As we near the end of the 2023/24 English Premier League season we are faced with the possible reality that three teams will be fighting for the title on the final day with the finest of margins determining the eventual winners.
The three teams in question – Arsenal, Liverpool, and Manchester City – are all currently separated by just a point, with the league leaders Arsenal sitting on 71 and third-place Manchester City on 70.
With this potential dramatic title battle, we’re going to take a look back at five of the closest title races in the Premier League era:
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2009/10 – Chelsea’s final day salvo seals the title
This season saw Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea battle Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United in one of the most memorable title fights the Premier League has ever seen.
The two sides were neck-and-neck throughout the majority of the season, with the title-deciding game coming in early April when these two sides came face-to-face. Chelsea ended up winning that game 2-1 thanks to goals from Joe Cole and a controversial goal from Didier Drogba, helping them to eventually win the title.
The final day saw Chelsea needing a victory, while Manchester United needed to win and for the Blues to lose. However, Chelsea annihilated Wigan 8-0 on the final day as they went on to claim the trophy by a single point.
1998/99 – Manchester United pip Arsenal at the post
This season is largely remembered for Manchester United’s heroics in the UEFA Champions League Final that saw them score twice in added time to earn a 2-1 victory and claim a historic treble. What many people forgot is how close they came to losing the Premier League title to rivals Arsenal.
The two sides were split by a single point on the last day of the season, with United leading the table. While both sides won their final game, leaving Manchester United as winners, it all could’ve gone so differently.
United went behind to Tottenham Hotspur and looked as though they wouldn’t be able to score, with plenty of good chances going amiss. They did eventually get on the scoresheet though and went on to win 2-1, securing the first of their three trophies.
1994/95 – Blackburn Rovers complete an unlikely title charge
Blackburn Rovers’ Premier League title victory in 1994/95 is one of the biggest achievements in the league’s history, rivalled only by Leicester City’s unlikely triumph in 2015/16.
Blackburn and Manchester United battled it out for the entire season, with Blackburn Rovers leading the race going into the final day of the season. However, Blackburn went on to lose their final game 2-1 against Liverpool, while Manchester United were stuck at a 1-1 stalemate against West Ham, leaving them one goal away from a title victory.
West Ham held on to the draw though, leaving Blackburn Rovers as the victors of the Premier League by a single point.
2018/19 – Kompany’s screamer makes the difference for Manchester City
The 2018/19 Premier League season was arguably the most competitive title battle that we have ever seen, with two sides breaking multiple records on their way to a high 90s-point finish.
Manchester City went on to win the Premier League by one point, owing a lot to their 14-game winning streak to close out the campaign. City finished on 98 points, leaving Liverpool to pick up the unwanted record of the highest number of points for a second-placed side as they finished on 97.
2011/12 – Manchester City win the Premier League for the first time
Possibly the most dramatic moment the Premier League will ever see came in the final minutes of the final day of the season, altering the course of the Premier League from then on.
Manchester City were in the hunt for their first-ever Premier League title, battling it out with experienced winners Manchester United.
The two teams went into the final day of the season level on points, with the blue half of Manchester leading on goal difference. Manchester United won their game against Sunderland 1-0, and were top of the table when the whistle went as City were trailing 2-1 to QPR.
A fantastic turnaround saw Edin Dzeko score in stoppage time to equalise before Sergio Aguero ripped the net with a brilliant finish in the 94th minute to win the game 3-2 and claim their first Premier League title with a superior goal difference.
Which is your favourite title race? Let us know below!
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