man City the noisy neighbours, and said that City would not challenge United's supremacy in his lifetime. We have a neighbour, and sometimes neighbours are noisy, but you can't do anything about them. They've got to get on with life, and we're going on with our life. We showed that today. The demonstration of our playing power was obvious to everyone. We were fantastic today. So, with all this having been said, Man City were so motivated to beat Man United to the Premier League title. So for that game, knowing all that was at stake, Roberto Mancini set City up with an interesting 4-2-3-1 ultra-attacking formation. Carlos Tevez was leading the line, Sergio Aguero was just behind him, while David Silva and Samir Nasri were manning the flanks. Gareth Barry and Yaya Tare sat just in front of a defensive line of company, Lescott, Clichy and Zabaleta, the man who would open the scoring that day. And of course, Joe Hart was in between the sticks. Man City fans would have loved a bright start to put their minds at ease, but that wasn't the case. They came close several times, but never actually managed to break through. Nasri missed a tap-in in the 15th minute, and shortly after that, David Silva's low-driven shot was saved easily. Despite City's numerous attempts, it took them more than half an hour to get the breakthrough, but when it came, it was beautiful. Pablo Zabaleta was a real threat from the right flank. He first tried to find Tevez with a cross, but that was blocked. However, the tricky passing and movement between him, David Silva and Yaya Tare that followed led to the opening goal of the game in the 39th minute. Zabaleta struck the ball so hard that although the QPR goalie, Paddy Kenny, got a hand to it, he was unable to keep it out, so it hit the woodwork and went straight into the goal. 1-0 Manchester City. This was exactly where they wanted to be going into half-time. The first half was devoid of drama. Little did we know that the second half was getting ready to flip the script so hard it had shocked the entire world. Elsewhere, Manchester United were also leading thanks to a goal from Wayne Rooney in the 20th minute. This meant that things were not as safe as City fans would have loved them to be. With United leading, they couldn't waver. With that in mind, the last thing City wanted to hear was that one of their main players was injured, but they were hit with that just before half-time. Yaya Tare had to be replaced just before half-time because of an injury. Damn. City were hoping to capitalise on their lead in second half, but they were hit with the most brutal blow just three minutes in. Gibril Sisse pounced on a misplaced headed pass by Julian Lescott and scored with just one shot of the ball. And just like that, QPR were back. This was most definitely not how Man City wanted the second half to kick off. They tried to respond quickly, but their shots just refused to go in. However, they got a little bit of good news when QPR's captain Joey Barton was sent off in the 55th minute after elbowing Tevez just outside the 18-yard box. After Barton was shown the red card, he kicked Aguero at the back of his leg, and that quickly led to a small bust-up between players from both sides. When I tell you this game had everything, but guess what? The real drama still hadn't started. Barton also tried to headbutt Man City's captain Vincent Kompany, but he was quickly pulled away and he made his way down the touchline. Just before he went down the tunnel, Mario Balotelli appeared to say a few words to him. Joey Barton was ready to fight, but again he was quickly pulled away and he finally went off. Balotelli wanted to be part of this legendary script by all means. Little did he know that he would have a much bigger role to play in the most dramatic football match in Premier League history. But for now, he remained on the bench while the attackers on the pitch kept on trying to get City back in front. Tevez came so close with a really powerful shot which Kenny saved. It came back to Aguero who quickly played a shot which the keeper fluffed, but was able to stop from going over the line just in time. This was getting so frustrating for Man City, especially because Man United were still in front in their game against Sunderland and time was ticking away rather quickly. But it was about to get even worse for the blue half of Manchester. In the 66th minute, Arman Traore went flying down the left wing and sent a cross into Man City's box. An unmarked Janie Mackie got at the end of it, headed the ball to the ground and it went over the defenders and into the net. From being one goal down in the first half, QPR were now 2-1 up with 24 minutes left on the clock. They were exactly where they wanted to be. Comeback complete, points in the bag for QPR, or so they thought. Remember, Man United were still leading and they didn't even look like they were going to let go of their lead any time soon. So, Man City had to In response to going down, Mancini made some huge changes. He took off Gareth Barry, a midfielder, and brought in Edin Djerkel, a centre forward. Not long after that, he replaced Tevez with Balotelli. So, at this point, City had three centre forwards on the pitch, along with two more attacking players on the wings. That's how badly City wanted to turn this game around. And it didn't take the substitutes long to really start to affect the game. In the 78th minute, Agüero managed to send a ball into the box, and Djerkel nearly converted, but Kenny managed to keep the ball out with his toe. The next big chance fell to the other substitute. Silva threw in a cross from a corner kick, and it was Balotelli who rose highest and connected to the ball. But Kenny was there again. He pulled off a very good save to keep QPR's lead intact. Kenny was Superman at this point, but City would soon find his Kryptonite. We had now reached 90 minutes on the clock, and Man City were still 2-1 down. At this point, the situation had become really desperate. We were now into five minutes of additional time, and City still needed two unreplied goals to be champions. Fans were now biting their nails. Many were listening to the radio trying to get updates from United's game and hoping Sunderland would pull an unbelievable comeback, while others were either crying or just praying that a miracle would happen. And it seems like those prayers started to get answered in additional time. Man City got awarded their 18th corner of the game, and once again, it was Silva who went over to take it. This time around though, he was able to pick out Djerkel who headed in the equaliser in the 92nd minute. Game on. At this point, the final whistle had gone in the game between United and Sunderland. United had done their job, they had won the game, and were now waiting to be crowned champions. Even after getting the equaliser, City still needed to score another goal to displace United from the summit. Surely that wasn't going to happen, or was it? As expected, Man City doubled their attacking efforts after the equaliser. The pressure was insane. In the 93rd minute, Aguero found himself outside the box trying to create something. He received the ball, passed it to Balotelli, and quickly made a run into the box. Anton Ferdinand made a good challenge on Balotelli and nearly won the ball, but the Italian was able to guard it and send the ball through to Aguero, who first got past a sliding Tei Taiwo. The diminutive Argentinian struck the ball so hard and brought the roof down. He took off his shirt and ran off celebrating, knowing that he had not only won the game for City, but also won them their first league title in over four decades. The fans, players, and even the coaching staff went absolutely berserk in the Etihad Stadium that day. They had all just witnessed history live. It was simply unbelievable. With that one strike of the ball, Aguero sealed his status as a Manchester City legend, and the exact time the ball hit the back of the net, 93-20, became a very significant number in Man City folklore. The way Martin Tyler screamed Aguero's name after that goal also became so significant that you now only need to shout AGUERO! And every football fan on earth knows exactly what you're referring to. And interestingly, everybody in the stadium went home happy as QPR also escaped relegation, thanks to the game between Stoke City and Bolton Wanderers ending in a 2-2 draw. As fans invaded the pitch in elation, the camera panned to international teammates Samir Nasri and Djibril Sisay of Man City and QPR respectively, celebrating with each other. That image captured perfectly how happy both parties were with that very dramatic game of football, and more importantly, the eventual result. And guess what? The noisy neighbours didn't just come ready to celebrate, they came ready to troll. During the celebrations on the pitch, some fans were pictured holding a banner which said NOT IN MY LIFETIME, alluding to the statement Sir Alex Ferguson made about City not challenging United in his lifetime. But in the 2011-2012 season, Man City did not only challenge, they succeeded in beating their boastful neighbours. Best believe, the noisy neighbours were extra noisy that night. The blue half of Manchester made sure to paint the city red, after beating the red half of Manchester to win their first ever Premier League title. And guess what? That remains the only time so far that the Premier League title has ever been decided on goal difference. It was indeed the most dramatic game in football history. And may I interest you in a random but very interesting fact? An 11-year-old Phil Foden was one of those fans who invaded the pitch after that game to celebrate Man City's first ever Premier League title. 11 years later, he was on the pitch helping Man City win their first ever Champions League title. Life, right? But yeah, the drama that day was just out of this world. But don't just take my word for it. The New York Times called it the most dramatic and improbable end to the English season anyone could remember. BBC said it was a truly remarkable piece of football theatre, and the most dramatic conclusion to a season in Premier League history. While Bleacher Report described it as, And you know what? I agree with every one of them. If you don't, get in the comments and name one football match more dramatic than Manchester City vs QPR on the last day of the 2011-2012 season. Congratulations on reaching the end, but don't click away just yet. Our next video seamlessly continues the journey we've started, exploring the most violent football match from a different angle. It's like turning the page of an exciting story. Let's keep this adventure going together.