Manchester City have extended their historic run atop the Premier League, winning the league title for a record setting 4th consecutive season.
City, who defeated West Ham 3-1 in the final game of the season, managed to hold off Arsenal who also earned a victory Sunday in another finish which came down to the wire. Pep Guardiola’s side entered the game 2 points clear of the gunners, but needed a victory to be assured of a 4th title over the last 4 years.
Luckily for them, two goals from Phil Foden in the first half helped put one hand on the championship, with a late marker from Rodri serving as the exclamation point on another triumphant season at the Etihad.
“It feels just as amazing as the first one,” said Kevin De Bruyne after the match. “We worked so hard for it and to do something historic is amazing. [Phil Foden] has been so decisive for us this season and it was a brilliant goal at the start of the game.”
“This is one of my most special titles. I had a tough year, being out for six months, so to come back and help the team makes it a great achievement personally.”
With six titles across the past seven seasons, Manchester City has assembled one of the greatest runs in English Football history. Only Jurgen Klopp’s 2019-20 Liverpool side has been able to dethrone the run away freight train that is the City roster since 2017.
“The margins are so small,” said Bernardo Silva. “We beat Liverpool twice by one point and now Arsneal by two points. We’re so, so proud to win four in a row.”
“The West Ham goal created a bit of doubt because you know they don’t need to play well to do some damage – they are very good at set-pieces and counter-attacks. But we maintained the same level and the third goal was very important.”
Despite the unparalleled run of success, manager Pep Guardiola stole headlines after the game by hinting that next season could be his last with the club which he’s overseen for the better part of a decade.
“The reality is I am closer to leaving than staying,” Guardiola said. “We have talked with the club and my feeling is that I want to stay now. I will stay next season and during the season we will talk. But after eight or nine years, we will see.”
The 53 year old has a contract which runs through 2025, which he told reporters he intends to honour. His future in football beyond that however, remains uncertain for the time being.
The Spaniard has captured 15 major trophies with Manchester City during his 8 year run with the club. And he could add to that total in the FA Cup final against Manchester United next weekend as well.
For now, City will celebrate well into the night after accomplishing what no other club has done before them. And for Arsenal, it marks the second year in a row that they’ve fallen agonizingly short on the Premier League table on the final weekend of the schedule.
Photo: Luis Antonio Rodriguez Ochoa. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.