SERGIO AGUERO’S last-minute goal to win Manchester City the 2012 title is the most iconic moment in Premier League history and happened ten years ago today.
The Etihad club have marked the occasion by placing a statue of Aguero’s wild celebration against QPR outside the stadium.
The goal and therefore the title win opened the floodgates for City as they lifted their first Premier League crown.
They are now up to five and are four points away from a sixth crown, including four in the last five seasons.
But what has happened to the Argentine legend and his team-mates including maverick stars Carlos Tevez and Mario Balotelli in the decade that has passed since that memorable moment in 2012?
City looked destined to miss out on the title as they trailed 2-1 at home to relegation-threatened QPR after 90 minutes on May 13, 2012.
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Pablo Zabaleta gave Roberto Mancini’s men the lead six minutes before half-time but the Londoners battled back through Djibril Cisse and Jamie Mackie who scored either side of Joey Barton’s red card for the visitors.
But somehow, after Edin Dzeko’s header gave City the faintest glimmer of hope in the 92nd minute, Aguero got on the end of Balotelli’s pass inside the penalty box.
As bitter rivals Manchester United waited with baited breath at Sunderland to see if their win was enough, the pint-sized superstar lashed the ball past Paddy Kenny in the 94th minute triggering scenes of total bedlam in the stadium.
Martin Tyler screamed “AGUEEEEERRRRROOOOOOO” to millions watching at home as the Argentine wheeled away in ecstasy twirling his shirt around his head.
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But there were 13 other City stars who played that day and many more throughout the season – so here SunSport reveals what has happened to them since.
Starting XI
JOE HART
The former England goalkeeper spent six more years between the sticks at the Etihad before being bombed out by Pep Guardiola when the Spaniard took over in 2016.
He spent two uninspiring loan spells at Torino and West Ham before moving to Burnley in 2018.
But the 35-year-old – who earned his 75th and last England cap in 2017 – also struggled for game time at Turf Moor and Tottenham.
He now finds himself north of the border after signing for Celtic last summer and an impressive season has seen him win the Scottish Premiership and League Cup.
PABLO ZABALETA
Opened the scoring in the historic game against QPR and will forever be adored in Manchester for several world-class campaigns during his nine years with the club.
He played for West Ham for three years after his 2017 departure and retired officially on October 16, 2020.
Zabaleta, now 37, is working on his coaching badges in a bid to go into management.
VINCENT KAMPANY
Few men will be revered as much as Kompany for generations to come at City.
Their iconic captain led the club with aplomb on and off the pitch until he left for Anderlecht in 2019.
Initially signed on a player-coach basis, the 36-year-old is now manager of the Belgian side.
JOLEON LESCOTT
Having arrived from Everton in 2009, the centre-back appeared 31 times during the historic 11-12 season.
Ultimately left for West Brom in 2014 before spending time with Aston Villa, AEK Athens and Sunderland before hanging up the boots in 2017.
Was involved in a bizarre story where Spanish club Racing Murcia claimed they had signed him to play in a cup game in November 2020.
But he never turned out for the fourth-tier side and has done punditry work on Sky Sports and BT…
Source: www.thesun.co.uk