MY ACCOUNT
Martin Tyler says he “knew” Sergio Aguero would score the goal to win Manchester City the Premier League in 2012 as soon as he touched the ball.
Aguero, who announced his retirement on Wednesday due to a heart condition, scored the decisive goal in the 95th minute of City’s last game of the season against Queens Park Rangers to seal a 3-2 win that earned them their maiden Premier League title.
City finished with 89 points that year, the same as local rivals Manchester United, but claimed the trophy on goal difference.
Commentator Tyler marked the occasion with an iconic piece of commentary, and is keen to credit his colleagues for their part in helping him frame the moment.
“I have to pay compliments to my Sky colleagues and the director Tony Mills, who was aware of what was going on at Sunderland, and we had the ability to split the screen,” Tyler exclusively told Stats Perform.
“There’s a wonderful sequence which Tony is responsible for where the screen is split, you can see the Manchester United players watching our monitors on the pitch at the Stadium of Light and then he moved away from the split back to me full screen of what was happening at the Etihad as the move unfolded, and Balotelli is winning the ball.
“That was all captured in full-screen and, in my case, full volume. I guess it was an amazing moment.
“The only thing I can tell you about the actual moment commentating on it is when Aguero took a touch on the ball I knew he’d score. I just knew, man. He’s that good.
“He told me, nine years later, that he just hit it as hard as he could and hoped for the best!”
Tyler reveals that the aspect of that piece of commentary he is most pleased with was his momentary pause as the City fans celebrated in the stadium.
“The thing I’m most proud about is the silence between the ‘Aguerooo’ and that comment because it was the noisiest stadium that I can remember,” Tyler continued.
“I saw [Mark Hughes] by coincidence the next evening and he said he’d never ever heard a noise in a football ground like that.
“And remember Mark played for Barcelona and Bayern as well as his years at Manchester United; been a manager for a good many years.
“And for him to say that I think, had I tried to say anything between the naming and the time I next spoke, I think it would have just got drowned out and it would have spoiled the moment.
“So that kind of that wasn’t a deliberate thing to do. I just knew if I spoke, nobody would hear me. I’m a football lover. I’m sure so many people in the stadium are watching around the world would have felt exactly the same way.
“You know, it’s instinct, it’s what we do. It’s why we’re addicted to the game. It was special, and probably not a week goes by when I’m not asked about it. And I’m always happy to talk about it because yeah, it was great to be there.”
