The most pivotal title deciders as Man City host Arsenal
Kompany’s derby header in 2012, ‘Up for grabs now’ with Thomas, Wiltord’s Old Trafford winner and Liverpool’s costly millimeters at the Etihad… the most pivotal title deciders as Man City face Arsenal
- Manchester City and Arsenal face each other in a pivotal Premier League match
- Either side winning gives them huge sway in a thrilling title race this season
- Mail Sport looks at the most memorable title deciders from over the years
It’s been talked about as being a Premier League ‘final’ and while Manchester City’s home clash with Arsenal on Wednesday night decides nothing, it will certainly be pivotal.
The Gunners travel to the Etihad Stadium with a five-point lead at the top of the table, but only because they have played two games more than Pep Guardiola’s men who are hot on their tail.
Three highly damaging draws for Arsenal, including on Friday night against Southampton, have put the title back in City’s hands and victory for Pep Guardiola’s team would make them big favourites to retain their title.
A win for Arsenal though and the race could be as good as over.
Both have previous when it comes to the ultimate big games in the English top flight as Mail Sport looks back at the most memorable title tussles over the years.
Arsenal and Manchester City face off in a huge clash concerning the Premier League title
1989 – Liverpool 0-2 Arsenal (May 26)
Not much has survived from the pre-Premier League world, which on one hand is a travesty to extraordinary moments from the English top flight before 1992.
So when the majority of the country’s football fans can regale the story of Michael Thomas at Anfield in 1989, then you know you have a quite incredible moment in football history that will never be forgotten.
It’s the sort of scenario a broadcaster could only dream of staging now. It’s the final night of the season and title rivals Liverpool and Arsenal meet on Merseyside in a decider. The Gunners must win by at least two goals to wrestle the title away from Kenny Dalglish’s men.
Not many gave them a chance of even winning, let alone by two goals and it was easy to see why. The Reds were unbeaten since New Year’s Day and had only conceded more than one goal at home once all season.
A seemingly processional night became interesting when Alan Smith opened the scoring near the start of the second half, but Liverpool looked like they would hang on.
That was until Thomas charged through on goal in stoppage time and to the immortal words of the great commentator Brian Moore – who bellowed: ‘It’s up for grabs now!’ – the midfielder poked home past Bruce Grobbelaar to snatch the title for George Graham’s men in the final few seconds of the season.
Michael Thomas steals in before scoring in stoppage time to win the title for Arsenal
Thomas (front left centre) celebrates with his Gunners team-mates after a famous victory
1996 – Newcastle 0-1 Manchester United (March 4)
Granted the title wasn’t won on this evening, it wasn’t even won for another two months but the magnitude of this result proved to be a sliding doors moment of the 1995-96 Premier League title race.
Newcastle had been top by 12 points at one stage of the season but that cushion looked to still be enough even as they started to wobble a bit towards the end of the campaign.
Before they hosted Alex Ferguson’s men, they were four points clear with a game in hand. A home victory at St James’ Park and it was surely as good as over?
They dominated the game but missed key chances before the Red Devils pounced in the second half when Eric Cantona struck a low finish across the target into the bottom corner.
United held on for a huge win that lit the blue touch paper on one of the most famous Premier League title battles. Without this result, there is no memorable Keegan rant and perhaps even one of the best games of all time in the English top flight when an all-out attacking Newcastle lost 4-3 at Liverpool later in the season.
Eric Cantona’s second half strike at Newcastle swung the title momentum fully Man Utd’s way
1998 – Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal (March 14)
Just in case you thought Arsenal’s incredible Anfield win was a one-off moment, they showed just nine years later they could also turn up at Manchester United and knock them off a perch too.
Ferguson’s United were nine points clear at the top heading into this game, but there was a problem – second place Arsenal had three games in hand.
Therefore this was still a huge clash in the title race and with just over 10 minutes to go it was heading for a goalless draw – a result that at the time wouldn’t have been a disaster for either team.
United decided to stick, Arsenal though went for the twist and it led to Marc Overmars running in on goal to slot low past Peter Schmeichel to give Arsenal a title charge momentum like no other.
It was their second victory in a 10-game winning run that ended with a win over Everton that claimed them Arsene Wenger’s first title with still two games to spare.
Arsenal’s 1998 winning run to the title was boosted by Marc Overmars’ winner at Man Utd
2001 – Manchester United 6-1 Arsenal (Feb 25)
Life comes at you fast though and just three years later Arsenal once again found themselves with ground to make up at Old Trafford if they wanted to pip Ferguson’s side to the title.
Could United holder their nerve against their nearest title rivals, who needed a serious up-turn in form to swing the title momentum back to north London? That question was quickly answered.
Even with a Thierry Henry equaliser in the 16th minute, a Dwight Yorke hat-trick inside 23 minutes set the tone for a long afternoon for the Gunners.
It was 5-1 before half-time with Roy Keane and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also on target. It was almost more humiliating to see United just take their foot off in the second half knowing the job was done.
Former Tottenham Hotspur striker Teddy Sheringham couldn’t resist to twist the knife just a little more though with a last minute goal to rubber stamp a thrashing that effectively all but ended the last dying embers of the title race.
Dwight Yorke scored a hat-trick as Manchester United ended Arsenal’s title hopes in style
2002 – Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal (May 8)
And yet just one year later, it was a completely different story and mood around Old Trafford.
Arsenal were this time visiting Manchester United with one hand on the Premier League title, yet defeat on the night and Wenger’s side would have been in a position of knowing they had to beat Everton on the final day of the season to be sure of landing the crown.
Stick or twist was again the format and with Arsenal only needing a draw to win the title, a more conservative approach wasn’t the silliest of ideas.
The best teams though go in for the kill and that’s what Wenger’s men did, with Sylvain Wiltord scoring just before the hour mark to not only wrap up the title but the double too having beaten Chelsea in the FA Cup final just four days earlier.
Sylvain Wiltord helped Arsenal secure the Premier League title with a winner at Old Trafford
Arsenal celebrate winning the title at Man Utd, helping them complete the Double in 2002
2010 – Manchester United 1-2 Chelsea (April 3)
United’s curious tendency to throw away league titles on their own ground wasn’t just an exclusive right given to Arsenal. But even with points to make up and plenty to play for, this was a catastrophic defeat for Ferguson’s men.
The title fight was all but neck-and-neck with Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea before this game, with United ahead by a point with six matches to go.
Yet, victory at home for the Red Devils and an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League crown was all but heading their way.
But they were once again given capital punishment by a London side, with Joe Cole silencing Old Trafford after just 20 minutes, before Didier Drogba scored in the same 79th minute as Overmars 12 years earlier.
Federico Macheda pulled a goal back to set up a tense finish, but the result saw Chelsea go top and they wouldn’t let go for the rest of the season before eventually winning the title by a point on the final day of the season.
Didier Drogba scored decisively at Old Trafford in 2010 to help them towards the league title
2011 – Manchester United 2-1 Chelsea (May 8)
I know these Old Trafford games keep rocking up, but once again one year later – it was another title deciding battle at Manchester United in round two of Ferguson vs Ancelotti.
United again were top heading into the game, but this time they had a slightly healthier lead of three points and both sides being level on goal difference.
With three matches to play too, there was much at stake. A win for United and one point from the final two games would guarantee the title. It was must win stuff for a Chelsea side who despite having signed Fernando Torres for £50million were playing catch up under Ancelotti.
The Blues had won their previous five Premier League game before this but it took just one minute for Javier Hernandez to give the Red Devils the lead and just 24 minutes for Nemanja Vidic to double it.
Frank Lampard pulled a goal back in the 68th minute but United held on to all but end Chelsea’s title chances. Ancelotti’s side crumbled in the final two games to eventually finish nine points behind, with the Italian infamously dismissed by owner Roman Abramovich in the Goodison Park tunnel on the final day of the season.
But a year later, Nemanja Vidic and Javier Hernandez helped United get revenge over Chelsea
Sir Alex Ferguson celebrates as United took a huge step to winning back the league title
2012 – Man City 1-0 Man Utd (April 30)
And you thought the pivotal moment in Manchester City’s first Premier League title win was that Aguero(ooooooo) moment. Forget it, it was much earlier than that.
It was deja-vu one year on for United. They had a chance to pull six points clear at the top of the standings with a win against their rivals to all but wrap up the Premier League title with two games to play.
There was a slight issue, or two, though. City were flying on a three match winning run having been eight points behind United with just six games to play.
United meanwhile were still coming off the canvas having conceded two late goals against Everton to draw 4-4 just days before.
Momentum was with Roberto Mancini’s team and visiting the Etihad Stadium and escaping with a point would have suited Ferguson’s men.
But a fired up City went for it from kick-off and on half-time they got their rewards when Vincent Kompany headed home to once again blow open a title race and set the stage for the most dramatic title finish of all time…
Manchester City took control of the title race after defeating United at the Etihad Stadium
It helped them clinch the crown on the final day of in memorable and stunning fashion
2019 – Manchester City 2-1 Liverpool (January, 3)
Bit early for a title decider? Certainly it wasn’t one at the time but by the time the final league standings were posted – it really did all come down to this Etihad Stadium match… and one Liverpool chance.
Liverpool were flying after 21 games, winning 17 and being unbeaten as they visited the Etihad Stadium hoping for a victory that would take them 10 points clear at the top of the table.
Instead they lost, with Roberto Firmino’s 64th minute equaliser not enough to prevent them from leaving the Etihad empty handed after goals from Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane for the home side.
But it was John Stones who ensured City won the game and probably the title for City after an astonishing goal line clearance in front of Mohamed Salah, where replays showed he hooked the ball clear with the ball mere millimeteres away from crossing the line fully.
It proved to be Liverpool’s only defeat for the whole season before finishing on 97 points and just two points behind City who would go on to win 16 of their next 17 games to secure back-to-back titles.
Man City defender John Stones lunges to try and keep the ball from crossing the line
Stones just managed to hook the ball clear to deny Liverpool a point and eventually the title
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