‘Maddening’ – Paddy Kenny hits back at Wayne Rooney’s conspiracy theory over Man City’s 2012 title
Paddy Kenny has told talkSPORT that claims QPR fixed that Sergio Aguero goal is the ‘craziest thing I’ve ever heard in my life.’
The 47-year-old made 207 saves in his Premier League career, but ironically had a hand in history with one shot he couldn’t keep out.
Kenny was famously between the sticks for QPR for Aguero’s winning goal that clinched Manchester City’s first top-flight crown in 44 years.
Three minutes and 20 seconds into stoppage time, the Argentine struck to complete a 3-2 comeback win for Roberto Mancini’s men.
In doing so, City, who had been trailing 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium 125 seconds earlier, beat Man United to the title on goal difference.
Wayne Rooney, who scored the Red Devils’ winner against Sunderland that day, which looked to have won Sir Alex Ferguson’s side the trophy, has since voiced numerous conspiracy theories about QPR’s role in the final outcome.
Rangers had potentially needed a positive result to ensure their Premier League survival, but Bolton’s draw at Stoke meant a draw or win wasn’t required.
And Rooney has led the calls suggesting the Hoops learned of their own fate before the final whistle, which thus influenced their efforts.
Even former referee Mike Dean, who was officiating City’s win, described aspects of the iconic game as ‘strange’ in November.
However, Kenny has rubbished those claims, pointing out that Joey Barton’s red card meant QPR played nearly a full half a man down.
During an exclusive interview with talkSPORT.com, Kenny said: “About the Aguero goal, people always say to me, ‘imagine if you’d have saved it.’
“It’s quite mad, actually, because I watched the goal and he’s hit it so hard. People accuse us of… It’s madness, like I say, we fixed the game and all this, which is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard in my life!”
Kenny hits back at title fix claims
“We were literally in a relegation battle, we were fighting for our lives, do you know what I mean?” Kenny continued to talkSPORT.
“We actually played probably 45 minutes with injury time, with 10 men against Man City. We hadn’t had a kick in the second half.
“What it took out of the players that day, especially late on in the game, was a lot. And that is probably one of the reasons they scored.”
As the goalkeeper, Kenny has faced more stick than his QPR teammates for conceding to Aguero despite his heroics beforehand.
The seven-cap Republic of Ireland international made 12 saves for the relegation-threatened visitors against the champions-elect.
Most saves in a single Premier League game
Kenny’s Etihad tally remains by far the most he made in a single Premier League game.
It was also one of only three matches in which he made more than seven stops in a top-flight fixture.
In fact, the 12 saves he made against QPR were just one shy of the then-Premier League record of 13 by Mark Crossley and David James (from 2003-04 season when Opta started recording such data).
So, Kenny, who was even a boyhood Man United fan, also had his own slice of history to gain from saving Aguero’s last-gasp strike.
Date Player Team Opponent Saves Goals Conceded 10/11/2013 Tim Krul Newcastle United Tottenham Hotspur 14 0 19/04/2014 Vito Mannone Sunderland Chelsea 14 1 02/12/2017 David de Gea Manchester United Arsenal 14 1 07/11/2004 Mark Crossley Fulham Newcastle United 13 1 08/04/2006 David James Manchester City Tottenham Hotspur 13 2 21/03/2015 Boaz Myhill West Bromich Albion Manchester City 13 3 28/02/2016 Lukasz Fabianski Swansea City Tottenham Hotspur 13 2 02/01/2017 Vito Mannone Sunderland Liverpool 13 2 28/09/2024 Mads Hermansen Leicester City Arsenal 13 4 30/11/2003 Edwin van der Sar Fulham Arsenal 12 0 07/05/2006 Tomasz Kuszczak West Bromwich Albion Everton 12 2 21/10/2006 David James Portsmouth Chelsea 12 2 05/10/2008 Brad Friedel Aston Villa Chelsea 12 2 13/05/2012 Paddy Kenny Queens Park Rangers Manchester City 12 3 19/08/2017 Wayne Hennessey Crystal Palace Liverpool 12 1 27/10/2019 Paulo Gazzaniga Tottenham Hotspur Liverpool 12 2 05/02/2024 Mark Flekken Brentford Manchester City 12 3 
As a result, he understandably gets put out by people who have never played in goal, saying keepers should have saved a certain shot.
“Yeah, it’s maddening,” he added to talkSPORT. “To be fair, listen, you sit back sometimes, you watch football, and I’m telling you, ‘I could have done better. I should have saved this, I should have scored that.’
“Until you’re down there and on that pitch, it’s a totally different scenario. You don’t see what people can see on a camera sometimes.”
Kenny has previously challenged Rooney to a fight in the ring for his relentless mentions of that 2012 classic.
Yet the new goalkeeper coach at Matlock Town admitted his boxing days are done after suffering a first-round knockout loss in October.
Paddy Kenny was speaking exclusively to talkSPORT on behalf of Midnite, club sponsors of Sheffield United and Southampton, as it brings back The Midnite Express which will see over 100 Blades fans travel to St Mary’s on luxury coaches free of charge for their Championship clash on Wednesday, January 21.
Midnite continues to bring fans closer to the teams they love with exciting partner initiatives.
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