Pep Guardiola’s team were forced to come back from 2-0 down against Villa on Sunday to win 3-2, emulating the scoreline from their famous 2012 win over QPR.
Manchester City hung on to win the Premier League title with an incredible comeback against Aston Villa on the final day of the season.
It took a huge effort from substitute Ilkay Gundogan to turn things around for City, after Matty Cash and Philippe Coutinho had put the visitors in front.
The hosts then scored three times in five minutes to win the title, despite two late goals for Liverpool in their win against Wolves.
After only managing to draw with West Ham United last week, City led Liverpool at the top of the league by just one point going into the final day of the season.
Pep Guardiola’s side were still favourites going into the games, as they hosted Aston Villa at the Etihad, even if Liverpool were also favourites to win against Wolves at Anfield.
The first twist of the afternoon came after just three minutes of the game, with Pedro Neto putting Bruno Lage’s side ahead and making life even tougher for Klopp’s side.
Sadio Mane then put things back to where they’d started, equalising thanks to Thiago Alcantara’s brilliant assist in the 24th minute.
Before half time, things started moving in Liverpool’s favour, as Matty Cash gave Villa a surprise lead, meaning that the two teams at the top of the table were suddenly level on points.
City led the 'as it stands’ table on goal difference, something that was unlikely to change, unlike on the final day of the League One season earlier this month.
But City were suddenly fearing for their lives as former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho put Villa 2-0 up, and the champions knew a goal for their rivals would now put Liverpool into the lead in the title race.
Just as the Reds were pouring on the pressure at home, however, more drama was to come down the M62, as suddenly Guardiola’s team woke up.
Ilkay Gundogan, on as a substitute ahead of £100 million Jack Grealish, scored in the 76th minute to give his side a lifeline, and within five minutes they were suddenly very alive.
Gundogan made it 3-2 just two minutes later, scoring from the edge of the area, and a mere five minutes after his first, Gundogan made it 3-2, ghosting in at the back post to hit home from Kevin de Bruyne’s cross.
The title challengers then put the cat amongst the pigeons, as Mohamed Salah came off the bench to put his side ahead, and draw back level with Son Heung-min in the league’s Golden Boot race.
Andrew Robertson then made it 3-1, but it wasn’t to be for them, as things just wouldn’t go their way in Manchester.
City’s scoreline matched the one in 2012, when they won their first Premier League title, when they’d been 2-1 down to QPR before Sergio Aguero’s late winner.
It wasn’t quite as dramatic in terms of time left on the clock, and Klopp’s side never actually went top, but it was a hell of a finish to the title race.
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