Season Dates: August 2011 – May 2012
Champions: Manchester City
Top Scorer (Golden Boot): Robin van Persie (Arsenal) – 30 goals
Relegated Teams: Bolton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, Wolverhampton Wanderers
European Qualification:
Champions League: Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea (via UCL win)
Europa League: Tottenham Hotspur, Newcastle United, Liverpool (via League Cup win)
Season Overview:
The 2011/12 Premier League season delivered one of the most dramatic finales in football history. Manchester City, led by Roberto Mancini, won their first league title in 44 years in the most dramatic fashion imaginable. Sergio Agüero’s stoppage-time winner against QPR on the final day secured City the title on goal difference over rivals Manchester United.
Manchester United finished level on points with City but lost the title on goal difference. Arsenal secured third place, while Chelsea finished sixth but qualified for the Champions League by winning the competition. Tottenham finished fourth but missed out on Champions League qualification due to Chelsea’s European victory.
At the bottom, Wolves, Blackburn, and Bolton were relegated. Robin van Persie claimed the Golden Boot with 30 goals in what proved to be his final season at the club, and City’s defensive solidity and attacking power proved crucial in their historic campaign.
Month-by-Month Breakdown
August 2011 – The Season Begins
Manchester United and Manchester City both started strongly, with City thrashing Tottenham 5-1 at White Hart Lane.
Player of the Month: Edin Džeko (Manchester City)
September 2011 – United and City Set the Pace
Manchester United and City dominated, while Arsenal struggled, including an 8-2 loss to United where Arsene Wenger was outclassed to the highest degree by Sir Alex Ferguson
Player of the Month: David Silva (Manchester City)
October 2011 – City Humiliate United
Manchester City thrashed Manchester United 6-1 at Old Trafford, sending a powerful title statement to their cross-city rivals, with Mario Balotteli’s ‘Why Always Me?’ celebration still talked about to this day.
Player of the Month: Robin van Persie (Arsenal)
November 2011 – Newcastle Impress
Newcastle remained unbeaten in their first 11 games with a rather exciting squad, surprising many under Alan Pardew,
Player of the Month: Scott Parker (Tottenham)
December 2011 – Festive Period Drama
Chelsea struggled, while Manchester City held top spot heading into the new year.
Player of the Month: Demba Ba (Newcastle)
January 2012 – United Close the Gap
Manchester United closed in on City, while Thierry Henry returned to Arsenal on loan by the MLS and scored against Leeds in the FA Cup.
Player of the Month: Gareth Bale (Tottenham)
February 2012 – Arsenal’s Revival
Arsenal surged into the top four, while City struggled away from home, with some questioning whether their players had the experience and know-how to get over the line.
Player of the Month: Peter Odemwingie (West Brom)
March 2012 – The Title Race Tightens
United moved ahead of City after a crucial win over Tottenham, but the race remained close.
Player of the Month: Gylfi Sigurðsson (Swansea City)
April 2012 – City’s Comeback Begins
City defeated United 1-0 at the Etihad, regaining control of the title race with two games to go.
Player of the Month: Nikica Jelavic (Everton)
May 2012 – Agüerooooooooo!
Manchester City’s historic stoppage-time comeback against QPR secured the title in the most dramatic fashion in Premier League history. One of football’s most iconic moments.
Season Stats & Key Records
Golden Boot & Top Goal Scorers
- Robin van Persie (Arsenal) – 30 goals
- Wayne Rooney (Manchester United) – 27 goals
- Sergio Agüero (Manchester City) – 23 goals
Most Assists
- David Silva (Manchester City) – 15 assists
- Juan Mata (Chelsea) – 13 assists
- Antonio Valencia (Manchester United) – 13 assists
Golden Glove (Most Clean Sheets)
- Joe Hart (Manchester City) – 17 clean sheets
- Tim Krul (Newcastle) – 15 clean sheets
- Brad Friedel (Tottenham) – 14 clean sheets
Big Matches & Moments
Best Match: Arsenal 5-2 Tottenham (February 26, 2012) – A thrilling North London Derby comeback saw Arsenal prove to their North London rivals that London was Red.
Biggest Upset: Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City (October 23, 2011) – A stunning statement win for City on route to winning their first title in four deca.des
Most Dramatic Match: Manchester City 3-2 QPR (May 13, 2012) – The most dramatic final-day finish in Premier League history, with Aguero scoring late to write his name in the history books and hand the Blue half of Manchester the title.
Best Goal: Papiss Cissé (Newcastle vs Chelsea – May 2, 2012) – A sensational outside-foot strike that seemed to defy logic and physics.
Managerial Changes
- Sunderland – Steve Bruce sacked (November 30, 2011) – replaced by Martin O’Neill
- Queens Park Rangers – Neil Warnock sacked (January 8, 2012) – replaced by Mark Hughes
- Wolverhampton – Mick McCarthy sacked (February 13, 2012) – replaced by Terry Connor
- Chelsea – André Villas-Boas sacked (March 4, 2012) – replaced by Roberto Di Matteo
Transfers & Squad Movement
- Sergio Agüero – Atlético Madrid to Manchester City – £38m
- Samir Nasri – Arsenal to Manchester City – £25m
- Juan Mata – Valencia to Chelsea – £23.5m
Awards & Honors
- Premier League Manager of the Season: Alan Pardew (Newcastle)
- Premier League Player of the Season: Vincent Kompany (Manchester City)
- Premier League Young Player of the Season: Kyle Walker (Tottenham)
- Premier League Goal of the Season: Papiss Cissé (Newcastle vs Chelsea – May 2, 2012)
European Performance
- Chelsea – UCL Winner
- Arsenal UCL Round of 16 by AC Milan
- Manchester United – UCL Group Stage and UEL Round of 16 by Atletic Bilbao
- Manchester City – UCL Group Stage and UEL Round of 16 by Sporting CP
- Tottenham Hotspur – UEL Group Stage
- Stoke City – UEL Round of 32 by Valencia
- Birmingham City – UEL Group Stage
