Pablo Zabaleta recalls his forgotten goal in Man City's 2012 title win | OneFootball

Pablo Zabaleta says he still wishes Manchester City’s final match of the 2011/12 season had finished 1-0.

That game against Queens Park Rangers has gone down in English football folklore as the most dramatic climax to a Premier League season ever due to Sergio Agüero’s 94th minute title-winning goal.

But many people forget that it was Zabaleta who broke the deadlock at the Etihad Stadium that day, and the Argentine has admitted that he secretly still resents Agüero for stealing his thunder.

“I always say to Sergio, I can’t believe you were so sure with the 93 minutes, scoring the winner and being the hero of that day,” Zabaleta told The Offside Rule podcast.

“At half-time, I thought we should finish 1-0 – and fans would keep watching that game hopefully remembering ‘Zabaleta’s goal that gave Manchester City the first Premier League title for years’.

“But when QPR equalised and then got in front, I thought ‘Oh no, I didn’t score many goals during the season, that was my first one in probably the best game’ – but in the end, we needed Agüero to the rescue.”

Agüero was last week named in the PFA Team of the Season and is currently vying with the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané for the Premier League Golden Boot.

Zabaleta believes City have been lucky to have a striker of his compatriot’s calibre for so many years.

“I think he deserves so much credit, he’s probably one of the best strikers we have seen in the Premier League for the last seven to eight years,” added the West Ham defender.

“He’s a fantastic striker, one of the best I’ve ever played with and he’s a really nice lad as well.

“Man City have been so lucky to have a striker like Sergio when you look at the top strikers like Harry Kane, Lionel Messi, and everyone – you need top goalscorers in your team and that’s what Sergio does.”