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Joey Barton dismissed Wayne Rooney's suggestion that QPR rolled over on the final day of the 2011/12 season, when Sergio Aguero's stoppage-time winner snatched the Premier League title from Manchester United.
City beat QPR 3-2 at the Etihad on May 13, 2012, scoring twice in stoppage time through Edin Dzeko and Aguero to pip United on goal difference. United had already won at Sunderland and were waiting on the pitch for confirmation that never came in what was one of the most iconic Premier League moments.
In light of the charges' verdict for City, these comments have allowed us to revisit the day when Aguero made football history.
What Wayne Rooney Said About City vs QPR
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Rooney has questioned both QPR's defending and the reaction of some of their players afterwards.
"Paddy Kenny should have done better for a couple of the goals," Rooney said. "City get the second goal and QPR kick it straight back to them and that's never been questioned — I find that strange."
He also pointed to Djibril Cissé "celebrating after the game with the City players", an accusation the former QPR striker later disputed.
Joey Barton Hits Back After Seeing Red
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Barton, who played for City before joining QPR and was sent off in that game for a clash with Carlos Tevez, insisted there was no foul play. His kick-out sparked a brawl and his exit allowed City to eventually take full advantage.
Speaking on the Common Sense podcast, he admitted some of QPR's former City academy players would have preferred their old club to win the title, but said the squad's focus was on survival.
"Half of our team knew we were safe and stayed up and half of our team didn't," Barton said. "We had all been in City's academy. You had Nedum Onuoha, Shaun Wright-Phillips and myself. So we would have wanted Manchester City to win the league over Man United, make no bones about that.
"But at the time, we were fighting for our own survival." He defended Kenny directly: "You might say Paddy should have done better with the goals, but I don't think Paddy Kenny is the type of lad to throw a game to help Man City win the league."
'That's Your Fault'
Sergio Aguero Manchester City QPR
Barton said United had only themselves to blame for leaving the title to be decided on the final day.
"The game at Man City was not thrown. Man City won the league, Man United never," he said. "Am I happy about that? Abso-f***ing-lutely, because I hate Man United. But I didn't go out my way to make City win the league.
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"You should have got yourselves in a better position. You didn't. Man City had to beat QPR on the last day of the season at home, who were in the bottom four. That's your fault."
He added that QPR's resistance deserved more credit than suspicion: "The fact he's even had a sniff of winning the league is a testament to the lads at QPR and the battle they put up." QPR survived despite the defeat, finishing 17th after Bolton failed to win at Stoke.