BUBBLY,BUMPS, BEERSAND BLUESKIES
THEY snatched the title away from m Liverpool and their fans celebrated by belting out a Beatles classic. Manchester City’s version of Hey y
Jude echoed from the e Amex Stadium’s South h Stand at the end of an n epic battle.
It was meant to be a song about healing pain, but there was little sympathy for Liverpool in City’s adopted anthem. No sooner had it finished than chants of: ‘You sad b***** ds, it’s happened again’ rang out, taunting their rivals over another near miss when the two clubs last went toe to toe for the title in 2014.
In truth, there was little more Liverpool could have done this time. Not once Riyad Mahrez’s clinical strike had given Pep Guardiola’s side a two-goal cushion and breathing space at last.
They could not have asked much more of Brighton, either, despite the final scoreline. Chris Hughton’s men gave it their best shot.
There may have been a party mood around the place before kick- off as the match- day announcer interviewed fans with plastic seagulls on their heads and they sang Sussex by the Sea with even more gusto than usual, but at times in the first half the home team played like their own title hopes were on the line.
In Anthony Knockaert and Glenn Murray, Brighton — and Liverpool — had two men who seemed to relish the occasion and so did their fans.
‘One-nil to the Liverpool,’ they taunted in the 19th minute when news of Sadio Mane’s goal at Anfield filtered through and the City supporters fell silent.
When Ederson failed to prevent a corner shortly afterwards, an already tense Guardiola reached for a water bottle by the tunnel. He spat out the first mouthful and swallowed the second just as Pascal Gross crossed for Murray to score. Cue a huge roar from the Brighton fans bettered only, one would imagine, by the response in Liverpool.
Guardiola took off that familiar hooded cardigan of his and threw it to the floor. It was time to fight, and his players responded as the lead in the title race changed hands yet again.
Clenched fists met Sergio Aguero’s equaliser and Aymeric Laporte’s second, but the real surge of emotion came when Mahrez all but guaranteed victory in the second half. It was as if the relief exploded from the Spaniard, and with it the realisation that the pendulum had swung decisively in his favour.
While the rest of the City bench erupted and the substitutes who had been warming up raced down the touchline to join in the celebrations, Guardiola squeezed his eyes shut and let it all out. Liverpool have been that hard to shake off.
By the time referee Michael Oliver brought an end to it all, the white clouds that had gathered were nowhere to be seen as City celebrated under clear blue skies.
First it was Brighton’s turn to say goodbye to retiring skipper Bruno before he led the rest of their players on a lap of appreciation and then the stage was set for the real party to start.
Vincent Kompany lifted the Premier League trophy for the fourth time in eight years, and time will tell if his wave to the supporters when he went off towards the end was a farewell. The defender is still unsure whether he will extend his contract beyond this summer.
The coaching staff joined in the ticker tape celebrations and Guardiola was thrown up in the air for the second year in a row, having become the first coach to retain the Premier League since Sir Alex Ferguson a decade ago.
Yaya Toure, on the pitch in his role for Sky Sports, was surrounded by former teammates and slapped repeatedly on the head, as he was when City won the title last season.
John Stones showered Kyle Walker with champagne and was then seen singing Wonderwall with Oasis front man Noel Gallagher in the away dressingroom, where City had stockpiled 20 cases of bubbly in anticipation of winning.
The celebrations did not stop there. They flew back to Manchester in time to savour the moment with thousands more of their fans at the Etihad. They have earned it. What a title race this has been. And what a way for City to win it on the final day.
Guardiola’s side will now be odds on to become the first team to complete the domestic Treble by beating Watford in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
But what of Liverpool? They will be back. And maybe they will be the ones singing loudest next year. But for now, it is City belting out the celebratory tunes.