The weeks after the Premier League season finishes are a tough test for football fans. They know that a nine -month long discussion of great goals, footballing tactics and controversial chickens must come to an end, leaving football fans with a terrible hangover.
So, it is a natural reaction for fans to look back and analyse every possible talking point of the season. Who was the best player, the best team, the biggest disappointment? The same questions are asked each year, in the knowledge that by the next week these conversations will cease to exist.
Yet, this has been a season to remember, and on Sunday the Premier League ended with one of the greatest finishes in footballing history. This hangover will last longer than most.
Man City's 44-year wait for glory over their neighbours came down to five excruciating minutes. With the score at 2-1 to QPR and only stoppage time to play, Roberto Mancini looked on the verge of madness. However, once Edin Dzeko headed the equaliser for Man City the stadium erupted again. Then Aguero's winner showed the touch of class that has made Man City worthy champions this season.
The red side of Manchester did all they could with a 2-0 victory over Sunderland. For the majority of the 90 minutes Man Utd's name was on the trophy. So, it was a tough day for last season's champions as a 20th League title was not written in their stars.
Amongst the excitement over Man City, the fate of QPR was just as tense a sub-plot in the game. After being dominated by Mancini's side for most of the match, Joleon Lescott's clumsy header allowed Djibril Cisse to level the scoring. The nerves of Mark Hughes were tested enormously as his captain Joey Barton was sent off for crazily reacting to Carlos Tevez and elbowing him in the face. Then Jamie Mackie looked like he had scored the winner. Even with 10 men, nobody could have guessed that Man City would beat QPR 3-2. Ultimately, the result became irrelevant for QPR as Bolton could only draw 2-2 with Stoke and so were relegated from the Premier League.
It is only right, in an Olympic year, that the bronze medal position in the Premier League had an extra significance. Arsenal and West Brom provided the thrilling tie in this race as there were several calamitous errors from both sides before it ended with Arsenal securing third position with a 3-2 win. While the new England manager Roy Hodgson left West Brom in defeat, the fan's favourite Harry Redknapp secured fourth spot with Tottenham and now has a torrid week of anticipation before Chelsea play Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.
A final day with so much nail-biting tension, last gasps and pure jubilation will give football fans much to discuss during this barren period (forgetting of course, that there is a Champions League final, Championship play-offs and a European Championship to follow) and it will soon be time to look forward to the new season, with fresh faces and new rivalries to entertain us all over again.
This article was posted on Play with Flair, a sports blog that celebrates the best of the sporting world. Click here to read other posts on sport: http://playwithflair.com/
Article Source: Joanna_Kamenou
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