The final day of the 2011/12 Premier League season remains one of the most dramatic in football history. Manchester City faced Queens Park Rangers (QPR) at the Etihad Stadium, needing a win to secure the title over rivals Manchester United. Despite trailing, City mounted a stunning comeback in added time, with Edin Dzeko’s equalizer setting the stage for Sergio Aguero’s unforgettable winner. This goal not only clinched the title for City but also became one of the most iconic moments in Premier League history. Meanwhile, QPR, who were battling relegation, learned they were safe before the match ended, which has led to speculation about their performance in the closing moments.
Wayne Rooney, Manchester United’s all-time leading scorer, recently expressed doubts about QPR’s intentions during that match. He questioned whether the team was content to allow City to secure their dramatic victory. Rooney also raised concerns about former Liverpool player Djibril Cisse being seen celebrating with City’s squad after the final whistle.
Djibril Cisse said: “I’m not going to take this accusation any longer. I was celebrating with Samir Nasri. I didn’t celebrate with Mario Balotelli, Sergio Aguero, or anybody else. I celebrated with my brother, Samir, who had been a friend of mine for 15 years. I was happy for my friend and also that we managed to stay up. I don’t care about Man City. My friend finally won the Premier League after many years in England and I was happy for him and also for me. That’s all.”
Cisse, who scored the opening goal for QPR during the match, defended his actions and questioned Rooney’s logic. He highlighted the effort QPR put into taking the lead, arguing that if they intended to let City win, they could have done so more easily.
Cisse continued: “If we had wanted Man City to win the league, would it not have been a little risky to have waited until the very last minute to let them score? We could have let them win 4–0 or 5–0 and gone home. But we played a strong team, the manager wanted to win that game. It wasn’t our reserve team.”
Rooney reignited the debate earlier this year during an episode of the Overlap Fan Debate. He questioned the actions of QPR players, including Paddy Kenny, Joey Barton, Shaun Wright-Phillips, and Nedum Onuoha, suggesting they did not play to their potential after City equalized.
Despite the controversy, Manchester United used the frustration from that afternoon as motivation to reclaim the Premier League title the following season, marking Sir Alex Ferguson’s 13th and final triumph. Meanwhile, Sky Sports announced an increase in live Premier League game broadcasts, further fueling fans’ passion for the sport.
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