Just when everyone imagined that sport was getting a little predictable, along came one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history. Eli Manning, the New York Giants quarterback, stepped out of the shadow of Peyton, his big brother, to throw the last-minute touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress, and the New England Patriots had fallen at the 19th and final hurdle of their run to a perfect season.

In the best Super Bowl tradition, it was a dramatic 12-play, 83-yard drive that ended with Burress's touchdown 35 seconds from the end of the fourth quarter that beat the previously unbeatable Patriots 17-14 and made a quarterback named Manning a winner for the second successive season - Peyton's Indianapolis Colts beat the Chicago Bears a year ago. "You can't write a better script," Eli said last night.

The Giants had done it the hard way, winning 11 straight road games, including play-off victories at Tampa Bay, Dallas and Green Bay. And although Manning was the hero, the key to victory was the Giants' defense and a successful pass rush that resulted in Tom Brady, the Patriots' usually dominant quarterback, being sacked five times, and New England posting their lowest points total of the campaign.

But of course, most people will be talking about what did NOT happen rather than what did.

The coronation of the Patriots as only the second unbeaten team of the Super Bowl era (the Miami Dolphins went 17-0 in the shorter 1972 season) was all but booked in for the early hours of this morning, UK time. But a fourth Super Bowl title of the young century eluded them, and Brady failed to equal the four Super Bowl rings of his boyhood idol, Joe Montana, tasting defeat in a Super Bowl for the first time.

They had come close to defeat on several occasions in the regular season, but hung in there on every occasion until the decisive points were scored. Finally, their good fortune ran out. 18-1 does not sound a bad won-lost record for a season, but it must sting that the "1" came in the Super Bowl. Thanks to Manning and Co, 19-0 is still an unattained target that every team can aim at.

Although history failed to be made, there may be relief in the NFL's plush headquarters on New York City's Park Avenue. The league has attempted to ensure through the college draft, the imposition of a salary cap, and the structuring of schedules so that better teams face tougher opponents, that no team can dominate as the Patriots have done. The fans of every team are supposed to be able to believe that their favourites can win it all next year, or the one after that at most. Until yesterday, the chances were that second-best to Bill Belichick's automatons was the best on offer. Now the Giants, nobody's pick to win the big game at the start of the campaign, have restored faith in the NFL system.

The champagne had looked as though it would stay on ice in south Florida, where one or two members of the 1972 Dolphins gather each year to toast the ending of the last unbeaten record. But the bubbly was opened last night, later in the season than ever before, and Don Shula and his players remain the only perfect team.

And plenty of ordinary fans will be happy that the Giants won. Respected rather than admired, the Patriots have won more games than friends, and to some their achievement this season will forever be tainted by the discovery that they illegally videotaped the defensive signals of opponents, for which they lost their first round draft pick this year, and Belichick was fined a league maximum $500,000.

In the UK, there were other reasons to celebrate. The Giants showed that playing at Wembley in mid-season did not disrupt their campaign, which will lessen the reluctance of teams to keep coming over here to play. And the first two British-born players to appear in the Super Bowl, Lawrence Tynes, the Scottish-born, Celtic-supporting kicker, and Osi Umenyiora, the defensive lineman who grew up in Golders Green, were winners. The New Orleans Saints and the San Diego Chargers will come to Wembley next October with an extra spring in their step, knowing that the road to Super Bowl glory passes through London.

Explore More Sport

• Cycling

• Athletics

• Sailing

• US Sport