City seal sixth in 5 minutes
In a Premier League season decided in the final few minutes, Liverpool kept the heat on the eventual champions with a win
LONDON: Manchester City won the Premier League for the fourth time in five seasons after a pulsating title race reached a dramatic conclusion as the champions staged an incredible comeback from two goals down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 on Sunday. Pep Guardiola’s side were teetering on the brink of blowing the title after falling 2-0 behind midway through the second half at the Etihad Stadium.
But Ilkay Gundogan sparked an astonishing City revival as the German midfielder reduced the deficit before Rodri grabbed the equaliser. Gundogan turned in City’s third goal in the space of five minutes in the 81st minute, triggering wild celebrations and rendering second placed Liverpool’s 3-1 victory against Wolves irrelevant. City finished with 93 points, one ahead of Liverpool as they ended their rivals hopes.
On a breathtaking final day, Burnley were relegated as Leeds beat the drop, while Tottenham qualified for the Champions League at the expense of their north London rivals Arsenal.
It was City who hogged the spotlight on a day their fans, who spilled onto the pitch in delight, will never forget.
Guardiola’s men can rightly be called a dynasty after joining Manchester United as the only clubs in the Premier League era to have won four titles in five seasons, with Alex Ferguson’s teams doing it on three separate occasions.
The eighth league title in City’s history is Guardiola’s ninth major trophy since arriving at the club in 2016.
It was City’s sixth Premier League title. “It was an unbelievable game,” Gundogan said.