Manchester City takes Premier League title as United upset

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — They won it in the last remaining seconds in 2012, and in the final match in 2014. At last, Manchester City’s players can enjoy a serene Premier League title triumph.

And they can thank fierce rival Manchester United for that.

City clinched the title without even playing on Sunday when United, its nearest challenger, surprisingly lost 1-0 at home to last-place West Bromwich Albion.

It was City’s third title in seven seasons — and fifth in its history — and easily its most convincing, with Pep Guardiola’s team 16 points clear with five games left.

“Our Time. Our City. Premier League Champions 17/18,” City tweeted soon after the final whistle

Second-place United dragged the title race out for at least another week by winning 3-2 at City last weekend, only to gift the trophy to City by losing to a team destined for relegation.

Guardiola might not have seen Jay Rodriguez’s 73rdminute winning goal at Old Trafford because he was playing golf with his son instead of watching the match. Vincent Kompany did, with images showing the City captain celebrating at his in-laws’ house where he was having dinner.

“I had a feeling when I woke up this morning,” Kompany said.

The rest of the squad was spread out across Europe, and even beyond, on their day off after City’s 3-1 win at Tottenham on Saturday had left the league title agonizingly close.

Instead of City hoping to clinch the title at home to Swansea next weekend, that game will now be a celebration of one of the Premier League’s finest teams which could yet break a slew of records by the end of the season. City could yet finish the season with the most points, goals and wins from a single Premier League campaign. In sealing the league at this stage, City matched the record for the earliest title win — held by United since 2001.