In a regular Premier League season, if team has gone past the 90-point mark, it means the title is usually secured. Or so we thought before Liverpool and Manchester City decided to throw a title showdown that will be talked about for years to come. Football has served up enough drama in the last week, from Liverpool coming from three goals down at Anfield to secure a place in the Champions League final to Tottenham Hotspur doing the same, away from home, in forty-five minutes. The final day of the Premier League is set to add to that list on Sunday.
With 94 points, Liverpool - with a game left - would have secured the title in 24 of the 26 seasons. The last time the Merseyside club fought for the title was also against Manchester City in 2014, but it in a more comfortable position then with a five-point lead with three games left. However, a costly Steven Gerrard slip against Chelsea and throwing away a three-goal lead at Crystal Palace meant Manchester City took home the title by three points.
Since the 1992-93 season, the Premier League title has been decided on the final day nine times and we take a look at five of the best final day finishes.
2011/12
A title showdown that seemed almost scripted. Thirty-four games into the season, Manchester United was on 82 points, five ahead of its 'noisy neighbour'. The next match week saw United play out an entertaining 4-4 draw with Everton at home while City won away at Wolves. United was still ahead, by three points, when it travelled to the Etihad Stadium next. Vincent Kompany's goal just before halftime proved to be the deciding goal of the match and City took the top spot owing to its superior goal difference.
On the final day, United won 1-0 at Sunderland and with City trailing 2-1 at home to QPR at the start of added time, it appeared that the title would stay in the red half of Manchester. With numerical advantage in City's favour, its relentless attacks towards the end finally paid dividends. Two minutes into extra time at the end of the match, Edin Dzeko made it 2-2 and Sergio Aguero was in the right place minutes later to score arguably the most famous goal in Premier League history to seal the match and the title.
This was the first, and the only time, a Premier League title was settled on goal difference.
1998/99
After 36 games in the season, both Manchester United and Arsenal were on 75 points, the former riding high on its free-scoring attack while the latter keeping level thanks to its resolute defence. In the penultimate game of the season, Arsenal lost away to Leeds United which handed the initiative to the Red Devils, despite playing out a goalless draw at Blackburn Rovers.
The drama continued into the final match week of the season. Arsenal hosted Aston Villa while Tottenham paid a visit to Old Trafford. Mid-way through the first half, Arsenal had a glimmer of hope when Les Ferdinand put Spurs ahead. But David Beckham and Andrew Cole scored either side of halftime to secure United's fifth Premier League title in seven seasons and its first of a historic treble.
RELATED | Agueroooo, play-offs and goal difference - the most dramatic title races in history
1994/95
The first two seasons of the Premier League provided little entertainment in terms of title races with Manchester United winning back-to-back titles with not much drama. Blackburn Rovers, aided by Jack Walker's investment, was six points ahead of the Red Devils with five games remaining in the 1994/95 season. But Kenny Dalglish saw his team's lead cut down to two points before the final round of fixtures, and it wasn't certain that the title would head to Ewood Park as Blackburn travelled to Liverpool on the final day.
Twenty minutes in, Alan Shearer scored his 34th goal of the season and it looked like the title was within its grasp. But John Barnes equalised after the hour mark before Jamie Redknapp curled in a freekick in the dying minutes. Score updates in the mid-90s were slower than they are now, so for a while, it looked like Dalglish's beloved Liverpool took the title away from his Blackburn side. United, at West Ham, was locked 1-1 and couldn't find a way past an inspired Ludek Miklosko in goal which enabled Dalglish to lift the title at Anfield, this time with Blackburn.
2009/10
Carlo Ancelotti's Chelsea entertained the fans and rivals alike with its expansive football. Goals were scored for fun as it became the first team to score 100 goals in Premier League history. The title though was not secured until the final day of the season as defending champion Manchester United, and the Champions League holder, kept pace with the rampant Blues.
After a defeat to Tottenham reduced the lead to one point, Chelsea needed to win its final three games to secure the title and it did so in style. It scored 18 goals in those three games, including a win against Liverpool at Anfield, to stop United from securing its fourth title on the trot.
2007/08
Chelsea and Manchester United, the two teams fighting for the title, met in the 36th game of the season at Stamford Bridge. Michael Ballack's double helped the Blues to go level on points with the Red Devils. United had the advantage though, thanks to a vastly superior goal difference, and needed to win its next two games to seal the title. It did just that, winning comfortably against West Ham and Wigan while Chelsea played out a draw against Bolton.
Had Chelsea won against Bolton, that season would have been the first time the title was decided on goal difference. United then went on to inflict further pain on Chelsea by defeating it, on penalties, in the Champions League final a few days later.
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