Liverpool’s thrilling victory over Southampton has taken the Premier League title race for 2021/22 down to the final matchday of the season. Had Liverpool managed to secure a win against Tottenham a couple of weeks ago, they would have been comfortably placed at the top of the points table.
Similarly, if not for a draw against West Ham, Man City would have taken an assailable lead. Just a point ahead of their closest rival, any results other than a victory will put their title hopes at the mercy of Liverpool.
An enthralling day lay ahead but before we get to that, let’s take a look at five instances through the years, when the Premier League title race went up to the last day of the season.
Blackburn Rovers And Manchester United – 1994/95
Heading into the final day, the table-toppers Blackburn Rovers were two points ahead of Manchester United. After Blackburn Rovers lost against Liverpool, everybody assumed that Manchester United will now go on to clinch their third successive Premier League title. But at Upton Park, West Ham’s Ludek Miklosko produced a goal-keeping performance for ages to hold Manchester United at a 1-1 draw. This was the first-ever domestic title for Blackburn since 1914.
Manchester United And Arsenal – 1998/99
In 1998/99, Manchester arrived to the final day with a slender one-point lead over Arsenal. They overcame an early deficit to register a title-winning game against Tottenham, thanks to a goal each from David Beckham and Andy Cole. Arsenal too won their game, but that didn’t have any impact on the standings.
Manchester United And Chelsea – 2007/08
With one game remaining in the league, both Manchester United and Chelsea were tied with 84 points each. Manchester United won their game by 2-0, while Chelsea played a draw against Bolton Wanderers. Even if both teams won their respective games, Manchester United would have won the championship due to their superior goal difference.
Manchester United And Chelsea – 2008/09
Two years later, Manchester United and Chelsea found themselves in a neck-to-neck tussle for the Premier League Championship. This time, though, Chelsea prevailed. They managed to hold on to their one-point lead by thrashing Wigan Athletic by 8-0.
Manchester City And Manchester United – 2011/12
“Manchester City still alive here. Balotelli….Aguerrroooooo…I swear you will never see anything like this ever again. So watch it, drink it in…” shouted Martin Tyler from the commentary box. After QPR canceled their two-goal deficit, the title hopes for Manchester City were slipping with every minute of the play. Then Aguero netted a 94th-minute winner that very much changed the football.
Featured Image Credit: Premier League
