Features

Liverpool vs Man City: Reliving the Tightest Title Races in the Premier League

Embed from Getty Images

 

At the time of writing, there is a single one point between Liverpool and Manchester City at the top of the Premier League standings.

It’s the third time in four years that the two teams have been locked at the summit, although the bookmakers’ Premier League betting odds make the Manchester outfit their favourites to hoist the trophy at 4/9 as they have home advantage when the two teams meet next.

So could this be the closest title race since the rebrand of the old First Division to the Premier League in 1992? It may well rival these titanic tussles.

2011/12 – Manchester City (won on goal difference)

The astonishing conclusion to the 1994/95 season saw Manchester United have one hand on the Premier League trophy… until their city rivals scored the latest of heart-breaking goals.

United had won at Sunderland, and that gave them an advantage of two points with Manchester City’s game against QPR still going on.

They needed to win to draw level on points with United, and given that their goal difference was better it was they – not Alex Ferguson’s team – who would lift the trophy.

Many inside the Etihad Stadium had given up hope, but the ball fell to Sergio Aguero in the 94th minute and he did the rest – scoring the goal that secured the latest, and closest, Premier League title win in history.

1994/95 – Blackburn Rovers (won by one point)

Younger football fans can’t believe that Blackburn Rovers, now in the second tier, were once Premier League champions.

But in 1995 they were crowned exactly that, at the end of a tumultuous campaign in which Manchester United’s fate was in their own hands.

They simply had to beat West Ham on the last day of the season to lift the trophy… they didn’t, and so Blackburn were crowned champions despite losing to Liverpool.

1998/99 – Manchester United (won by one point)

The redemptive powers of Manchester United were famous throughout Ferguson’s reign, and in 1999 they put the heartache of four years earlier behind them.

This time, they held up their end of the bargain on the final day of the season, beating Tottenham 2-1 despite going a goal down in the all-or-nothing contest.

And yet, it could have been so different had Arsenal not thrown away their points lead with a defeat against Leeds in their penultimate game…

2009/10 – Chelsea (won by one point)

Although the 2009/10 season also went down to the wire, this time the final day was rather less dramatic.

All Chelsea had to do to win the title was win their game against Wigan – that would maintain their one-point cushion over nearest rivals United.

2018/19 – Manchester City (won by one point)

It was the collapse that broke the hearts of the red half of Merseyside and delighted those on the blue.

Liverpool held a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League in January 2019, but by May they were left in tears after their bumbling – and Manchester City’s brilliant 14-game winning streak – saw Pep Guardiola’s men pip the Reds to the post.

Can Liverpool get ultimate revenge in 2022?