Manchester City's Pablo Zabaleta is mobbed by teammates after his goal during their English Premier League soccer match against Queens Park Rangers at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, northern England, May 13, 2012.Darren Staples/Reuters
Timeline of the 2011/12 Premier League season after Manchester City won the title on Sunday:
Aug. 14. Manchester United start their title defence with a 2-1 win at West Bromwich Albion thanks to a late own goal, sparing the blushes of keeper David de Gea who makes a shaky league debut.
Aug. 15. Argentine striker Sergio Aguero, signed from Atletico Madrid, comes off the bench to score twice on his debut as City hammer new-boys Swansea 4-0 at home.
Aug. 28. On an extraordinary day, United and City go goal crazy to make it three wins from three. United hammer a depleted Arsenal side 8-2 at Old Trafford with Wayne Rooney scoring a hat-trick while Bosnian Edin Dzeko hits four for City in a 5-1 demolition of Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.
Sept. 18. City blow a 2-0 lead at Fulham to drop their first points of the season in a 2-2 draw.
Sept. 27. Roberto Mancini says Argentine striker Carlos Tevez is "finished" as a City player after he refuses to come on as a substitute in a Champions League game against Bayern Munich.
Oct. 23. In a remarkable derby and watershed moment in the balance of power, City hammer United 6-1 at Old Trafford to go five points clear at the top. Mario Balotelli and Dzeko score twice apiece to help inflict United's first home defeat in 18 months.
Nov. 19. Free-scoring City maintain their grip at the top with a 3-1 home win over Newcastle United to take their goals tally to 42 from 12 games.
Dec. 12. City suffer first league defeat of the season after Frank Lampard's late penalty hands Chelsea a 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge.
Dec. 31. United waste the chance to start the new year at the top when they suffer a shock 3-2 home defeat by struggling Blackburn Rovers. Grant Hanley's 80th-minute winner stuns Old Trafford and spoils manager Alex Ferguson's 70th birthday.
Jan. 1. Sunderland sink City with a stoppage-time winner from South Korean Ji Dong-won to beat the leaders 1-0.
Jan. 8. Former England midfielder Paul Scholes makes a shock return from retirement to rejoin United until the end of the season.
Jan. 10. City lose appeal against captain Vincent Kompany's four-match ban for his red card in FA Cup third round defeat by United. Mancini says City's expensively-assembled squad is not big enough to cope with injuries and absences.
Jan. 31. United move level on points with City at the top after Ferguson's side overcome Stoke 2-0 while former United player Darron Gibson's goal condemns City to a 1-0 defeat at Everton.
Feb. 5. United roar back from three goals down to snatch a point in a breathless 3-3 draw with Chelsea in London.
Feb. 21. Tevez says sorry to City for his behaviour, setting up a possible return. The Argentine striker also withdraws his appeal against a gross misconduct charge handed to him after he spent three months in his homeland without the club's permission.
March 11. Two goals from Rooney put United back on top for the first time in five months when they beat West Brom 2-0 and City, who had led the standings since the middle of October, surprisingly lose 1-0 at Swansea.
March 21. Tevez marks his City return by coming off the bench and setting up Samir Nasri's late winner in a 2-1 home victory over Chelsea.
March 26. Rooney's 21st league goal of the season secures a 1-0 victory over Fulham to put United three points clear with eight games remaining.
March 31. City salvage a point with two late goals to draw 3-3 with Sunderland but the result tips the balance in the title race more in United's favour.
April 2. Goals from Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young take United five clear of City after 2-0 win at Blackburn.
April 8. United surge eight points clear by beating Queens Park Rangers 2-0 while City, who have Balotelli sent off, crash to a 1-0 defeat at Arsenal.
April 11. The title race takes a surprise twist as a lethargic United lose 1-0 at Wigan. City cut the gap to five points with five matches to go as Tevez scores on his first start for since September in a 4-0 win over West Brom.
April 14. Tevez's hat-trick and Aguero's double help City thrash Norwich 6-1.
April 22. The gap closes to three with three to play. United fight out an astonishing 4-4 draw against Everton at Old Trafford, letting leads of 3-1 and 4-2 slip as they are pegged back by late goals from Nikica Jelavic and Steven Pienaar. Strikes from Aguero and Samir Nasri secure City a 2-0 win at Wolves.
April 30. Kompany's towering header earns City a momentous 1-0 home victory over uninspired United to put Mancini's side within two victories of Premier League glory. They lead the standings on goal difference.
May 6. City take another huge step towards the title with a 2-0 win at high-flying Newcastle. Both City and United, who beat Swansea 2-0, have 86 points but City's goal difference is eight better and could be the deciding factor in the race.
May 13. On a final day of drama, City come from behind to snatch the title in thrilling fashion thanks to stoppage-time goals from Edin Dzeko and Sergio Aguero which secure a 3-2 win over Queens Park Rangers. City are champions on goal difference, ahead of United who finish with a 1-0 win at Sunderland.