The would-be champions do not always land the final blow in the title race
Eden Hazard during his Chelsea days
Not all Premier League titles are decided by Aguero moments.
The 2011/12 Premier League final day remains the high-water mark for dramatic title races, with the Argentine’s injury-time winner sealing Manchester City’s first Premier League title in front of their own fans.
More often than not, it’s a goal scored by the champions that has the final say in the title race, as a rival dropping points will often be what clinches the championship. Here is a look at five such goals, where a strike not scored by the title winners has decided the title.
1. Nick Henry, Oldham Athletic (vs Aston Villa), 1992/93
Nick Henry scores the winner for Oldham against Aston Villa (Image credit: PA Images / Alamy Stock Photo)
Nick Henry isn’t a name familiar to all football fans, but his goal marked the beginning of the era of Manchester United dominance that came following the creation of the Premier League.
The Liverpool-born midfielder scored a winner for Oldham Athletic against Aston Villa on May 2, 1993 which meant Manchester United were crowned as the inaugural champions of the new competition.
As well as securing the Red Devils’ first league title for 26 years, Henry also played a significant part in Manchester United’s 1990 FA Cup win, as his long-range shot in the semi-final replay was incorrectly adjudged not to have crossed the line, allowing Sir Alex Ferguson’s men to score a winner via Mark Robins.
Manchester United would also win the title the following season without playing, this time raising a glass to Coventry City’s Julian Darby, whose double in a 2-1 win over Blackburn Rovers ended their hopes of catching Fergies’ men.
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2. Dean Holdsworth, Wimbledon (vs Liverpool), 1996/97
Dean Holdsworth in action for Wimbledon (Image credit: PA)
Once again, Manchester United were able to watch the Premier League title fall into their lap.
Liverpool needed to beat Wimbledon to stand any chance of catching the Red Devils in May 1997, but fell 2-0 down thanks to goals from Jason Euell and Dean Holdsworth.
Desperate times called for desperate measures, so Reds boss Roy Evans reacted to Holdsworth’s strike by throwing a 17-year-old striker from the youth team on for his senior debut.
That striker was Michael Owen, who scored 17 minutes after coming off the bench, but the Dons held on and the title was once again heading to Old Trafford.
3. Mark Viduka, Leeds United (vs Arsenal), 2002/03
Mark Viduka scoring against Arsenal
One of this week’s big narratives has been Tottenham fans supposedly wanting Manchester City to beat them, in order to prevent rivals Arsenal from winning the title.
But in a sign that this kind of attitude is very much a symptom of modern-day football fandom, the 2002/03 title race was settled in a remarkably similar matter.
This time it was a Roses rivalry that was in play, as Leeds United headed to Highbury to take on title-contenders Arsenal knowing that a win would see their bitter rivals Manchester United crowned champions.
Leeds did have skin in the game though, as their Premier League safety was not yet confirmed. But a fully committed performance from both the players and the travelling fans was rewarded by Mark Viduka’s superb 89th-minute winner.
The grey lining to this silver cloud, however, was an eighth Premier League title for the Whites' most-hated rivals.
4. Eden Hazard, Chelsea (vs Tottenham), 2015/16
Eden Hazard in action for Chelsea
Finally, a goal in this countdown that didn’t settle a title for Manchester United.
The 2015/16 Premier League season was one for the record books as Leicester City defied the odds to win their first-ever league title in one of the biggest upsets that the game has ever seen.
Tottenham were the Foxes nearest contenders and needed a win at Chelsea on May 2, 2016 if they were to keep their title hopes alive. Harry Kane and Son Heung-min put Mauricio Pochettino’s men 2-0 up at half-time, but it would all go wrong for them in a thrilling clash at Stamford Bridge.
In a match which saw touchline melees, an eye gouge and a competition-record nine yellow cards for Spurs, it was Eden Hazard’s 83rd-minute curled equaliser that sealed the title for 5,000-1 shots Leicester City.
5. Jay Rodriguez, West Bromwich Albion (v Man United), 2017/18
Jay Rodriguez in action for West Brom
The 2017/18 Premier League title race was not much of a contest as Manchester City eased to their first title under Pep Guardiola, finishing a whopping 19 points clear of rivals Manchester United.
But unlike in 2012, the title was not settled by a City goal.
Instead, it was West Bromwich Albion’s Jay Rodriguez, who headed home a winner at Old Trafford in a mid-April clash to end the futile hopes that Jose Mourinho and his team had of catching their neighbours at the top of the table.
For more than a decade Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor, with stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others. He is the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team.
