Premier League moments immortalised in Barclays photo competitions

Emi Martinez is shown TWO yellow cards but little known rule means he AVOIDS being sent off for winding up Lille fans during penalty shootout… before Villa keeper saves decisive spot-kick
Liverpool failed but gave fans hope that the Jurgen Klopp era can still have a magical ending, writes LEWIS STEELE
West Ham gave everything against a team that appear to be invincible, writes KATHRYN BATTE as Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen reach Europa League semis
PLAYER RATINGS: Two Liverpool stars score just 5/10 as Jurgen Klopp's side fail to deliver comeback against Atalanta to crash out of Europa League
Jurgen Klopp insists it's vital Liverpool are 'back to winning ways' amid Premier League title charge despite being knocked out of Europe by Atalanta… and says it's 'insane' that Trent started
The Premier League is poisoning our game and their hand in having FA Cup replays scrapped is another spoonful of arsenic down the throats of the smaller clubs, writes OLIVER HOLT
Arsenal and Man City count the cost of tired legs and weary minds, writes JACK GAUGHAN: Yes, Gunners were naive and Pep's boys wasteful, but fixture jam played a part in Champions League exits
Max Verstappen priced at 1/6 to make it four wins out of five this season at Chinese Grand Prix - with Lewis Hamilton 40/1 to secure his first victory since December 2021
Arsenal identify THREE positions to strengthen in the summer in wake of Champions League exit, with significant funds to be made available for transfers
EFL in UPROAR over decision to scrap FA Cup replays from next season - with surprised clubs branding it a 'DISGRACE' and furious executives claiming they will seek compensation
Ronald Araujo offers blunt response to Ilkay Gundogan's criticism that his red card against PSG fueled Champions League exit... amid toxic Barcelona dressing room split
For a man who has been handed everything, Lewis Hamilton needs to stop feeling sorry for himself
Liverpool lacked the 'belief' required to pull off comeback at Atalanta, says Peter Crouch after his former club crashed out of the Europa League as he insists Reds were 'disappointing'
Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso hints that David Moyes calling his bench a 'disgrace' last week sparked bust-up with West Ham dugout in return leg that saw two assistant coaches sent off
Mo Salah's first-half miss proves crucial in Liverpool's Europa League defeat by Atalanta as Peter Crouch insists 'it's not that difficult' and proves the Egyptian is out of form
Emiliano Martinez's ludicrous antics detract from his enormous talent, writes TOM COLLOMOSSE as Aston Villa keeper's shootout heroics book Europa Conference League semi-final
Michail Antonio BLASTS officials in post-match rant following West Ham's Europa League loss to Bayer Leverkusen... as forward insists his side 'remained professional' despite frustrations
Emiliano Martinez claims it was his 'destiny' to be Aston Villa's shootout hero against Lille... as Argentine's antics help Unai Emery's side reach Europa Conference League semi-finals
West Ham assistant Billy McKinlay is SENT OFF after furious touchline row with Bayer Leverkusen staff... sparking a mass brawl among the players in chaotic Europa League clash
Peter Crouch reveals he was 'left SCREAMING for a red card' during Liverpool's crunch clash with Atalanta... after Isak Hien was spared sending off despite handball as last man
Premier League suffer yet ANOTHER critical blow in UEFA coefficient rankings after West Ham and Liverpool Europa League defeats... with hopes of earning an extra Champions League spot all but over
AC Milan players are confronted by the club's ultras after their defeat to Roma in the Europa League... as Stefano Pioli's side are knocked out the competition after 3-1 aggregate loss to rivals
'Is that for prisoners?': Liverpool fans left stunned by Atalanta's away end for crunch Europa League tie... with 1,000 Reds to be situated in the corner of the ground in frightful-looking stand
Haaland and De Bruyne had nothing left in gruelling Real Madrid loss and Rodri is begging for a rest... but who out of NINE players clocking 3,000-plus minutes has played the most? How Man City were run into the ground in quest for double treble

A competition has sought to find the best pictures from the last 20 years of Premier League football
'Shot of the century' received a mountain of entries from football photographers with a £7,500 prize on offer
Carl Recine's intimate shot of Claudio Ranieri kissing the trophy after Leicester's title win took first place
Wayne Rooney's famous overhead kick from 2011 and Sir Alex Ferguson's last title success also recognised
More information about the competition can be found on the Lower Block website or Shot of the Century

Published: 13:00 EDT, 24 May 2022 | Updated: 13:00 EDT, 24 May 2022

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It's the world's most watched league and each season never fails to provide us with unforgettable moments of beauty and drama.

The job of the skilled photographers sitting pitch-side at Premier League games is to capture forever these wonderful events.

So to mark 20 years of Barclays' Premier League sponsorship, a 'Shot of the Century' competition to find the best images has been held.

It attracted a mountain of entries, with each photographer able to submit up to three of their favourite shots with a first prize of £7,500 up for grabs.

Entry closed last month and then it was down to a judging panel, containing Premier League chief executive Richard Masters and former players Ian Wright and Kelly Smith, to pick the winners.

First prize went to Carl Recine for his intimate shot of Claudio Ranieri kissing the trophy following Leicester City's miraculous title win in 2016, without doubt the greatest fairytale the Premier League has seen.

Second prize, and £5,000, went to Andrew Yates for his perfectly framed picture of Wayne Rooney's unstoppable overhead kick for Manchester United against Manchester City in 2011.

Third prize, and £2,500, also went to Yates for his close-up of United manager Sir Alex Ferguson kissing the trophy in the pouring Manchester rain after the last of his team's title triumphs in 2013.

Carl Recine's shot of Claudio Ranieri kissing the Premier League trophy following Leicester City's 2016 Premier League title win took first prize in the Barclays 'Shot of the Century' picture competition

This frame of Wayne Rooney's unforgettable overhead kick in the February 2011 Manchester derby scooped second place

Third prize went to this pic of Sir Alex Ferguson greeting an old friend after the last of his Man United title wins back in 2013

Two pictures were highly commended by the judges. One was Jon Super's frame of joyous Liverpool fans watching the title win fireworks outside Anfield during the behind-closed-doors finale to the Covid-disrupted 2019-20 season.

The other, by Michael Regan, showed two West Ham fans watching the final match played at Upton Park from the window of their flat in May 2016.

You can see all the other shortlisted pictures spanning the last two decades of the Premier League below, with more information on the Lower Block website and Shot of the Century.

This picture of Liverpool fans outside Anfield watching the title celebration firework display in 2020 was highly commended

Also highly commended was this shot of two West Ham fans watching the last game at Upton Park from their window

The oldest entry came from 2001, showing Man United keeper Fabian Barthez anguished after gifting a goal at Arsenal

Mario Balotelli lifts his shirt to reveal the famous 'Why always me?' t-shirt after scoring in City's 6-1 win at Old Trafford in 2011

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard finds himself surrounded by Hull City fans on the pitch after a season-ending game in 2012

Manchester City's Phil Foden and Crystal Palace's Conor Gallagher are both sent flying as they tackle each other this season

Blood streams from the eye of Everton's Wayne Rooney after a clash of heads in a match with Bournemouth in 2017

Hull's Jimmy Bullard mocks his manager Phil Brown by re-enacting his infamous on-pitch half-time team talk at Man City

Pep Guardiola is thrown into the air by his delighted players after Manchester City won the Premier League title in 2019

Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny finds himself buried at the bottom of a pile-on after scoring at Manchester City in 2012

The ever-passionate Paolo Di Canio can't hide his emotions after Sunderland score in the 2013 Tyne-Wear derby at Newcastle

A close-up of Fulham's Tom Cairney as he celebrates a 2019 strike with Timothy Fosu-Mensah and Ryan Sessegnon

Man United fans react as Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger climbs into the stand at Old Trafford after being sent off in 2009

Steven Gerrard whips off his shirt and jumps for joy pursued by happy team-mates after a 2014 Liverpool goal at Fulham

The Swansea mascot makes no effort to hide his displeasure as he is left out of the team's huddle at Arsenal in 2011

Swansea's Bafetimbi Gomis performs his 'panther walk' celebration after scoring for his team against Man United in 2015

Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina is deceived by the infamous beach ball as Darren Bent scores for Sunderland in October 2009

Steven Gerrard and Jon Flanagan rush to retrieve the ball from Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho in a crunch title game in 2014

Man United and Man City fans show their colours during a minute's silence to mark 50 years since the Munich Air Crash

Cesc Fabregas ends up doing a flip after being upended during a Premier League game between Arsenal and Sunderland

Mohamed Salah removes his shirt to reveal an enviable physique after scoring for Liverpool against Man United in 2020

Another view of Wenger in the stands at Old Trafford after he was given his marching orders against Man United in 2009

Jamal Lascalles of Newcastle United takes the aerial route over Cardiff's Kenneth Zohore during a 2018 encounter (left), while Arsenal's Martin Keown taunts Ruud van Nistelrooy after the Manchester United striker missed a penalty in 2003 (right)