What's the best Premier League title race of all time?

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I saw they were discussing this on the MOTD podcast and it really got me thinking as this season's title race shapes up to be epic.

Many remember United v Newcastle in 95/96 but is that actually the best?

For me it's 2013/14 where it was so unpredictable throughout who was going to win it, in the first season post-Fergie. Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and City all held top spot throughout the new year culminating in that great Slippy G moment.

11/12 United v City, 21/22 City v Liverpool, 94/95 United v Blackburn were also great.

What's the best?
 
I thought our one vs Liverpool in 08/09 was one of the better ones, one of the very few times United and Liverpool have both been challenging for the league at the same time.
 
AltiUn said:
I thought our one vs Liverpool in 08/09 was one of the better ones, one of the very few times United and Liverpool have both been challenging for the league at the same time.
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Definitely one of the better ones. We were incredible in the second half of that season except for that 1-4 game. One of my highlights is the Liv-Ars draw that pretty much ended their title hopes. Ironically, it may be the other way around this season.
 
erikcred said:
Definitely one of the better ones. We were incredible in the second half of that season except for that 1-4 game. One of my highlights is the Liv-Ars draw that pretty much ended their title hopes. Ironically, it may be the other way around this season.
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Also had the iconic Macheda goal too. Also the first season I got to go to Wembley although we lost to Everton on penalties in the semis.
 
Hate to say it but probably 11/12. Two excellent teams fighting it out until literally the last kick of the game.
 
Has there been a title race where the lead changed hands on the final day? As in the chasing the team starting the day in 2nd or 3rd ended up winning the title because the leading team fecked up?

Apart from City making it fun for us just for the hell of it and then coming back to win their final game last season and in 2012, I find title races decided on the final day where both teams win their games comfortably, like when Chelsea won the title in 2010, kind of dull and anticlimactic. Yay, a title race that has gone to the final day. Chelsea are 4-0 up after 55 mins.
 
WeePat said:
Has there been a title race where the lead changed hands on the final day? As in the chasing the team starting the day in 2nd or 3rd ended up winning the title because the leading team fecked up?
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Not in the PL era, although United came very close to winning the 1995 title by overtaking Blackburn on the final day. Also a great title race.
 
1998-1999, in the final day, we were down 1-0 with Tottenham at home, ending 2-1, 1 point above Arsenal
 
2018/19 was really brilliant. And that game between City and Liverpool at the start of January where City defender cleared it off the line while the ball was almost fully over the line and City went on to win the game. Then there was Kompany's super goal vs Leicester as well.

2008/09, 2009/10, 2011/12, 2013/14, 2021/22 were all exciting as well.
 
BorisManUtd said:
2018/19 was really brilliant. And that game between City and Liverpool at the start of January where City defender cleared it off the line while the ball was almost fully over the line and City went on to win the game. Then there was Kompany's super goal vs Leicester as well.

2008/09, 2009/10, 2011/12, 2013/14, 2021/22 were all exciting as well.
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I agree regarding 2018/19. I've heard some say that title race was boring because both teams won all the way, which... What?
 
My personal favourite was 07/08. We were playing sensational football all season but Chelsea pushed us all the way to the final day vs Wigan away. Beating them in the CL final a week later was the cherry on top.
 
WeePat said:
Has there been a title race where the lead changed hands on the final day? As in the chasing the team starting the day in 2nd or 3rd ended up winning the title because the leading team fecked up?

Apart from City making it fun for us just for the hell of it and then coming back to win their final game last season and in 2012, I find title races decided on the final day where both teams win their games comfortably, like when Chelsea won the title in 2010, kind of dull and anticlimactic. Yay, a title race that has gone to the final day. Chelsea are 4-0 up after 55 mins.
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If I remember rightly it's never changed hands on the penultimate day let alone the last.

I am quite glad that 4 of our 5 title wins have been relatively comfortable though, I was screwing for over a week after the Scholes last gasp winner/Tottenham loss weekend in 2010 that had United right beside us again.

As for the answer to the question quality wise it has to be 2019 but entertainment wise probably 2014.
 
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2015-2016 when Leicester won it. Because it was genuinely the only moment when I was rooting for a non United team to win it. Love me some underdog success story.
 
adexkola said:
I agree regarding 2018/19. I've heard some say that title race was boring because both teams won all the way, which... What?
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I think a more twisty turny title race is better. Last season was a better title race between those two I think.
 
2018/19 in terms of consistency from both sides was crazy.

Liverpool won their last nine games in a row whilst City went 14 in a row to nick it.

The thing that goes against it being the best title race is that City were only ever in danger (in the run in) when they played Leicester and needed a Kompany screamer to bail them out.
 
07/08 United vs Arsenal
11/12 City vs United
21/22 City vs Liverpool
18/19 City vs Liverpool
95/96 United vs Newcastle
94/95 Blackburn vs United
13/14 City vs Liverpool
06/07 United vs Chelsea
02/03 United vs Arsenal
08/09 United vs Liverpool

I hope we are soon involved in these races and win a good number of them.
 
Dancfc said:
I am quite glad that 4 of our 5 title wins have been relatively comfortable though, I was screwing for over a week after the Scholes last gasp winner/Tottenham loss weekend in 2010 that had United right beside us again.
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Scholes' headed winner vs City was euphoric. I was convinced we were going to catch you after that. Thought Liverpool were going to do us a favour by beating you at Anfield, until Gerrard decided to do a backpass to Drogba. If he meant to do that backpass then at least karma came back to haunt him in the same fixture 4 years later!
 
Surely the 88/89 season is worth a mention...Thomas goal to win it in injury time!

Fully aware it pre-dates the PL but something about only acknowledging post-92 football rankles me. I was away with my family last week and quizzed my nephew on league titles and he wasn't having it at all that United had 20 and Liverpool 19.
 
94/95, 97/98, 98/99, 07/08, 09/10, 11/12, 13/14, 18/19, 21/22 are the seasons that were decided on the last day of the season. So a bit less than a 3rd of the time.

11/12 and 18/19 are objectively speaking the 2 best ones - goal difference and than a 97/98 point split.
 
Pascal Quiff said:
Surely the 88/89 season is worth a mention...Thomas goal to win it in injury time!

Fully aware it pre-dates the PL but something about only acknowledging post-92 football rankles me. I was away with my family last week and quizzed my nephew on league titles and he wasn't having it at all that United had 20 and Liverpool 19.
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Likewise
 
adexkola said:
More entertaining, maybe. But better? Can't get better than 2 teams having to win every game knowing the other will NOT let up
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Yeah I get that, there were some really dramatic moments too like that Kompany thunderbolt.
 
Unfortunately for us, 2011/12 has to be up there. City clawing back a significant lead late in the season and then the madness at the end. Ultimately though, it was a two horse race, like so many others.

For that reason I put 2007/08 above it. Arsenal gaining a good lead and then crumbling a bit when getting to the final third, with Chelsea eventually pushing us to the final day. It just felt like there was more stuff happening in that season. It was as close to a three horse race as I can think of, unless I'm forgetting an obvious one.
 
Gabriel Djemba-Bebe said:
Scholes' headed winner vs City was euphoric. I was convinced we were going to catch you after that. Thought Liverpool were going to do us a favour by beating you at Anfield, until Gerrard decided to do a backpass to Drogba. If he meant to do that backpass then at least karma came back to haunt him in the same fixture 4 years later!
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I may be biased but I'm not convinced about that, he had form for those silly back passes.

It was actually the Wigan game I was most worried about, they already beat us that season and they were actually the better side in the last game until the red.
 
Wiltord02 said:
2018/19 in terms of consistency from both sides was crazy.

Liverpool won their last nine games in a row whilst City went 14 in a row to nick it.

The thing that goes against it being the best title race is that City were only ever in danger (in the run in) when they played Leicester and needed a Kompany screamer to bail them out.
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Yeah fair play to the teams involved but the best title race has to have some twists and turns, some draws and losses, not both teams winning every match. Most of the games in that run City were so comfortable in games too, Leicester aside.
 
Pascal Quiff said:
Surely the 88/89 season is worth a mention...Thomas goal to win it in injury time!

Fully aware it pre-dates the PL but something about only acknowledging post-92 football rankles me. I was away with my family last week and quizzed my nephew on league titles and he wasn't having it at all that United had 20 and Liverpool 19.
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Came here to mention this.
Was an incredible game as well, I don't think you can get a better finish than the final game of the season between #1 and #2 deciding who wins it - and then that game only being decided by a winner (I know it was 2-0 but Arsenal needed to win by 2 clear goals) in the 91st minute.
Plus it was Liverpool who lost and I hadn't fully developed my Arsenal hatred by then.......
 
There's only one season when the title, seemingly having already been decided, was decided by the last kick of the ball. There is no need here for further elaboration.
 
98/99.

A great fierce rivalry between two great teams and managers at their peak going down to the wire with little to separate them even in that amazing fa cup clash.

The United side that lost to city on the final day was not a great side and city just heavily exploited ffp much like chelsea did.
 
18/19 was out of this world. Both Liverpool and City just kept on winning, crazy.
 
Bad to say but the aguero year hard to beat for neutral . We were well ahead in title fecked up vs Everton and Wigan. Kompany scored to win 1-0 vs us then the aguero shite
 
Lee565 said:
98/99.

A great fierce rivalry between two great teams and managers at their peak going down to the wire with little to separate them even in that amazing fa cup clash.

The United side that lost to city on the final day was not a great side and city just heavily exploited ffp much like chelsea did.
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Was about to post this.

98/99 was pretty epic for many reasons. Great rivalry and it was tight all season between Utd and Arsenal. Both teams were in the running to win the league and cup double (Utd even the treble). For Utd to win the league on the last day with Cole’s winner and also beat Arsenal in the fa cup semi final replay with one of the greatest goals of all time was a pretty epic season.
 
Some great ones over the years but my personal favourite was 95/96 for several reasons:

- Cantona's redemption
- Keegan's meltdown
- Liverpool 4 Newcastle 3 game (normally hate Liverpool winning any game but they did us a massive favour here)
- United beating Newcastle in St James Park (Schmeichel immense and Cantona with the winner again)
- clawing back Newcastle's seemingly unassailable 12 point lead

That season had some amazing football and so much moments of drama. Ironically enough, the final day itself didn't have that much drama at all, a very comfortable 3-0 win away to Middlesbrough. But overall that was my favourite title race.
 
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