The details of the final few minutes are already slipping off the back pages of newspapers and into the stuff of legends. City, down 2-1 with about a minute on the clock looked to have committed one of the greatest chokes in sporting history. I’m pretty sure the term Bottlejobbery was invented at around the 80 minute mark in an attempt to describe the event. When new words are being invented mid game you know you are seeing something historic.

Unbackable favorites with the bookies and playing against only 10 men (you can’t spell bonehead without Joey Barton) from a team on the precipice of relegation, disaster was looming. Some City fans were heading toward the exits. Some were openly crying in their seats. Not only had City lost the title at the last gasp – they had lost it to United. Has there ever been a pill so bitter forced down any fans throat? The fans were staring into a void – one filled with grief, despair and relentless cross town mockery. A team that has always defined itself through it’s capacity for tragic comedy was about to finish writing it’s greatest, most hurtful gag yet.

And then – It happened. Amazingly, it happened. Edin Dzenko scored on the 90 minute mark. Heads were raised. Lamentations were stopped. The ground…hell, the whole viewing public right around the world rose to it’s feet as a footballing miracle began to unfold before us. The magic is still pretty fresh -  Mario Balotelli makes a nuisance of himself (as only Mario can) in the goal area…the ball, the ball runs free on the edge, Aguero bursts onto it, is swarmed by defenders…and yet still smashes it past the keeper to score the most important goal in Manchester City history.

The stadium erupts. QPR have lost the game, but stay up because Bolton haven’t won at Stoke. Plus, you know, screw Manchester United, right? City fans meanwhile are overwhelmed. There isn’t really a frame of reference for this sort of sporting joy – certainly not for City supporters. This win is the sweetest of all possible victories. Elation following their win over United two weeks back – on the verge of heartbreak here. Elation once again. As our own Paul Keating once said, this was a victory for the true believers. Long may they enjoy it.

With that we wrap up another wonderful season of Premier League football. On behalf of the Ambition Group we hope you enjoyed playing along with us ad much as we enjoyed running the competition. I hope to see you all back next year – if it is half as good as this one was then you won’t want to miss it!

The Shirtman

PS -fingers crossed for all us long suffering West Ham fans as they try to claw their way back into the Premiership. Come on you Irons .

Not so fast.

QPR are playing for their Premiership lives here. Right now they are just outside the drop zone, and know that if Bolton were to win against Stoke, they will be spending next year getting to know the Championship competition a lot better than they would like. And it isn’t like they don’t have the requisite talent to spring the upset. And the personalities. Joey Barton lives for this kind of bomb throwing. Mark Hughes would dearly love to cripple the club that spurned him. And again – this club is playing for its Premiership life. Everybody who has already handed the title to Manchester City may want to take a moment and think again.

This has been a dramatic season filled with twists and turns at every corner. Does it have one final, massive surprise left in store?

I think it might. I think this one might just be a draw. Call it crazy talk, but I just have a bad feeling about this one. Bobby Zamora to score. Chaos and drama to ensue.

Draw. 1-1, Zamora

The Shirtman

PS – If you do not submit your tips prior to kick off you will be credited with The Shirtman’s score.

Newcastle themselves are no joke either. They have been flirting with the top four all season, and beat a red hot Chelsea team as recently as last Wednesday. And to add to all of that, they were playing at St James’ Park –one of Newcastle’s least friendly places (and believe me when I tell you, competition on that front in Newcastle is fierce).

45 minutes into the game, on the road, locked in a 0-0 draw there were plenty of uncomfortable City fans watching their screens in increasing dismay as their amazing, historic victory began to slowly slip away. Cisse looked ominous. The nerves were shaky. The mood was grim. All season their talent was never in question. Last week they showed they could win the big games. Now their championship season came down to one thing. Could they eke out the result they needed with their backs to the wall? Could they summon their considerable talents at will?

They can, and they did. Toure ended a well executed 1-2 move with a lovely strike from 25 yards to take a 1-0 lead. After some tense moments involving Cisse at the other end, Toure went on to seal it with another goal in the final minutes and an unbreakable 2-0 lead. Half of Manchester sank further into their couches. The other half finally exhaled.

The loss for Newcastle probably scuppers their hopes of finishing in the top four. The Spurs left the door open by drawing against Aston Villa, but to leapfrog them in the standings Newcastle would need to beat Everton whilst hoping Tottenham lost against Fulham at home. Or, should the Gunners falter against West Brom, that door would be open as well. Bookmakers suggest these results are unlikely. No matter – it doesn’t diminish in any way the achievements of the club this season. Better worded requiem’s will be coming on this score, but in brief, I think it is fair to say that the Toons knocked it out of the park this season, no matter where on the table they finally finish up.

The win for the Citizens on the other hand means they have their foot very much on the Premiership’s throat. The title is so close now, after so many years of waiting and hoping that their fans must be almost able to taste it. The equation from here becomes very simple. Beat QPR.

Beat QPR and they win the title.

What could possibly go wrong?

Sunday May 6, Sports Direct Arena

Big game for both these clubs, for a number of different reasons.

Newcastle are desperate to keep their Champions League dream alive following an improbable loss to Wigan (although, given their performances in recent weeks, maybe it wasn’t so improbable). By any description the Toon’s season has been an unbridled success – after much doom and gloom around kick off time. Barton was sent packing, they largely sat on their hands in terms of player acquisition, and the fans were openly in revolt against the ownership. Against that backdrop they scrapped and fought their way into Champions League contention. It has been an impressive run. To play on Europe’s centre stage they now need to win against the competitions leading club.

Easier said than done. City are playing for nothing less the Premiership. Equal with United on points, with an 8 goal differential in their favour, all they have to do now to win the competition is hold their serve. Of course, that is no sure thing either. United face the comparatively soft schedule of Swansea and Sunderland. City take on Newcastle and a desperate QPR. Both teams still have plenty to play for and both need points just as badly as Manchester City do.

Can the star studded Manchester City keep their nerve in check and hold off the desperate Newcastle in this crucial matchup? Or does this competition have even further surprises in store for us all?

Put me down for the City win. They have come too far to blow it all now. Surely. Aguera to score.

Away (Manchester City), 1-0, Aguera

The Shirtman

PS – If you do not submit your tip prior to kick off you will be credited with The Shirtman’s score.

These are strange days in Manchester – a town once best know for rain and kebabs served in naan bread (well worth trying though if you ever find yourself out that way). Nowadays they are arguably at the epicentre of the footballing universe. First United, then City have over the years turned into juggernauts who rank amongst the greatest teams on the planet. Total value of the City starting 11 on Monday? 310 million pounds. Total value of United? A thrifty 220 million. From (kind of) humble beginnings, Manchester football has the world at their feet.

But this is no cross city love-fest, and there can be only one winner. The winner on this occasion, thanks to a nice goal from Kompany, was Manchester City. And now, for the first time in a loooooong time, they are the legitimate favourites to take out the title. The equation from here is simple – they need to keep winning, and they need to keep scoring and if they do, they will win the Premiership. The trophy is so close now the citizens can taste it.

Things for Manchester United are decidedly more grim. Even on the table with two games to play – but 8 goals behind in the now all important goal differential. We can expect the Red Devils to come out blazing in their final two games, but is reeling in an 8 goal differential achievable? Failing that they will be relying on City leaving points on the table and leap frogging them in the final stretch.

Which places all the pressure firmly on City. To win the title all they need to do is hold serve in their final two games.

No pressure lads. No pressure.

Monday, April 30, Etihad Stadium (nee City of Manchester Stadium)

All season long the two clubs from Manchester have circled each other like prize fighters. Psychological games have been deployed. Exploratory jabs have been thrown. They have traded the top spot on the table and at times, the gap between them seemingly gave one or the other the upper hand. At the end of the day though, they knew, we knew…hell, we *all* knew it was going to come down to this. Just one game. The Red Devils v The Citizens. Manchester United v Manchester City. For the Heavyweight Championship of the World.

Or, you know, the Premiership. Whatever.

Those who are not excited by this game probably already rank among the dead. For the rest of us, this is the culmination of several seasons…or possibly several decades of rivalry. The two richest, most heavily hyped English clubs clash in a no holds barred showdown, with nothing less than the Premiership at stake (okay, okay, technically there is still some mathematics to go through regardless of who wins…but we can deal with that next week).

In the Blue corner – the star studded All-Star Manchester City club, with its long suffering Blue Moon army and suspiciously rich ownership team. In a breathtaking, whirlwind rise to the top City has gone from being a blue collar, working class, salt of the earth English Club to living proof that whilst money can’t win you a title…it sure does *$%^&* help.

In the Red Corner – the time honoured legacy of Red Devil obstinacy, the reigning Champions sitting proudly atop the table and very much focused on making it back to back wins. They boast a legion of fanatical supporter’s right around the globe and enjoy the advantages incumbent with having a manager who is brilliant, indefatigable, and who almost certainly traded his soul to the devil in return for success on the football field many years ago. These are all good things to have on your side heading into a do or die clash.

This, more than any other game this season perhaps is a real flip of the coin. Both teams are brilliant. Both teams will be at their best. If there is an advantage, it will be in the fact that whilst City needs the win, United can live with the draw. Normally that might mean that the Red Devils would come out and try to secure the point at all costs – but I don’t think that is Sir Alex’s way. Not on a stage this big. He will go for the knockout. And we will all be in for a treat.

For what it is worth, I am going with a Manchester City win. They were all but gone two weeks ago, and then clawed their way back through surprised results. When United lose to Wigan and concede a 4-2 lead over Everton, I start to think there is more than luck at play. That sounds like providence. And whilst I may be one of the worst tipsters in the history of football tipping…even I don’t tip against fate.

City to win. Segio Aguera to score.

Home (Manchester City), 3-2, Aguera

The Shirtman

PS – If you do not submit your tip prior to kick off you will be credited with the Shirtman’s score.

A 0-0 draw would have been an unsatisfactory result for all parties concerned. Arsenal remain in third spot by six points with three games left to play – but both Tottenham and Newcastle are six points behind with two games in hand. A win here could have cemented their spot in top four – the draw has left the door open ever so slightly.

The mathematics for Chelsea looks even grimmer. They are one point behind the Spurs and the Toons with one less game to play. A win here would have kept them in the race, but this soulless draw all but took them out. Which means their attendance in next year’s Champions League may depend on them winning the tournament this time around. Mind you, they did take a large step toward achieving that mid-week with an impressive 1-0 upset over Barcelona. If they can hold their nerve on the return leg they go into the final and…well…anything could happen.

The real news of the round however was United’s second mis-step in as many weeks; leaving points on the table in a ridiculous, jaw dropping 4-4 draw against Everton. Nobody saw this coming. Nobody. The Toffees clawed their way back from a 4-2 deficit to level the score and incredibly, blow the season wide open once again.

With the competition reaching its climax, Manchester City find themselves just 3 points behind Manchester United on the table. The season is hanging on a knife edge. The biggest game in several years of domestic competition – United v City – is right around the corner.

This season always looked like being decided by who would win the Battle of Manchester, and now the Battle of Manchester looks like being decided by just one game. There aren’t words for how excited I am by this. It is like finding out Elvis has just come back…in an alien space craft…that has crashed into the Loch Ness Monster. Excited just doesn’t cover it.

Saturday April 21, Emirates Stadium

All eyes on the All-London showdown this weekend, as the third placed Gunners take on a desperate to climb into the top four Chelsea at Emirates. Stars, egos and multi million dollar expense accounts will be on display here, in a game that still has plenty of resonance for Europe next year.

Arsenal’s two step forward one step back campaign continued last week – after fighting and clawing and scraping their way into third place on the table with some impressive victories over the competitions leading lights, before dropping a game to Wigan at home. (A win which gives Wigan the rare United-Gunners double over the last week – something which hasn’t happened before and won’t happen again for a period of time best measured in geological ages). Still, they remain in third place by five points and will look to get back on track here.

Chelsea meanwhile are becoming desperate to claw their way into a top four finish. Right now they are on 57 points, just 2 points behind Newcastle and Tottenham. A win here could propel them into the limelight. A loss here will all but finish their campaign. Expect drama, and tantrums, and chaos.

But can we expect them to win? Or will the Gunners hold serve at home?

Put me down for an Arsenal win. Chelsea need this one more, but have a tougher mid week schedule. Rising superstar Rob Van Persie to score.

Home (Arsenal), 2-1, Van Persie

The Shirtman

PS – If you do not submit your tips prior to kick off you will be credited with The Shirtman’s score.

The winner on this occasion turned out to be the Baggies. It was a fitting reward for a solid across the park performance, capped off by a cracker from Graham Dorrens to get the win. Manager Roy Hodgson has shown his true colours this season – and has turned his lightly hyped and conservatively talented team into a genuinely competitive squad. They have probably been safe from relegation for a while now, but this win puts the mathematically over the line. Even if the team bus goes over a cliff tomorrow, the Baggies will be in the Premiership next season.

No such luck for the Rangers, who will rue a spate of missed opportunities (especially for Bobby Zamora who by all rights should have at *least* squared the ledger with some of his chances). The hits just keep on coming for the Queens Park Rangers, who blew a real opportunity to skip well clear of the drop zone over the weekend after a fantastic win over Swansea midweek. They are now facing a tense finish to the competition; four games left to play and two points clear of relegation. And for the record, three of those four games come against the Spurs, Chelsea and Manchester City. No freebies there.
And thanks to lowly Wigan springing one of the upsets of the season over United, the situation at the bottom of the table remains fluid. Aston Villa (35) and Wigan (34) look like hanging on. QPR (31), Bolton (29) and Blackburn (28) remain firmly in a knife fight to see who survives, and the good ol’ Wolves (22) are all but boned.

Meanwhile, due to that same upset, the window of opportunity may have just been jammed open in the Premiership title race. With the season winding down United remains 5 points ahead of City…but the April 30 D-Day showdown between the two Super giants remains circled on everybody’s calendar.

It looked like a fait accompli for a minute there…but ladies and gentlemen – game officially back on.

Saturday April 14, The Hawthorns

We take another peek at the relegation scrap this week, when QPR travel to the Hawthorns for what on paper appears to be a difficult, yet winnable encounter. Things are grim for the Rangers – they are only out of the drop zone based on goal differential, but there is still plenty of cause for hope. They have a game in hand from their main relegation contenders, and of course, they have Joey Barton. Let the hijinks begin.

It’s been a reasonably satisfying season for West Brom – sure, the highlights may have been few and far between, but at this stage of the season they are clear of the relegation zone and that in itself qualifies the season as a success.

QPR have not been so lucky. They announced their intentions to become a long term player at this level with a wave of transfer window signings (as well as picking up the disgruntled Joey Barton), but a spate have injuries has put their ambitions in check. Forget challenging the big boys for the title. Forget Europe. Right now they will settle for just surviving to play Premiership football next season.

Both teams are backing up after midweek games (WBA play Manchester City whilst QPR take on Swansea). Both are carrying a few injuries. West Brom have the better form and the home crowd advantage but QPR will be the more desperate…sounds kind of like a draw to me.

Put me down for shared points in what should be a fun and hard fought encounter. Recently returned Bobby Zamora to score.

Draw, 2-2, Zamora

The Shirtman

PS – If you do not submit your tips prior to kick off you will be credited with The Shirtman’s score.