Manchester City delivered one of the most iconic footballing moments of all time in 2012, when they dramatically beat Queens Park Rangers late on to pip Manchester United to the Premier League title.
If there was one time the expression ‘this needs no introduction’ was needed, Manchester City’s incredible comeback against QPR at the Etihad Stadium on 13 May 2012 would be it.
The terms “90:00+3:20” and “AGUEROOOOOO!!!” have entered City folklore in wake of the most dramatic title win in English football history.
Bobby Zamora, who started up front for QPR on the day, reminisced about that famous day, and made a retrospective claim about his side after they let their 2-1 lead slip in injury time.
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Bobby Zamora says QPR would have stopped Manchester City winning had Bolton not already gone down
Zamora, speaking on Stadium Astro, has claimed that QPR could have stopped City from winning the title if their Premier League status was on the line late on in the game.
QPR were in danger of being relegated on the final day of the season, with Bolton Wanderers also in danger.
Bolton needed to beat Stoke City away and hope that QPR lost, but the Whites could only draw 1-1 with the Potters.
Word went around among QPR fans at the Etihad, which filtered through to the players, and Zamora said confirmation of safety ‘translates’ to those on the pitch.
However, Zamora is confident that, had Bolton been winning, QPR would’ve still been scrapping away and the course of English football history could’ve been very different.
“But yeah, that winning goal, I truly believe that if we needed to draw, we would’ve drawn,” said Zamora.
“That minute, and minute and a half of the game finishing on the other pitch and the information coming across that we were safe translates.
“I really do believe that if we needed to we would’ve drawn.
“We would’ve smashed someone on the halfway line, cleared the ball further away, a minute or two minutes before, then that doesn’t happen.”
Fine margins
Often, the trajectory of football – and in turn the history that is made – rests on infinitely fine margins.
For instance, what if Gillingham won the penalty shootout at Wembley in May 1999? It doesn’t bear thinking about.
Likewise, City’s FA Cup win in 2011 – which ended their long trophy drought and was built on in the best possible way – could’ve been different had Edin Dzeko not equalised against Notts County at Meadow Lane.
Although it seems like Zamora’s comments are rooted in ‘what if’, it is true that, had Bolton beaten Stoke, things could have been very different at the Etihad.
It wasn’t necessarily a case of the QPR players taking their foot off the gas, but if their Premier League status depended on those next few minutes, they’d have certainly been scrapping for every ball almost desperately.
And that could well have made the difference when it came to that final foray into the box where Mario Balotelli and Aguero made history.
