The thrilling twists and turns of the Premier League title race have led some observers to suggest we could witness one of the greatest ever finishes to a season when the final games are played on Sunday.
The absence of serial winners Manchester United from this season’s title contenders has changed the picture -- but this is far from being the first title chase to go to the final day of the season.
From the sensational last-gasp goal that gave Arsenal victory in their 1989 showdown with Liverpool to Blackburn’s dramatic triumph in 1995 and a host of nail-biting wins for Manchester’s big two clubs, football fans have witnessed some captivating end-of-season drama.
City stun United first time around (1967-68)
The 1967-68 season is widely remembered in England for Manchester United’s European Cup final win against Benfica at Wembley, but Manchester City fans are quick to remind their rivals that they had their own glory to cherish.
A star-studded United side led by George Best and Bobby Charlton needed to beat Sunderland at Old Trafford on the final day of the season to be champions but cracked under the pressure and went down to a defeat that handed City the trophy after they beat Newcastle 4-3 at St James' Park.
Arsenal's double delight (1970-71)
The image of Charlie George flat on his back on to the Wembley turf after his winning goal in the 1971 FA Cup final is a memory many Arsenal fans hold dear, yet the club’s first league and cup Double nearly didn’t happen as they headed into the final day of the Division One season with Leeds hot on their heels.
A trip to face Tottenham at White Hart Lane was hardly the ideal fixture to have on such a high-pressure occasion, but Ray Kennedy's goal secured the title for the Gunners.
Arsenal's mission impossible (1988-89)
As the horrors of the Hillsborough disaster cast a terrible shadow over the final weeks of the season, Arsenal’s last-ditch triumph against Liverpool provided one of the game’s most thrilling moments.
With the North Londoners needing to win 2-0 to snatch the title from the Reds, Anfield was stunned as Michael Thomas raced through in injury time to flick the ball past Bruce Grobbelaar and hand George Graham’s Gunners a famous victory. Thomas became a Liverpool player two years later and remained at Anfield for seven seasons.
Blackburn get lucky (1994-95)
For years after the last-day drama of the 1994-95 season, Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson lamented his side’s failure to beat West Ham at Upton Park in a game that could have given them another Premier League crown.
Blackburn’s defeat at Anfield opened the door for United to get over the finishing line first, but Kenny Dalglish and his side were saved by a glut of missed United chances in East London, and skipper Tim Sherwood gleefully lifted the trophy.
Keegan didn't love it (1996-97)
Manchester United made no mistake on the final day of the campaign as they took advantage of Newcastle's faltering form to secure the title with a 3-0 win at Middlesbrough.
The glory appeared to be Newcastle’s to lose until an end-of-season collapse that inspired Magpies manager Kevin Keegan to hit the TV screens with his infamous "I’d love it if we beat them" rant. United added the FA Cup to their trophy haul a few days later.
The treble dream kicks off (1998-99)
Manchester United navigated a host of dramas en route to their historic treble in 1999, but they could so easily have lost out to Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal in the Premier League before making history with their Champions League final win over Bayern Munich.
When Tottenham took a shock lead at Old Trafford on the last day of the domestic season, they threatened to become assistants to a Gunners title before goals from David Beckham and Andy Cole saw United home. Relief was mixed with joy at Old Trafford as Ferguson’s team picked up the trophy once more.
Chelsea fall short (2007-08)
Chelsea manager Avram Grant looked poised to turn himself into a Stamford Bridge hero as he closed in on Premier League and Champions League glory in the final weeks of his first campaign in England’s top division.
A win against United at Stamford Bridge three games from the end of the campaign fuelled Chelsea hopes, but they were to come up short after United won their final match of the season against Wigan thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs. United then added to Chelsea’s agony by beating them on penalties in the Champions League final in Moscow a couple weeks later.
Chelsea win it in style (2009-10)
Nothing less than a victory on the final day of the season would do for Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea as they looked to fend off the challenge of Manchester United, and they achieved it in the grand manner.
Roberto Martinez’s Wigan were no match for a rampant Blues side who converted a 2-0 half-time lead into an 8-0 winning margin. It meant United’s 4-0 win at Stoke counted for little as the celebrations began at Stamford Bridge. Ancelotti completed the Double a week later but was sacked the following season.
City's finest hour (2011-12)
It seemed impossible for any team to usurp Arsenal’s 1989 title for sheer drama, but Manchester City achieved that and more as they scored two goals in injury time against Queens Park Rangers to deny United another triumph.
United dared to believe they had snatched the crown as their game at Sunderland finished in a 1-0 victory with City still trying to find a winner. Then, a never-to-be-forgotten Sergio Aguero goal arrived with the last gasp of the season. We might never see the like of it again.