It is the 94th minute of the match. Manchester City vs QPR. Final matchday of the 2011-12 Premier League season. The score is currently 2-2.
As things stand, Manchester United will take home the title after their away win against Sunderland. With a block of defenders in front of him, Sergio Aguero lays the ball off to Balotelli and continues his run looking for a one-two. Balotelli holds the defender off with his strength and finds Aguero, whose first touch takes him away from the desperate sliding challenge, and he sets himself up for a shot...............
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AAANDD THE GOALKEEPER KEEPS IT OUT!!
Paddy Kenny is able to parry the shot away for a corner, and QPR manage to clear the danger from the ensuing corner. The referee blows the final whistle, and the City players can't believe it. They sink to the ground in despair, and boos reverberate around the Etihad Stadium.
City had faltered at the last moment and failed to seize the opportunity to win their first title in 44 years.
Of course we know that's not what happened! Aguero tucked away the chance and celebrated wildly with City fans around the world, marking a historic moment for the club under Sheikh Mansour. But in this segment of our "What-if" series, we examine a world where Aguero didn't score "that" goal. How different things would have been?
#1 Robin Van Persie would have stayed at Arsenal
Ferguson picked up his phone in 2012 and made the famous call that reportedly made Wenger agree reluctantly to sell Van Persie to their direct rivals United. Van Persie chose the number 20 shirt, claiming that he was aiming to help Manchester United win their 20th league title. Next season, they did indeed cruise on to achieve exactly that.
It was clear Ferguson was annoyed at having lost out on the title to City due to goal difference. Securing Van Persie was a direct move to boost their goal-scoring numbers, and they went on to score 20 goals more than City the next season.
However, cast a glance at the forward options United already had at the time – Rooney, Welbeck, Javier Hernandez – and you wouldn't really have thought they needed another forward. In our parallel world, Ferguson wins the title in 2012 and decides there are other areas of the squad that need more attention. After all, they had scored 89 goals in 2011-12; not a paltry figure by any means.
Van Persie would have stayed at Arsenal. Even though interest from Manchester City would have turned his head, he would decide against joining a club who had just an FA Cup as yet to show for their renaissance under the new ownership.
#2 Mancini would have been sacked
Almost four years into the takeover by Abu Dhabi United investment group, City still had just one FA Cup to show for all their wealth. Heading into the final day of 2011-12 season, Mancini's future was by no means a foregone conclusion. Two and half seasons into his reign, patience with Mancini had started to wane; tangible success was crucial to secure his future.
In our story, having bottled their best chance at a league title for decades, Mancini would definitely have been sacked in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. It is not immediately clear who would have replaced him then – perhaps eventual manager Pellegrini would have taken over one year earlier (it is doubtful Guardiola would want to try his hand in the Premier League immediately after his Barcelona stint).
In any case, Mancini's position would have been untenable, and the club and the fans would bid him goodbye.
#3 City would still be waiting for their first PL title
Back in the real world, City have won two PL titles till date. The famous 2012 title, and the nearly-as-famous 2013-14 title when City held their nerve after Gerrard's slip to snatch the title from Liverpool in the final three weeks of the season.
Pellegrini and Rodgers were unequivocal in their assessment that City's previous experience at having seen a title challenge through had helped them greatly.
Back to our fictional world, and City has again justified their reputation for choking by losing out on the title in 2012. Would such a team be resolute and resilient enough to see off Everton at Goodison Park in May 2014, with the whole world's eyes on them, the pressure breathing down their neck? Unlikely, isn't it?
#4 Guardiola would have gone to Manchester United
It is 2016. Guardiola has decided he has had enough of Bayern Munich. Having won the league title in 6 of his 7 seasons as a first division manager, there is no lack of suitors for him. Having managed clubs in Spain and Germany, Guardiola decides his next challenge is proving himself in England, who pride themselves on the most competitive domestic football league (supposedly).
He gets an offer from City. The offer is attractive to him, particularly since they have laid a lot of groundwork in trying to secure his services, that too for several years. But then there is a rival offer from United – who have decided to part ways with Louis van Gaal. Ferguson has openly spoken of his admiration for Guardiola in the past.
Guardiola decides the City job doesn't hold enough glamour for him. Waiting for their first league title since 1968, City would be totally out of sync compared to the two clubs he had managed till then – both giants in their respective countries with proud histories to speak of.
United, then, would be a logical choice; and the club would breathe a sigh of relief after the disappointments of the Moyes and Van Gaal eras.
#5 Mourinho would have gone to PSG – and Zlatan would stay there
Sacked by Chelsea after the horrendous start to 2015-16 season, Mourinho would be on the lookout for a new club. With Guardiola having taken over at United, Mourinho's long cherished dream of presiding over the dugout at Old Trafford would have to be shelved for the time being.
Having sacked Laurent Blanc despite winning Ligue 1 by 31 points, PSG would come calling. Being on the lookout for a manager with proven pedigree in European competition, who else fits the bill more perfectly than a manager with two CL titles and several semifinal appearances to his name?
Mourinho would move to PSG. Consequently, he would convince Ibrahimovic to stay for one more season. In the absence of viable offers (other than from the likes of USA and China), Zlatan would decide to stay – and the pair would take Ligue 1 and Champions League by storm in the 2016-17 season.
