BARCLAYS EPL FINAL DAY: At 90 minutes, City's title dream was dead, but TWO goals by Aguero and Dzeko in injury time got the title

 

Winners and losers in Premier League

Champions: Manchester City
Champions League: Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham*
Relegated: Bolton, Blackburn, Wolves
*If Chelsea win Champions League, Tottenham will not qualify for next season's competition
Click here for the final Premier League table
How the drama unfolded on the final day

It will go down as one of football's craziest days ever - and the moment when Manchester City finally stepped out of United's shadow to be crowned Barclays Premier League champions.
Needing to match United's result at Sunderland, City grabbed their first title since 1968 with an astonishing 3-2 victory over Queens Park Rangers that was only sealed with two goals in injury time.
On a dramatic afternoon of matches across the country, City capped it all by bouncing back from 2-1 down against the 10-men to snatch a late, late victory.
United did their part - a 1-0 win at Sunderland thanks to Wayne Rooney's goal - and for a long time that appeared to be enough.
But no-one told Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero. With City's fans streaming out of the Etihad Stadium with the 90 minutes up and their title dreams seemingly dead, Dzeko popped up to make it 2-2.
And moments later - in the last roll of the dice - Aguero kept his cool to fire home and send the home fans wild.

Let's party! Manchester City's jubilant players lift the Premier League trophy after the late drama

Striking at the death: Aguero wheels away after his magical late goal sealed the title for City

Amazing: Aguero is mobbed as the City fans struggle to believe what they are seeing

Up at the Stadium of Light, United's shellshocked players and fans could not believe what they were hearing.
Amid the madness at the Etihad Stadium, QPR also secured their Premier League survival - with Bolton relegated - despite Joey Barton's foolish red card for fighting with City's players.
And Arsenal ensured they finished above rivals Spurs in third place thanks to a 3-2 win at West Brom.
But it was at the Etihad Stadium where the maddest scenes were. City's players later emerged to lift the Premier League trophy on a day their fans have dreamed of for what seems like an eternity.
City appeared on course for a comfortable title win when Pablo Zabaleta struck to put them ahead just before half-time.
Yet, they imploded after the break as Joleon Lescott's mistake let Djibril Cisse in to equalise and silence the home fans. And it got even worse when Jamie Mackie nodded home to put QPR 2-1 ahead.

Ice cool: Aguero blasts home to seal the 3-2 victory that made City champions after a 44-year wait

Incredible: Goal hero Sergio Aguero celebrates winning the title at the final whistle

Can you believe it? City players go wild after Sergio Aguero's last-gasp heroics against QPR

As the clock ticked down, City became increasingly desperate and it seemed their dream of finishing above United was dead.
But in scenes that all fans - not just those who support City - will never forget, Dzeko and Aguero popped up to deliver the goods.
Boss Roberto Mancini admitted it has been a 'crazy season' with a 'crazy ending'.
He said: 'It was incredible - they deserved this. To win it like this is incredible. I don't think I've ever seen a finale like this. We didn't deserve to lose, we had a lot of chances and we deserved to win the game and championship.
'It's fantastic for the club and the supporters after 44 years. It's been a crazy season and a crazy last minute. Five minutes from the end, I didn't think we'd win this game. But we deserved to win this and deserved to win the title.

Shock to the system: Djibril Cisse equalises for QPR to stun the home crowd at 1-1

Incredible: Jamie Mackie nods home QPR's second goal at Manchester City in unbelievable scenes

All over: Mackie wheels away as City's stunned players struggle to absorb their collapse

'We were on top for 20 games. I think for us it was really important to start winning this championship, Manchester City can have a big future now.'
City captain Vincent Kompany admitted the dramatic ending was almost too much for him. He said: 'You want to say it's the best moment of your life but, if I'm honest, please never again this way. Even though the first half was really good we just couldn't get through.
'I never stopped believing. When Edin scored that goal, it reminded me of so many other moments during the season when we've done this before. There was no reason not to believe.
'It's not sunk in yet. I don't know what happened at the end, it was just a huge mess. I'm so happy for the guys cos they've given so much this season. We've dreamed of this all our lives and now we're champions. See the fans and how happy they are - unbelievable.'

Never forget: City fans party on the pitch after their epic comeback against QPR

Our moment: City supporters pour on to the pitch at the final whistle at the Etihad Stadium

Now we rule the city: Manchester City fans celebrate with a banner aimed at their rivals

United manager Sir Alex Ferguson congratulated City, saying: 'Nobody expected that. Everybody expected City to win, but they did it against 10 men for half an hour and with five extra minutes to help them.
'But I congratulate City on winning the league. Anybody who wins it deserves it, because it's a long haul. At the end of our game our players didn't actually know the results. Now, they're really disappointed, I'm glad to say.
'There's no other way they should be. They conducted themselves brilliantly. Their performance level was good. I'm pleased at our performance this season. Eighty-nine points would win most leagues. It wasn't our turn today.'

Top of the tree: City's players throw their arms in the air after securing their long-awaited title

Smiles better: Mario Balotelli (centre) shares a joke with manager Roberto Mancini as they wear Italian flags

Samir Nasri, a summer signing from Arsenal, was thrilled to taste league success in his first season at the Etihad.
'It's the first time in my life I've won something like this - to be losing 2-1, to come back and score the winning goal to give us the title,' he said. 'It's amazing and I'm really happy. I knew I made the right decision (coming here) and tonight I want to celebrate with all our fans, my family and my friends.'

Shocked: Sir Alex Ferguson looks visibly stunned by the late news coming in from City

Nightmare: United's players are helpless as they absorb the news coming in from the Etihad Stadium

Delight: United celebrate Wayne Rooney's crucial goal at Sunderland - before City's big collapse

Zabaleta added: 'I thought when we were losing 2-1, I thought "we'll score one goal and we're still going to lose". I don't want to wake up from this. You just look at the players and the fans, everybody deserves this. The most important thing for any team is when you believe. If you believe in yourself you win. We believed until the last minute.'
Goalkeeper Joe Hart hopes it is the first league title of many for City. 'I'm proud to play for Man City and I'm proud to play with these boys,' he said. 'It means the world to these fans - we need to do it again now, let's do it again.'
City's controversial striker Mario Balotelli, who came off the bench with the team 2-1 behind, used the occasion to take a swipe at his critics.
He said: 'We are the best and that's why we won. We didn't play very well in a few games but the rest of season we played very well so we deserved to win. Personally I think too many people talked and too many people said bad things about me, and now they have just to shut up.
'Manchester City is a great club, a great team, I have great team-mates. I don't see my future far from here so I think I want to be here.'

More...

• Manchester City 3 QPR 2: CHAMPIONS! City score TWICE in injury time to snatch the title from United on craziest day ever
• Sunderland 0 Manchester United 1: Fergie's troops denied title by amazing City fightback
• LIVE: Premier League final day - all the drama as it unfolded around the grounds
• How it finished - the final Premier League table after the deciding matches

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