Thirteen years on, Sergio Agüero still marks the date. Every May 13 — the anniversary of one of the Premier League's most dramatic moments — the Argentine takes himself back to the Etihad Stadium, to stoppage time, to the goal that gave Manchester City their first league title of the modern era.

Speaking to FourFourTwo, Agüero reflected on the sequence of events that produced football's most celebrated last-gasp winner, and on why its significance has only deepened since his retirement five years ago.

The plan that changed everything

Manchester City entered that final-day fixture against QPR in May 2012 knowing a win would be enough to secure the Premier League title — a week after defeating Manchester United. What followed, however, pushed City fans to the edge of despair before delivering them the greatest relief.

"After we beat Manchester United, we went into the last game of the season knowing that if we won at home to QPR, we would win the league," Agüero told FourFourTwo. "During the second half though, we went 2-1 down. You're not thinking about anything at that moment. You're thinking that we're going to lose the league. But hey, we kept trying until the end."

When Edin Dzeko pulled City level at 2-2 deep into added time, something shifted in Agüero's mind. "When Dzeko scored the goal to make it 2-2 in the 92nd minute, I thought, 'Well, maybe I can score another.'"

What followed was choreographed in Agüero's head before it even happened. "I made the decision to drop back to receive the pass from Nigel de Jong, then I tried to play a one-two with Mario Balotelli," he explained. "That had been in my head already — I'd been planning that, to see if I could get a goal."

Agüero had even spoken to Balotelli beforehand. "I'd told Mario that I was going to look for him, that I was going to give it to him so that he could give me a one-two and an assist. Luckily, the plan I had with him worked out — it ended up being the perfect play. I did the one-two with Mario, I scored and we won the title."

A memory that grows with time

Now retired from playing, Agüero says the full weight of what he and his teammates achieved that afternoon has become clearer with every passing season. "Moments like that stay with you forever — it's a memory I'll never forget for the rest of my life. Now that I'm not playing any more and I understand how that title is valued much more, it brings back very nice memories whenever I talk about it."

The connection with Manchester City supporters, he adds, has endured long after he hung up his boots. "It's really nice that the fans still follow me, that they still love me in the same way that they did when I was playing. I think they were happy with my performance over those 10 years, with all of the title wins, and of course the QPR goal, which was important to the club's history."

"Now that I'm not playing any more, as the years go by, every year on May 13 — the day of that goal against QPR — I relive the moment. Lovely memories. For me, it will always be that way."