Manchester City FC have been crowned champions of England for the first time since 1967/68 after coming from behind to snatch a dramatic 3-2 victory against Queens Park Rangers FC and finish above rivals Manchester United FC on goal difference.

Once labelled the "noisy neighbours" by Sir Alex Ferguson, the blue half of Manchester cranked up the volume as a carnival atmosphere preceded the game at the City of Manchester Stadium. But the mood soon turned ominous when Pablo Zabaleta's opener was cancelled out by Djibril Cissé's smart finish three minutes after the break. And despite losing Joey Barton to a red card, the visitors took a shock lead when James Mackie headed beyond Joe Hart.

With United leading 1-0 at Sunderland AFC – Wayne Rooney the scorer – the title seemed destined for Old Trafford, but a glimmer of hope was restored when Edin Džeko converted David Silva's corner two minutes into added time. One of the most remarkable comebacks in English football history was then completed as Sergio Agüero fired City into the lead and above United, who did not add to Rooney's strike.

"It was incredible; they deserved this," said City manager Roberto Mancini. "To win it like this is incredible. I don't think I've ever seen a finale like this. We didn't deserve to lose; we had a lot of chances and we deserved to win the game and championship. It's fantastic for the club and the supporters after 44 years. It's been a crazy season and a crazy last minute."

"You want to say it's the best moment of your life, but, if I'm honest, please never again this way," added City captain Vincent Kompany. "I never stopped believing. When Edin scored that goal, it reminded me of so many other moments during the season when we've done this before. There was no reason not to believe. It's not sunk in yet. I don't know what happened at the end, it was just a huge mess."

A point for QPR confirmed their Premier League status, while Bolton Wanderers FC were relegated following a 2-2 draw with Stoke City FC. Arsenal FC will play UEFA Champions League football next season after overcoming West Bromwich Albion FC 3-2, while Tottenham Hotspur FC finished fourth thanks to a 2-0 victory against Fulham FC. In fifth, Newcastle United FC lost 3-1 at Everton FC.

UEFA Champions League finalists Chelsea FC triumphed 2-1 against relegated Blackburn Rovers FC and there were also home wins for Swansea City AFC and Norwich City FC against Liverpool FC and Aston Villa FC respectively. Lastly, Wigan Athletic FC defeated Wolverhampton Wanderers FC 3-2.