Every year, for the past few seasons, we’ve done a Premier League prediction table where I and you, the readers, make our picks on how the final Premier League table will look at the end of the season. The picks are made in August, so it’s often a tough call to make especially since new transfer signings haven’t had much time to bed in at all. Plus, managerial changes don’t often happen until late in the year.

Nevertheless, here’s how we did. My predicted end of the season table was as follows:

1. Manchester United (C)
2. Manchester City
3. Chelsea
4. Liverpool
5. Arsenal
6. Sunderland
7. Tottenham Hotspur
8. Fulham
9. Everton
10. Newcastle United
11. Aston Villa
12. Stoke City
13. West Bromwich Albion
14. Swansea
15. Norwich City
16. Wolverhampton Wanderers
17. Bolton Wanderers
18. Wigan Athletic (R)
19. Queens Park Rangers (R)
20. Blackburn Rovers (R)

And here were your picks.

I came close to predicting the champions correctly — if Aguero hadn’t scored, I would have had my first and second pick correctly. Chelsea finishing in sixth instead of third place was a shock, but who could have predicted that Andre Villas-Boas would have done so badly at Stamford Bridge? Liverpool’s eighth place finish was a shock. I really thought that Dalglish could have steered them to fourth based on the talent at their disposal. Arsenal took advantage of Chelsea and Liverpool’s poor league form by finishing in third, despite me picking them to finish in fifth position.

I thought Sunderland was going to be the surprise team this season based on the amount of money that Ellis Short spent in the transfer window, but who could have predicted that Steve Bruce could have done so badly at the Stadium of Light? I should have swapped Sunderland and Newcastle around for a better prediction.

At the bottom of the table, most of us could see the writing on the wall that Blackburn Rovers was doomed under Steve Kean, so I predicted they would finish in last place. Under Neil Warnock, I didn’t rate QPR, and based on the way they were playing, they would have gone down if it wasn’t for Mark Hughes. I also predicted Wigan would get relegated, but I was wrong on that one.

I believed in Swansea and Norwich, so I put them at 14th and 15th position — yet they did even better than my predictions by finishing 11th and 12th. I’m particularly proud of my Swansea prediction because almost everyone — pundits and fans — predicted that Swansea would get relegated.

Here’s the final Premier League table to compare.

As for the picks from you, the readers, many of you predicted that Newcastle would get relegated, Liverpool would finish in first, second or third place, and Swansea would finish bottom. Manchester United, like me, was the most predicted champion.

Of the readers who made their prediction between August and September, the person who came the closest was a reader named Bob.

Interestingly, very few people picked Manchester City to win the title before the end of August, and we all (myself included) were all over the place regarding the bottom three. No one who posted a comment in August or September predicted the correct three relegated sides.

If you have some time to go back through the 156+ comments, they make for some very interesting reading.

I hope you enjoyed the Premier League table prediction game. We’ll open a new one up for the 2012-13 season in early August.

So, this week, I understand fully what New York Yankees, New England Patriots and LA Lakers fans must be going through. To be so close to a trophy and have it slip from you (especially when you have a cabinet full) stings especially the way it did last Sunday.  But, nonetheless, hats off to a Manchester City side that really did show what it meant to be a determined team hungry for a chance to win something that they haven’t had in over forty years.

Yesterday marked the end to a topsy turvy season and, as many have put it, one of the most remarkable seasons in years. For Manchester United, when you go into a game expecting others to do you favors, you will be disappointed. Sure, a lot of us were disappointed but as I had written in an earlier blog post, Manchester United was not at its strongest this season so this loss will be the one that stings but also a benchmark on what needs to improve for next season.

But, let’s look at Manchester City.  They finally know that taste of victory that many other teams have known for years. But what must happen for City to do this again?

Let’s take a look at some of the basics:

1. Minimize the Drama

Let’s give Roberto Mancini credit. Going all the way back to Mario Balotelli’s antics during the international friendlies last summer and then through the season coupled with the Carlos Tevez saga that lasted a good portion of this season, City did manage to stay in good form all the way through where most teams would have been undone. However in my opinion, if City wants to repeat next season, that drama has to be minimized if not removed completely from the team.  Many can still speculate if this season’s result would have been different had Tevez been dealt away during January’s transfer as he has been a key to City’s resurgence after smoothing things over with Mancini.  Same goes with Balotelli as Mancini may have to have a firmer hand with Balotelli’s off field antics.

No team that is at the top can afford to have distractions of this type and still expect to win and although City played through them, next season could bode ill if persistent prima donna issues prevail. There has been some speculation that Balotelli could go to Inter or AC Milan for a reported 20 million but that remains to be seen. If he is sold, that’s one less problem for City.  Carlos Tevez also has been linked to a move to AC Milan as even this week Adriano Galliani reported that they will make a bid for him (see report). So, if these two are gone by August, how will City replace this talent up front?

2. Get RVP or an MVP Up Front

If Balotelli and Tevez do leave or even if one leaves, City still needs talent up front especially to support Sergio Aguero.

City is taking a huge step by qualifying once again for the Champions League and they need players that can help them excel in that tournament. Robin van Persie would be the man to do it. The rumors (thus far unreliable at best) have already begun circulating that City may make a move for him, as well as Eden Hazard from Lille. You have seen the stats and we all know what van Persie can do as even through the last day he cemented his resume as a top striker in Europe.

Although Arsenal went through their own ups and downs to qualify for next season, what will it take for them to keep the top player of the year?  Arsene Wenger was quoted by the National as saying, “Will Champions League football help to keep Van Persie? It makes it easier to attract good players and keep them.” The question is will the sheiks of City open up that purse, splash the cash and load that team up if they expect to compete with the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea to win next season?  If they expect to keep the limelight on themselves they should and the first piece could begin with van Persie.  I suspect however, van Persie may stay with Arsenal or at worst make a move to Serie A, but that still won’t stop City from looking elsewhere for talent.

Some other names that have been linked are Real Madrid’s Gonzalo Higuan and even Luka Modric of Tottenham.  I would like to hear from City supporters on who they think would be a good fit for their side this off-season especially if they disagree with the RVP assessment.

3. Stay In Competition to Stay Relevant

Shockingly neither United nor City went as far in the Champions League, Europa League, FA Cup, or the Carling Cup as many predicted and should have gone this season. Even when City tumbled out of the Champions League into the Europa League, after soundly beating Porto, they were expected to dominate over Sporting Lisbon but were simply beaten because they underestimated the competition and were eliminated.  If City wants to stay a relevant champion, they have to stack the silverware.  They have proven that they could do it with an FA Cup win in 2011, but City will have to stay relevant in all levels of competitive play in order to start building a legacy that teams like Manchester United and Liverpool have rested on for years.  This means not falling in the early rounds of the CL and if somehow they do, plan and execute well in the Europa League as well as all the other Cup competitions. Not only that, even if they don’t finish well in other competitions, City cannot allow themselves to become complacent and finish poorly in the EPL either. Anything below a top four finish next season is out of the question if City wants to build upon this season.

As City basks in the glow of their historic win, the pressure and spotlight is now on.  The target has been painted on their backs for all to see and August can’t get here fast enough for teams to start taking their shots to see if City are really worthy champions or whether this was a once in a lifetime thing. City supporters surely don’t want to wait another 40 years for a big win and it all starts with decisions made today. While I am sure there are other keys that City needs to stay on top, what I have mentioned hopefully is enough to start the conversation.

Congratulations Manchester City. August can’t get here fast enough.

The 2011/2012 Premier League season has been full of twists and turns, and will go down as one of the best campaigns in the recent memory. From the heart-warming story of Swansea and Norwich, to the season-long scramble to climb out of the relegation spots, to Liverpool’s woodwork woe and the topsy-turvy seasons of the top six teams, it has been a thrilling campaign.

With all to play for on the final day, the best was saved for last. Two last-gasp stoppage time Manchester City goals sealed the Etihad Stadium club’s first top-flight success since 1968, and broke Manchester United fans’ hearts, as their team lost out on goal difference. United threw away an eight-point lead to relinquish their title, whilst City have played some fantastic football this term.

Arsenal sealed third place with victory at West Brom, Spurs took fourth with a 2-0 win over Fulham, whilst Newcastle came unstuck against the Toffees and ended up in fifth. Harry Redknapp and his men must now watch on as Chelsea do battle with Bayern Munich in the Champions League final, knowing that a Blues victory would rob them of participation in next season’s competition.

With Roberto Di Matteo rejuvenating the Stamford Bridge club, most will not chance their free bets in writing off Chelsea, but the final against Bayern at the Allianz Arena will be a fitting end to the club season before Euro 2012 gets under way.

At the bottom, Wolves and Blackburn’s fates were confirmed before the last day of the season, and Bolton joined the pair in being relegated to the Championship. QPR survived by the skin of their teeth despite throwing away a win at City, whilst Wigan’s unexpected heroics see them stay up to fight another day.

Here’s our snapshot, team-by-team preview of the 2011/2012 season, looking briefly at what each team has achieved this season and their plans for the summer transfer window. Feel free to leave your own review of your team (or of the season) in the comments section at the end.

Arsenal

Arsenal fans feared the worst after the sale of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Gael Clichy last summer, and a shaky start to the campaign hit rock bottom with an unthinkable 8-2 humbling at Old Trafford. However, Arsene Wenger’s transitional side have fought back to capture third place and Champions League football once more for next term.

The highlight for the Gunners faithful was the turnaround 5-2 victory over Tottenham at the Emirates in February, with the respective sides heading in different directions after the result. PFA Player of the Year Robin van Persie has inspired the march up the league with 30 goals in the campaign, whilst the continued progression of Alex Song and rise of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain stand out in a good campaign. A new attacker in the shape of Lukas Podolski will reinforce Arsenal, who will look to push on and challenge for the title next term.

Aston Villa

Villa fans were dubious at best when former Birmingham City boss Alex McLeish was hired in the summer, and the Scot has done little to inspire confidence at the Midlands club. A lowly seven wins this term is the second worst in the league, and Villa have lacked potency in attack, whilst looking short of concentration in defence. McLeish’s men avoided relegation by two points, and the manager’s position will come under jeopardy in the summer.

The final blow of a disappointing campaign was the news of captain Stiliyan Petrov being diagnosed with leukaemia, which has knocked the side for six. Villa must keep Darren Bent in the summer, and spend some money to avoid a frustrating 2012/13.

Blackburn

Steve Kean has had to deal with a barrage of criticism from both the media and a section of his own fans, as Blackburn spent the majority of the season in the bottom three and were relegated before the last day. The sales of defenders Christopher Samba and Phil Jones have blighted the Ewood Park side’s backline, and Rovers fans have had to watch the ball hit the back of their net 78 times this term.

The positives for the Lancashire club are the emergence of young stars such as Junior Hoilett and Grant Hanley, and the return to form of seasoned attacker Yakubu. Hoilett is out of contract and sure to move to bigger and better things in the summer, whilst the future of Hanley, Kean and owners Venkys is still undetermined.

Bolton

Bolton have suffered a downturn in confidence and form over the last 12 months, with Owen Coyle’s men going from a tough team to beat last term to a soft touch this season and suffering relegation. Wanderers have been another side that have looked odds on for the drop throughout the campaign, and their traditional stubbornness, especially at the Reebok Stadium, has been lacking.

The club has been rocked by the health issues of Fabrice Muamba, who suffered a cardiac arrest back in March. Mark Davies has impressed in an under-performing team this year and is likely to leave the Reebok Stadium in the summer. The Trotters should back Coyle in trying to get them back to the top flight, but may have to sell a sizeable chunk of their playing squad.

Chelsea

The promise offered by talented coach Andre Villas Boas failed to come to fruition for Chelsea this term, but a rejuvenation under interim boss Roberto Di Matteo could result in a memorable season for the Blues. Unexpectedly through to the final of the Champions League after heroics against Barcelona, they must beat Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena to qualify for next season’s competition and seal a memorable turnaround. An FA Cup triumph against Liverpool at Wembley was the domestic highlight for the west London club after a sixth place finish in the Premier League.

Di Matteo has reinvigorated the at-times failing old guard, who have proved that they are not ready for the scrapheap just yet. The ability of attackers Juan Mata and Daniel Sturridge has stood out, but one feels that Roman Abramovich must get his selection of manager right for the club to consistently challenge.

Everton

A season of two contrasting halves, Everton has recovered from a below-par start to the campaign to rediscover form and beat some of the leading teams in the league in the process. David Moyes has celebrated ten years in charge at Goodison Park with another top-half finish and the Scot has excelled given limited resources. Finishing in seventh, ahead of Merseyside rivals Liverpool, gives the club’s supporters local bragging rights, even if they were beaten three times by the Reds this term.

The January signing of Nikica Jelavic has been an inspired one, and the Croat marksman looks to have given the Merseysiders a cutting edge up front. The permanent resigning of Steven Pienaar would be a good move, but Moyes needs to ensure the likes of Leighton Baines and Marouane Fellaini do not leave this summer.

Fulham

Martin Jol took a while to get back into the swing of English football, but the Dutch maestro has ensured that Fulham have been competitive at worst and impressive when they hit their straps. A ninth place is no mean achievement, and they ended up joint on points with Liverpool; the Craven Cottage outfit will look at a top half finish as a strong season.

Clint Dempsey has been the standout player for the Cottagers, who will face a battle to hold onto the United States international this summer. Bryan Ruiz has improved after a slow start to life in England, whilst an attempt to make Pavel Pogrebnyak’s move permanent is expected.

Liverpool

Despite Carling Cup success and the progression to the FA Cup final, this term has not been one Liverpool will look back on fondly. Inconsistent form in the league, especially disappointing results at Anfield, saw the Reds finish in eighth place, with a woeful second half of the campaign threatening the Merseysiders with even dropping out of the top half.

Luis Suarez has shown his best and worst sides this term, with stellar individual performances being counteracted by his racism scandal. The Fenway Sports Group need to further invest in the playing squad if the Reds are rediscover former glories, it needs to select a worthy successor to Dalglish.

Manchester City

Last-day drama brought Manchester City their first title since 1968, with two goals in stoppage time against QPR proving the small margins between success and failure. The new champions have been the most consistent and impressive team this term, and despite winning the league on goal difference are worthy victors. Roberto Mancini’s men have been scintillating at times this term, and the likes of Sergio Aguero, David Silva and Yaya Toure are some of the country’s best.

More big names are expected to join the revolution this summer, with Eden Hazard reportedly the club’s number one transfer target. The future of talented troublemakers Mario Balotelli and Carlos Tevez is still up in the air, but Mancini’s men will look to retain their title and make an assault on the Champions League next term.

Manchester United

The defending champions had the Premier League title in their hands, but surrendered an eight-point lead to be beaten into second place on the last day. Sir Alex Ferguson’s men have not shown the panache and ruthlessness of previous sides, and the Scottish coach will be livid at the nature of relinquishing their crown.

United have undoubtedly missed injured senior campaigners Nemanja Vidic and Darren Fletcher, and have relied on Wayne Rooney for goals. Antonio Valencia has impressed and Paul Scholes coming out of retirement has provided a short-term fix in the centre of the park. The summer should see a couple of players leave, with a full-back and attacking midfielder on the transfer wishlist and needed if United are to wrestle the title back from their noisy neighbours.

Newcastle

The surprise package of the season, Newcastle should be praised for their considerable efforts this term in exceeding expectations and challenging for a top four spot. Although they ended up in fifth place after a last-day defeat to Everton, Alan Pardew and his team should be saluted for an excellent campaign.

Although the Tyneside club will look to strengthen in the transfer window, the real battle will be to hold onto their stars, with Yohan Cabaye, Demba Ba and Cheik Tiote in particular not short of suitors. The January signing of Papiss Cisse has been inspired, and the Senegal international has been one of the stars of this year’s campaign.

Norwich

Newly-promoted Norwich have abided fears that they could be instantly demoted back to The Championship with a no-fear approach and some excellent football along the way. Paul Lambert has his team believing in their abilities; the Carrow Road club finished in 12th place and were never in danger of the drop.

Grant Holt has been the club’s talisman by leading from the front, whilst Anthony Pilkington has looked accomplished and by no means out of his depth. The Canaries will look to be sensible and astute in this summer’s transfer market to ensure another competitive season in 2012-13.

QPR

QPR have had a tough season back in the top flight, and although they got markedly better since Tony Fernandes’ takeover and under Mark Hughes’ tutelage, they needed to wait to the last day of the season to guarantee Premier League football for next term. Excellent home form has been the reason for survival, with victories over Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham sticking out in the memory.

QPR have added some real quality since the turn of the year, with the likes of Djibril Cisse, Bobby Zamora and Taye Taiwo contributing to better performances. If the Londoners can sort out their form on the road, Fernandes’ money could power Rangers into a comfortable Premier League club next term.

Stoke

Stoke have flown under the radar slightly this season in the Premier League, with Tony Pulis’ men continuing to prove tricky customers without threatening the top half or risking relegation. The Potters had their first adventure in Europe, beating some established sides before they were eliminated from the Europa League by Spanish giants Valencia.

Peter Crouch has been a fans’ favourite since moving to the Britannia, and alongside Jonathan Walters has proved a handful for most defences this term, but not scored enough goals. However, for Stoke to really progress you feel added creativity in the centre of the park is needed this summer.

Sunderland

Again a tale of two halves of the season, Sunderland have avoided a relegation-threatened campaign with the replacement of Steve Bruce with Martin O’Neill. The Northern Irishman has added a steel to the Black Cats that was previously missing, but the honeymoon period started to rub off towards the end of the campaign. Despite this, a 13th placed finish will be satisfactory after a poor start to the campaign.

James McClean and Stephane Sessegnon have been the club’s standout performers this term, and O’Neill will look to add his own feel to the club this summer in the transfer market. A commanding central defender is needed to banish lapses in concentration at the back, whilst Nicklas Bendtner’s return to Arsenal will leave a gap in attack.

Swansea

First-time Premier League team Swansea have been arguably the team of the season, playing excellent football and surprising the footballing community with an assured debut campaign in the top flight. Brendan Rodgers employs an attacking brand of football that has to be admired, and the Liberty Stadium outfit will take pride in their wins over Arsenal and Manchester City in particular this term.

A gifted midfield of Leon Britton, Joe Allen and loan star Gylfi Sigurdsson has been the side’s heartbeat, and the Swans will look to make the latter’s move to Wales permanent and add a few more experienced heads to excel next term. An 11th placed finish is an outstanding achievement, in what has been a dream season for the Liberty Stadium club’s fans.

Tottenham

From title contenders to potentially missing out on European qualification altogether, Tottenham fans have been delighted and frustrated in equal measures this season. An at-times scintillating attacking style has seen Spurs within a couple of points of the top this term, but a loss of form since February threatened to destroy a promising campaign.

Spurs finished in fourth but are not assured Champions League football next term, as they must wait to see whether Chelsea will snatch their place by winning this term’s competition. Holding onto stars Luka Modric and Gareth Bale is crucial, whilst a new striker, central defender and in the long-term goalkeeper is needed to continue the White Hart Lane club’s charge for recognition.

West Brom

Roy Hodgson has turned West Brom’s season round since the new year, with a run of positive results moving the Baggies away from the relegation dogfight and comfortably into mid-table; they finished 10th. Such has been the progression of the Hawthorns club, that Hodgson has left the club to assume the England manager’s position.

Peter Odemwingie is arguably the most talented of an enthusiastic group, but has been linked with a move away from the club in the summer. West Brom have missed injured captain Chris Brunt, and need to solidify at the back to finish in the top half next year. Their search for a new manager will begin in earnest now that the campaign has finished.

Wigan

Perennial basement boys Wigan have again had an arduous journey in 2011-12, with the Latics seemingly leaving any resistance to the second half of the season when in danger of the drop. Roberto Martinez’s men have shown that they have what it takes to play in the top flight however by beating Manchester United, Newcastle and Arsenal this term and ended up in 15th place, seven points above the bottom three.

Victor Moses has been a revelation his season and captured the imagination with progressive displays. The DW Stadium club have done well given limited resources, and will look to add a few more lesser-known stars to the squad this summer.

Wolves

Wolves will play in The Championship next term, after a poor decision by the club’s board effectively ended their season. The sacking of Mick McCarthy, despite a bad run of form, has deflated the squad and Terry Connor has not been backed by the players, resulting in a woeful five wins in total this season.

The club will most likely lose their star players such as Steven Fletcher, Wayne Hennessy, Matt Jarvis and Kevin Doyle, and will look to regroup and bounce straight back after demotion to English football’s second tier. Stale Solbakken is set to be announced as the club’s new manager, and the Molineux outfit fans will look to put this season’s disappointments behind them.

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If you have 5 minutes, the following video is a must-see. It’s a collection of some of the best videos that capture the reactions from fans to Sergio Aguero scoring the Premier League title winning goal in added time.

The video features reactions from Manchester United and Manchester City fans. You’ll see an diverse range of emotions on display here. There’s laughter, pain, delirium, depression, defeat and pure ecstasy.

Enjoy!

Well, now that’s done, let’s get to the good stuff, shall we? Manchester City won the league in emphatic fashion on Sunday, though their loyal fans had to wait until stoppage time against a side fighting relegation to celebrate. And celebrate they did. Supporters swarmed the pitch, with players unable to hide their delight at finally toppling their cross-town neighbors, ending 50 years of hurt. But the methodical Roberto Mancini was wasting no time. On to the next season, preparation for pre-season, and a few difficult decisions await him. To make his load easier, I’ve helped him by making a list of players to waste money on this summer. The Italian desperately needs to replace Roque Santa Cruz and David “We Signed Him on a Risk-Free Loan” Pizzaro, and I have better things to do, but here goes nothing. Feel free to help Mancini as well by swearing me out in the comments section below. I want everyone to feel included.

I am also methodical, though I am neither Italian, nor a recipient of a seven figure pay check. I’ve divided the areas Mancini needs to address into areas of the pitch, which is a novel idea, and I expect many to follow suit. Here it goes.

Goalkeepers:

Joe Hart, the colorful youth product of Shrewsbury Town, has a firm grasp on the number 1 spot at the Etihad Stadium, as well as the other grounds his side travels to next season. Ever since his impressive loan spell at Birmingham City, Hart has been first choice for club and country, and none of that should change. His backup, the impressively-named Costel Pantillimon, has looked solid in cup matches, and seems content deputizing for Hart when necessary. Surely an improvement on Martin Fulop.

Defenders:

In the full back areas, no purchases are necessary. Micah Richards rediscovered the form that saw him break into the England side at 19, while his deputy, Pablo Zabaleta, was solid backup. At left back, Clichy justified his low price tag in defence, while Kolarov’s cup cameos were just as productive.

At center back, Stefan Savic, though earning me extra points for alliteration, serves very little purpose in the City squad other than being a royal screw-up. That is often mitigated by the fact that Vincent Kompany was voted Player of the Year by the FA, Kolo Toure is really intimidating, and Joleon Lescott is left-footed, British, and thuggy, therefore deserves a spot in any team. However, with Lescott nearly costing City the league on Sunday, Toure never looking like the same player since his malaria infection in 2004, and Kompany the only mainstay, Mancini should look elsewhere for reinforcements at the back. But where?

Giorgio Chiellini, the Italian international, has had a phenomenal season, leading Juventus to an unbeaten season and filling in at left back when needed. He is the first name on the team sheet, and traditionally has dominated encounters with top strikers such as Ibrahimovic and Cavani. With fellow Italians Mancini and Balotelli already at City, the next season may be the opportunity for Giorgio Chiellini to announce himself to the rest of the world, which is the sporting equivalent of England. Giorgio Chiellini may have the opportunity to show English fans he is a good player. That’s what I was trying to say.

However, he is settled at Juventus, having just won Serie A legitimately for the first time. Where else to look?

Sunny Spain is where Alberto Botia plays for Sporting Gijon, and evidence points to him being a good signing for the Citizens. The Barcelona youth product has had an impressive few seasons at the heart of his club’s defense since Gijon’s promotion in 2008, which has sparked interest from none other than his former club. Next season, Sporting will be in the second tier of Spanish football, and Botia will not want to be among them. It is counterintuitive- a reinforcement at the Etihad Stadium on the cheap- but it might just work. Chances are he’s better than Stefan Savic.

Other options lie in Udinese’s Moroccan center back Mehdi Benatia, whose name is fun to say and has been linked with Manchester United, Shakhtar’s Yaroslav Rakitsky, and Stephane M’Bia of Marseille.

Midfielders:

Undoubtedly, Manchester City’s midfield with Nasri, Silva, De Jong, Yaya Toure, Barry, Milner and er, Owen Hargreaves is the best in the country. To add to the riches, City possess a promising lad in the youth team by the name of Michael Johnson, who based on his performances on loan at Leicester City, merits a shot at first-team football. Joking aside, City could do with an extra midfielder, not least because Bobby doesn’t have enough of them to defend a 2-0 lead against Fulham.

A backup for the destructive Yaya Toure could go a long way. Who? A French-African midfielder fits the bill and City could do far worse than Moussa Sissoko. The French international is only 22, but has made close to 200 appearances for Toulouse. He has plenty of experience, being one of the goody-goodies who didn’t fall out with Raymond Domenech in South Africa. Sissoko has been linked to Manchester City in the past, though a €30 million price tag was enough to dilute interest. However, the opportunity to work with Yaya Toure, and a shot at Champions League glory may be too much for the young Frenchman to turn down this time around. He was first used a holding player, but is now mainly used further forward. Sound familiar?

I’m required to list other options, though if Manchester City want something, they’ll get it. They’ll just go and grab it. Oh, Eden Hazard- who shares a Christian name with Dzeko- has gone and added heat to the race for his signature by revealing he will sign for one, and only one, Manchester side this summer. Metaphorically, he could walk into any team in the world, and City would be glad to have the opportunity to open that door for him. Metaphorically. But that’s still a saga, and it is oh so suspenseful. Expect whipped cream to be involved, and it will be in abundance if Hazard plays behind Balotelli and Tevez in an attacking trident. Three big personalities right there.

If a move for Sissoko doesn’t work out, alternatives include Stephane M’Bia, equally adept as a defender, and Esteban Cambiasso. If Hazard becomes a red, breaking the bank for Mario Goetze or Lavezzi would be an adequate answer… breaking the bank, who am I kidding?

Strikers:

This is the most controversial area, and it makes me want to add a pun in reference to Balotelli and scoring, but I’ve said too much already. The signing of Aguero last summer added one of the world’s top forwards to a side already possessing Dzeko, Balotelli, and Tevez. However, with Dzeko being Dzeko, Balotelli not running out of crazy things to do, and Tevez pursuing an alternative career in golf, Kun Aguero was the only reliable forward for the duration of the season. And while they all came together in the end- Tevez making up with Mancini, Dzeko not being rubbish, and Balotelli putting his bad-boy act on hold- there is a good chance that past problems will plague City again. I’d love to go ahead and be blunt, actually. City does not have enough strikers. They need more. Must obey…

John Guidetti, young and Swedish, was absolutely electric on loan at Feyenoord, scoring a lot and impressing many in 6 months. His tally of 20 goals in 23 games merits a chance of first team football at the Etihad Stadium, and it would prove many doubters wrong if a multi-million pound signing and a youth team product were the first-choice strike partnership for the Premier League champions. Of course, that is the case currently for Manchester United: Danny Welbeck came back from a loan spell at Sunderland to replace Javier Hernandez in the starting 11. Guidetti may just be next season’s Welbeck.

Other options include David Villa, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Ronaldo, Cavani, Andy Carroll (?), Falcao, Neymar, Messi, Eto’o, Jesus Christ, and the emotion “fear”. Might as well.

Am I missing anything? Ah, yes.

The Manager:

No changes necessary here.

Manchester City’s new home shirt for the 2012-13 season will be sky blue with black trim, according to a new leaked photo of the Premier League champions shirt.

Three weeks ago, we revealed what the Manchester City home jersey would look like, and the new leaked image (shown above) is an even better close-up of what the shirt will look like.

The new Manchester City home shirt for next season will feature a black collar, and black Manchester City crest, Umbro logo and sponsor name. This will be the last time that Manchester City will be wearing an Umbro shirt fot the next year, as Nike has signed on to be the official kit supplier beginning with the 2013-14 season.

What do you think of Manchester City’s new home shirt? As with most Umbro designs, it’s clean, elegant and distinguished. It’s a definite thumbs up from me. What do you think? Share your opinions in the comments section below.

On the final day of the 2012-13 Premier League season, the incredible match between Manchester City and Queens Park Rangers on ESPN2 was viewed by a US audience of 600,000 people according to Nielsen.

The Sunday, May 13 broadcast between 9:30am-12:15pm ET scored a 0.5 household coverage rating, and was watched in 467,000 households by 600,000 viewers.

The live Premier League match was also shown live on ESPN Deportes, where the telecast had a 3.1 Hispanic households coverage rating, and was watched by 189,000 viewers.

The above numbers are very promising for ESPN considering that the games were shown on a Sunday morning (typically a quieter time of the week due to Americans going to church, etc). Plus, there were nine other Premier League matches shown live across several FOX TV and Internet properties. And many people may have been watching the game on ESPN3 instead of ESPN2.

TV ratings from the FOX properties have not yet been made available, but as soon as we hear from FOX, we’ll post them on this site.

It’s hard for me to put into words what I witnessed on Sunday in the Premier League without sounding like a child trying to describe my first ever trip to Disney World. I’m usually against throwing out the usual clichés of “Greatest game ever” especially so soon after it just happened. Emotions are still high and it is tough to think clearly and really put into perspective what we just watched. I’m not going to proclaim this the “Greatest Game Ever” just yet. Let’s give it a while to marinate and see how it does stack up against some of the best games of all time. But what I can say is that for one moment, millions upon millions of people across the world all had the same reaction when Sergio Aguero scored that title winning goal. Whether you were shouting it at the top of your lungs or muttering it in absolute disbelief, there was some form of “Oh My God” that was being expressed at the end of that match. Those are the moments that sports fans live for and those are the moments that make sports of any kind so great. On Sunday it didn’t matter if you were a fan of any of the teams involved, or if you were even a fan of soccer. As long as you were a fan of sports and drama, you had just witnessed one of the greatest moments in sporting history.

The goal itself is something that everybody who has participated in any sport dreams of doing, scoring a game winner as time expires to win the title. Anyone who has played a sport has run that same exact scenario through their head at some point in their lives. Whether you’re playing basketball by yourself in your driveway, taking batting practice in baseball, playing a pick up football game (American or World football) or whatever sport it is that you played or are currently playing. In that one moment we could all identify with Kun Aguero and were living vicariously through him. I’m sure there are a few United fans out there who would disagree with that statement since it was their team who was ultimately on the losing end, but even the most hardened United fan has to have some deal of respect for the way that game ended. Even though it hurt that United lost the title, you still have to appreciate the fact that it happened in the most dramatic fashion, something that is rarely ever seen when it comes to deciding the title on the final day. You can throw out all the arguments you want about how City “bought” the title (another article for another day), but unless you’re the most irrational super fan that the world has ever seen, you have to pay respect when it’s due. It was one of those moments where you sit back and just marvel at how it all came together. Man United fans can take solace in the fact that it took an incredible piece of magic for City to win the title this year.

For those of us in the United States, one of the other factors that helped in the build-up to this incredible final day of the season was the superb job done by FOX and ESPN in their coverage of the final games. Granted there wasn’t as much drama in the other games, but there was still plenty to take in from the final day. Notably, the main factor that played into the drama of the final day was the availability of all the games on different platforms. Personally I was watching three games at once, flipping between the Man United and Arsenal games on my big screen, watching Newcastle on my laptop and watching the Manchester City game on my phone. It’s that ability to flip between multiple games and finding the most exciting ones that adds to the entire experience. Anyone who has watched the first and second rounds of the NCAA Basketball tournament here in America would probably agree that it had that feel and excitement to it. The ability to choose the games you want to watch adds a whole new dimension to your viewing experience. But ultimately with all the choices that were available to you, once the games got to the 80th minute, you would have to be mental not to give a flip over to the City game to see if they could pull the title back from United. Overall the coverage of the entire day was spectacular from my perspective, from the in-game updates to the ability to watch whatever game you want. It was something to behold.

Overall, Survival Sunday (or whatever you want to call it) was a smashing success for everyone involved. Watching the title change hands several times throughout the day, watching QPR and Bolton fight between who would be relegated and who would stay up, it’s that kind of drama that makes sports great. But that kind of drama can be found in any sport. Football, baseball, basketball, soccer, cricket — heck even Curling has drama involved in it. If you’re a fan of sport and you take the time, you can find the drama involved in whatever event you’re watching. I know many people who aren’t the biggest fans of soccer who came away from Sunday saying “Wow that was absolutely incredible.” Maybe I’m a bit on the strange side, but I do believe that if you give any sport a chance, you can be wowed by what you’re watching. After what happened on Sunday, I guarantee there are a few new fans of soccer are out there. So whether you had a dog in the fight or were just watching as a neutral, there was no way you couldn’t appreciate what you were watching.

If there was one thing I could tell United fans it’s this, I know it stings now that you lost, but be glad that you were a part of one of the defining moments in Premier League history. So rather than belittle what City achieved by yelling about history or bringing up Wayne Rooney’s dubious “Goal of the 20 seasons” award, how about just appreciating the moment in its entirety? I know that sounds like a condescending statement and maybe one day I’ll have to take my own advice. But all the complaining and downplaying is not a good look when you actually take in what you were a part of. You’re going to be back in the hunt next year and hey, who knows, maybe it will be you who has that next “Wow” moment. That’s the glory of sport.

More than 61,000 votes cast by soccer fans worldwide to recognize the best of the 2011-12 English Premier League (EPL) season

We’re proud to announce today the winners of our 4th annual EPL Awards, sponsored by Football Media. The 2012 winners are chosen by the readers and editors of EPL Talk, and honor the best soccer content and performances of the 2011-12 Premier League season.

“We rely on the EPL Talk readers to drive our annual readers choice awards, because they are among the most demanding and knowledgeable soccer fans on the planet,” said EPL Talk Editor and Publisher Christopher Harris. “Websites, podcasts and blogs are critical to keeping soccer fans constantly updated throughout the season, so when a nominee earns recognition in our awards, it really means something.”

The EPL Awards are based on the responses of thousands of EPL Talk readers, who voted from May 2 to May 13, 2012. The online ballot, which was compiled by the editors of EPL Talk, included more than 400 nominees. In addition to the readers choice awards, the editors of EPL Talk selected an Editor’s Choice Winner for each category.

Here’s the list of winners for each individual category:

Best EPL Blogs, Websites and Books

Best EPL Blog

• Dirty Tackle (Yahoo), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Blogger

• Brooks Peck (Dirty Tackle), Readers Choice Winner
• Kieron O’Connor (The Swiss Ramble), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Club Blog

• ToffeeWeb (Everton), Readers Choice Winner
• ArseBlog (Arsenal), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Coverage Online

• The Guardian, Readers Choice Winner and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Writer

• Jonathan Wilson (The Guardian), Readers Choice Winner
• David Conn (The Guardian), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Forum

• Grand Old Team (Everton), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Tweeter

• ArseBlogger (ArseBlog), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best New Football Book

• The Smell Of Football (Mick Rathbone), Readers Choice Winner
• Brian Clough: Nobody Ever Says Thank You (Jonathan Wilson), Editors Choice Winner

Best Online Football Game

• Top Eleven, Readers Choice Winner
• I AM PLAYR, Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL TV, Radio and Podcast Coverage

Best EPL TV Feature Show

• Fox Soccer Report (FOX Soccer), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Goal Highlights Show

• Match Of The Day (BBC), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL TV Commentator

• Martin Tyler (Sky Sports), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL TV Co-Commentator

• Gary Neville (Sky Sports), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Video Site

• 101 Great Goals, Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Podcast

• Men In Blazers, Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Podcast Presenter

• Alan Davies (Tuesday Club), Readers Choice Winner
• James Richardson (The Guardian), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Podcast Pundit

• Keith Dover (Tuesday Club), Readers Choice Winner
• Roger Bennett (Men In Blazers), Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Club Podcast

• The Anfield Wrap (Liverpool), Readers Choice Winner
• The Spurs Show (Tottenham), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Radio Show

• 606 Football Phone-In (BBC), Readers Choice Winner
• World Football Phone-In (BBC), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Players and Managers

EPL Player of the Year

• Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Manager

• Sir Alex Ferguson (Manchester United), Readers Choice Winner
• Roberto Mancini (Manchester City), Editors Choice Winner

Most Improved EPL Manager

• Alan Pardew (Newcastle United), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Striker

• Robin van Persie (Arsenal), Readers Choice and Editors Choice Winners

Best EPL Midfielder

• Antonio Valencia (Manchester United), Readers Choice Winner
• Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Defender

• Jonny Evans (Manchester United), Readers Choice Winner
• Vincent Kompany (Manchester City), Editors Choice Winner

Best EPL Goalkeeper

• David De Gea (Manchester United), Readers Choice Winner
• Joe Hart (Manchester City), Editors Choice Winner

A complete list of nominees and winners can be found at www.epltalk.com/awards
About Football Media
Football Media have helped more than 150 football sites like EPLTalk.com increase their revenues, and help brands like adidas, Heineken, FedEx, Castrol, Ladbrokes, ESPN and Sky reach over 30 million online football fans each month. For more details, visit footballmedia.com.

What did Sergio Aguero’s winning goal for Manchester City against Queens Park Rangers sound like for viewers in Argentina?

In what was one of the most thrilling ends to a Premier League season, the commentary in Argentina was even more exciting because Argentine Sergio Kun Aguero scored the winner.

As you can hear on the above video, the celebrations were spectacular. The commentator even tried to rub into sore wounds — presumably at Manchester United supporters, seeing their Premier League title aspirations drift away.

Watch the above video before the Premier League asks YouTube to remove it!