2013–14 Premier League

Ninety minutes of agony, one Agüero strike, and a title that refused to die.

The 2013–14 Premier League season is remembered as one of the most electric title races in the competition's history. Manchester City, under Chilean manager Manuel Pellegrini, and Liverpool, in their exuberant Brendan Rodgers era, locked horns across all 38 matchdays, with the ultimate crown decided on the final afternoon by a single, heart-stopping goal in the 89th minute against Aston Villa. It was a season of relentless attacking football, a brutal relegation six-pointer, and a narrative arc that played out like a taut thriller from August to May.

For fans, the season's defining image is Sergio Agüero's late strike at the City of Manchester Stadium, a moment that secured City's second Premier League title in three years and cemented the 'Aston Villa Game' as one of the great modern footballing legends. Liverpool's near-miss, powered by Luis Suárez's golden-boot campaign and Steven Gerrard's leadership, gave the race a genuine two-horse tension that few other seasons matched.

Last updated 2026-10-03 from the source article.

Quick Facts

Competition

Premier League

Dates

17 August 2013 – 11 May 2014

Winners

Manchester City
2nd Premier League title
4th English title

Relegated

Norwich City
Fulham
Cardiff City

Biggest home win

Manchester City 7–0 Norwich City (2 November 2013)

Best goalkeeper

Petr Čech; Wojciech Szczęsny (16 clean sheets each)

Biggest away win

Tottenham Hotspur 0–5 Liverpool (15 December 2013)

Facts from the source article.

Background

The 2013–14 campaign opened with Manchester City still riding the momentum of their 2011–12 title win, now under the calmer, more tactical hand of Pellegrini. The Chilean's City side blended Yaya Touré's physical dominance, David Silva's silky midfield control, and the ever-present threat of Agüero in front. Liverpool, meanwhile, had just lost the previous season's title on the final day to City and were hungry for redemption. Rodgers' side played a high-pressing, attacking brand of football that made them arguably the most entertaining team in the division, with Suárez in devastating form and Gerrard orchestrating from deep.

The middle stretch of the season saw the two sides trade the lead several times, with Liverpool at one point sitting clear at the top and City responding with a string of wins. The rivalry was sharpened by the fact that both clubs had been involved in the previous season's final-day drama, making the 2013–14 race feel like an unresolved debt. Relegation added a second narrative thread: QPR, Norwich, and Hull City all struggled in a six-team scrap at the bottom, with Hull's immediate return to the Championship a particularly bitter pill for a club that had only just returned to the top flight.

The final day at the City of Manchester Stadium became a national event. Liverpool led 1–0 at half-time against West Bromwich Albion, and City trailed 1–2 to Aston Villa. For 88 minutes, the title hung in the balance. Then Agüero, the Argentine striker who had been City's talisman since 2011, found the net in the 89th minute. The stadium erupted, the city held its breath, and Manchester City lifted the Premier League trophy for the second time in three seasons. Suárez, who had scored 31 league goals that year, watched from the stands at the Hawthorns as the scoreboard ticked over. It remains, for many, the most dramatic title decider in Premier League history.

Did You Know?

Luis Suárez's 31-goal campaign made him the Premier League's top scorer, but he finished the season without a title, a bitter footnote to what was one of the most prolific individual seasons in the competition's history.
Hull City were promoted to the Premier League in 2013 and relegated again in 2014, spending just one season in the top flight before returning to the Championship.
The 'Aston Villa Game' is widely regarded as the most dramatic title decider in Premier League history, with the deciding goal arriving in the 89th minute of a match City were trailing 1-2.