Stoppage Time: City wins title in fitting fashion

After waiting 44 years, it was never going to be easy for Manchester City, right?

City's last league title came in 1968, and since that time, the blue half of Manchester has had to come to terms with a serious inferiority complex.

But Sunday was the day that City would hold the upper hand, and the only thing standing in the way was 17th-place QPR, a team that had the worst road record in the top flight.

City had just one blemish at home all season, a 3-3 draw against Sunderland, so what could possibly go wrong?

There was an atmosphere of anticipation at the start of the game, but nerves were settled after Pablo Zabaleta scored in the 39th minute for City.

However, instead of taking charge of the game after halftime and coasting to the finish line, City nearly fell down in the home stretch.

Djibril Cisse equalized early in the second half for QPR, and even when former City man Joey Barton was sent off for a moment of madness in which he elbowed Carlos Tevez in the face away from the ball, City still managed to go behind.

Jamie Mackie scored on a header in the 66th minute to stun the home supporters, and suddenly those cheers turned to tears as City fans began to fear the worst.

With Manchester United holding a 1-0 lead over Sunderland as the clock ticked down, it appeared as though City would hand the title to United in the most excruciating fashion possible.

It would be the type of defeat that would haunt City for years to come, and one that United fans would not allow them to forget.

But just when it seemed like all hope was lost, Edin Dzeko scored early in stoppage time on a header from David Silva's corner kick to tie the match.

And then came the moment that will forever be etched in City lore as Sergio Aguero collected Mario Balotelli's return pass and fired home the historic goal for a 3-2 win.

The scenes following the goal were incredible, as the Etihad Stadium erupted in delirium with equal parts joy and relief.

Meanwhile, the scenes in Sunderland were just as dramatic as United fans, who just a few moments ago were getting set to celebrate the most unlikely of titles, suddenly had the rug pulled out from under them.

"It has been 44 years since this club last had their hands on the title and everyone at City knows that is too long," said City's jubilant manager, Roberto Mancini. "We did it the hard way but I am told that is the City way."

After leading the league for most the campaign, Mancini's team seemingly gave the title away during a one-month stretch that saw the club claim just one win in five games and put United in pole position.

Yet United uncharacteristically stumbled down the stretch, losing to Wigan and blowing a two-goal lead against Everton in a 4-4 draw, which set up a massive showdown between the two Manchester clubs.

City won the derby 1-0 to wrestle back control of the league, but the Citizens still managed to squeeze a little bit more drama out of the season on the last day before finally lifting the trophy.

United knows a thing or two about dramatic finishes as the club was involved in one of the most stunning Champions League finals in history, scoring two goals in stoppage time to beat Bayern Munich, 2-1, in the 1999 final.

After the match Sir Alex Ferguson was still in a state of disbelief when he uttered this famous line: "I can't believe it. I can't believe it. Football. Bloody hell."

Now Ferguson knows how it feels to be on other side.

City fans will no doubt be celebrating long into the night after this one, with whatever emotion they still have left.

It wasn't easy, but after 44 years, it was the only way. It was the City way. Bloody hell.