Going into the final day of the season needing a victory to win the Premier League was not new for Manchester City. And that was exactly what they needed to do in 2022.

Beat Aston Villa and they were champions. Liverpool were only one point behind, so anything less would give them the opportunity to take the title. After 37 games, the whole season had come down to one afternoon in late May.

City were at the Etihad and huge favourites. For Aston Villa, there was very little riding on the game. With 15 minutes left, City were 2–0 down and the Premier League title looked like it was heading to Anfield.

Then came five minutes of complete madness.

A Nervous Etihad

It was a typical City performance in terms of possession, but they never really looked comfortable. They had dominated the Premier League for the previous few years, but today they were feeling the nerves. Villa defended well and the longer it stayed 0–0, the more nervous the Etihad became.

Then, in the 37th minute, the nightmare started. Lucas Digne crossed from the left and Matty Cash arrived at the back post to head past Ederson. Manchester City 0–1 Aston Villa.

Cheers went up in the away end, but you can imagine there were plenty at Anfield too. Liverpool had exactly what they wanted. City went into half-time behind, knowing the title was no longer completely in their own hands.

Coutinho Makes It Two

City pushed after the break, but Villa were difficult to break down. Then it got even worse.

In the 69th minute, Philippe Coutinho controlled a long ball, worked himself into space and fired low past Ederson. 0–2.

Who else but Coutinho? A former Liverpool player, playing for a Villa side managed by a Liverpool legend. It almost felt written in the stars. For a moment, it looked like Coutinho and Steven Gerrard were helping Liverpool out one final time.

City had just over 20 minutes to score three goals. For the first time all season, it felt like they might finally have run out of answers.

But this was Manchester City. It was never really over.

Gündoğan Gives Them Hope

Pep Guardiola had introduced İlkay Gündoğan from the bench. In the 76th minute, Raheem Sterling found space on the right and sent a cross towards the back post. Gündoğan was there.

Header. 1–2.

It did not win City anything on its own, but suddenly the stadium had life again. The confidence was back and the Etihad finally had something to believe in. After looking down and out for most of the game, City had something to chase.

And it was coming.

Rodri

Two minutes later, the ball fell to Rodri on the edge of the area. Low finish. Bottom corner. 2–2.

Just like that, the whole mood inside the stadium had changed. And you can imagine the mood at Anfield had changed just as quickly. At 0–2, people were probably starting to accept that the title was slipping away. At 1–2, there was hope. At 2–2, you almost knew another chance was coming.

Villa looked completely different. The side that had defended so well for most of the afternoon was now desperately trying to survive. City needed one more.

Five Minutes

Kevin De Bruyne collected the ball and drove towards the Villa box. He kept going, worked his way past the challenge and fired the ball across goal.

At the back post was Gündoğan. Tap-in.

Manchester City 3–2 Aston Villa.

The Etihad completely lost it. City had gone from 2–0 down to 3–2 ahead in around five minutes. It was not over just yet, but Villa looked absolutely stunned. The title had gone from heading towards Liverpool to being back in Manchester.

All in five minutes.

The Goal Timeline

Liverpool Did Their Job

Liverpool beat Wolves 3–1 at Anfield. They did everything they could, which makes that Gündoğan goal even more important. City needed it.

There was no situation where they could look back afterwards and say the result at Anfield had saved them. Every one of those three goals mattered.

It was another final day where Manchester City somehow managed to make winning the Premier League as stressful as possible. Ten years earlier, it had been Agüero against QPR. This time, it was Gündoğan.

The Perfect Substitute

Gündoğan had started the game on the bench. He came on in the 68th minute and eight minutes later he had scored. Five minutes after that, he scored again.

Pep had got his substitution completely right. Gündoğan was never the loudest character in that City side, but on this day he produced two of their biggest goals and one of the defining moments of the Guardiola era.

Five Minutes That Won the League

For 75 minutes, Manchester City were heading towards one of the biggest final-day collapses in Premier League history. They had the title in their hands. They were at home. And they were two goals down.

Then everything changed.

Gündoğan. Rodri. Gündoğan again.

Five minutes that turned disaster into another Premier League title.