The 2011âÂÂ12 Premier League (known as the Barclays Premier League for sponsorship reasons) was the 20th season of the Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The season began on 13 August 2011 and ended on 13 May 2012 with Manchester City sealing their third league title â their first since 1968 â after beating Queens Park Rangers 3âÂÂ2 on the last day. The title was City's first Premier League success, making them the fifth club to win the Premier League in its 20-year history. City finished level on 89 points with Manchester United, but they had a superior goal difference to their local rivals, making it the first and only time the Premier League had been won on goal difference.
The league was contested by 20 teams, 17 returning from the 2010âÂÂ11 season and three promoted from the Football League Championship. Championship winners Queens Park Rangers and runners-up Norwich City gained automatic promotion whilst Swansea City gained promotion through the Football League Championship play-offs beating Reading 4âÂÂ2 in May 2011, becoming the first non-English team to play in the Premier League. All three promoted clubs avoided relegation for the first time since the 2001âÂÂ02 campaign. The season was voted as the greatest Premier League season in the Premier League 20 Seasons Awards.
Manchester City won the title in a tense finale, their first championship since 1968. City's local rivals Manchester United were the early pace-setters, leading the table until October, when they drew at Liverpool, allowing Manchester City to overtake them. The following week, City increased their lead to five points with a shock 6âÂÂ1 away victory at Old Trafford, which they maintained until December, when they dropped points and their lead narrowed, but City remained in front until March, when a defeat at Swansea City saw them drop behind United. City's bad form continued for the next month while United went on a winning run, so that with six matches remaining United were eight points ahead of City and the title seemingly decided. However, United then faltered with a defeat and a draw in their next three games, while City won all three to narrow the gap to three points. City then beat United 1âÂÂ0 at the City of Manchester Stadium to move back ahead of United on goal difference. Both sides won their penultimate matches to maintain the status quo.
Going into the final matches, which were played simultaneously, City were top of the league, ahead of Manchester United on goal difference, while level on 86 points. However, a Wayne Rooney goal away to Sunderland gave United the advantage. A 39th-minute goal from Pablo Zabaleta, his first of the season, put City back on top at half time. In a dramatic second half Djibril Cissé equalised for Queens Park Rangers in the 48th minute. Shortly after, Joey Barton of QPR was sent off for elbowing Carlos Tevez; on his way off the pitch, he kicked Sergio Agüero, attempted to headbutt Vincent Kompany and squared up to Mario Balotelli. Despite the numerical advantage, City went behind after Jamie Mackie gave QPR the lead in the 66th minute. As time wound down in both matches, it appeared that Manchester United would win the title with their victory over Sunderland. But Edin Dà ¾eko equalised for City in the 92nd minute. While United players waited on the field at Sunderland for a possible trophy presentation, Manchester City's Sergio Agüero scored the title clincher in the 94th minute to win the league for City and became the only team to win the Premier League on goal difference. The 6âÂÂ1 result was even more important than it seemed at the time because if the score had been 2âÂÂ1, then both teams would have ended with identical records (W D L GF GA GD Pts) which by Premier League rules would have meant a play-off game at a neutral ground to decide the title.
For most of the season, Tottenham Hotspur were in third place, a couple of points behind the Manchester clubs, and there was much speculation as to whether Tottenham could mount a title challenge. However, from late February onward their season collapsed, starting with a 5âÂÂ2 defeat to local rivals Arsenal, whom they had been 10 points ahead of before the game, and just four wins in their last 13 games condemned Tottenham to finishing a point below Arsenal, who finished third to join Manchester City and Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League, Arsenal completed a strong recovery from a disastrous start to the season including their 8âÂÂ2 defeat at Manchester United in August. Tottenham finished in fourth but missed out on qualification for the Champions League because Chelsea's victory in the 2012 Champions League final automatically entitled them to defend their title in the 2012âÂÂ13 tournament at the expense of the lowest ranked team that would otherwise qualify for the competition through league position. This was the first time that this rule had been implemented in the Premier League, having been introduced by UEFA after Liverpool's controversial qualification for the 2005âÂÂ06 UEFA Champions League. This consequently marked the first time that the club finishing fourth in the Premier League had not qualified for the tournament since the fourth qualifying spot was introduced in the 2001âÂÂ02 season. Newcastle United finished fifth and qualified for the 2012âÂÂ13 UEFA Europa League. Everton finished 7th, just above local rivals Liverpool. Despite finishing above them for the first time in seven years, it was Liverpool who claimed the final Europa League slot, by virtue of winning the 2011âÂÂ12 Football League Cup.
At the bottom of the league, Wolverhampton Wanderers were the first to be relegated on 22 April, following a 2âÂÂ0 loss to eventual champions Manchester City. Blackburn Rovers would soon follow on 7 May after a 1âÂÂ0 loss to Wigan Athletic. On the final day of the season, Bolton Wanderers needed a win against Stoke City, and for QPR to lose to guarantee their survival. However, they failed to beat Stoke, drawing 2âÂÂ2, and were relegated, with QPR avoiding the drop, despite losing to Manchester City. For the second time in the Premier League's history, none of the three clubs promoted from the Championship in the previous season were relegated at the end of the season with the other two teams, Swansea City and Norwich City, finishing 11th and 12th respectively. The last time all three newly promoted teams stayed up (2001âÂÂ02), Blackburn and Bolton were two of those teams.
Liverpool's Luis Suárez was found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra and was given an eight-match ban.
Twenty teams competed in the league â the top seventeen teams from the previous season and the three teams promoted from the Championship. The promoted teams were Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City and Swansea City, returning to the top flight after absences of fifteen, six and twenty-eight years respectively. This was also Swansea City's first season in the Premier League. This was the first season where a Welsh team competed in the top flight of English football since the 1982âÂÂ83 season and the first season in the Premier League era where a Welsh team competed. They replaced Birmingham City, Blackpool and West Ham United, who were relegated to the Championship after their top-flight spells of two, one and six years respectively.
<small>Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.</small>
In addition, Nike had a new design for their match ball (white from August to October and March to May; high-visibility yellow from November through February) called Seitiro, featuring a modified flame design.
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On 21 December in a 2âÂÂ1 loss to Arsenal at Villa Park, Marc Albrighton of Aston Villa was officially credited with the 20,000th goal scored since the formation of the Premier League in 1992. He was given ã20,000 from league sponsor Barclays to donate to a charity of his choice. He chose Acorns Children's Hospice, who used to sponsor Aston Villa.
Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew, 50, received the Premier League Manager of the Season. Pardew was the first Newcastle manager to receive the award, and only the second Englishman after Harry Redknapp to do so.
The Premier League Player of the Season award was won by Vincent Kompany of Manchester City.
The Goal of the Season award was given to Papiss Cissé of Newcastle United for his second goal in their 2âÂÂ0 victory against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on 28 April, becoming the first player for the club to win the award since its inception.
The PFA Players' Player of the Year was awarded to Robin van Persie. The other nominees were; Sergio Aguero, Scott Parker, David Silva, Joe Hart and Wayne Rooney.
The PFA Young Player of the Year was awarded to Kyle Walker.
The FWA Footballer of the Year was also awarded to Robin van Persie.
The Premier League Golden Boot award went to Robin van Persie, who scored 30 goals.
The Premier League Golden Glove award was won by Joe Hart of Manchester City, who achieved 17 clean sheets.
Swansea City won the Premier League Fair Play Award after finishing the 2011âÂÂ12 Premier League top of the Fair Play Table. The award for best behaved fans went to Norwich.