CITY’S TITLE PARTY PUT ON HOLD BY CHELSEA
Guardiola’s men are beaten by Tuchel’s in-form Blues in a rehearsal for Champions League final and are forced to wait for their coronation
Chelsea forced Manchester City to put their Premier League title party on hold, winning 2-1 to strengthen their grip on a top-four place.
Victory for City in a rehearsal for the Champions League final would have confirmed them as English champions for the third time in four years but they must now wait a bit more for their inevitable coronation.
Hundreds of City fans had gathered outside the empty Etihad Stadium hoping to spur their team on to victory.
As people spilled into the road and blue flares were lit, the buses carrying the players needed to slow down to get through the crowds as they made their way to the ground. Pep Guardiola’s men were on the right track when Raheem Sterling gave them the lead but Hakim Ziyech levelled in the second half and Marcos Alonso grabbed the winner in the dying seconds.
Sergio Aguero could have made his side’s task much easier on the stroke of half-time but saw his casual Panenka spot-kick easily saved by Edouard Mendy, with Guardiola turning away in frustration.
The win lifts the Londoners into third spot, six points clear of fifth-placed West Ham with just three games left for Thomas Tuchel’s side.
Outgoing champions Liverpool beat Southampton 2-0 in the late kick-off to stay in the mix for the top four but a 3-1 defeat at Leeds was a hammer blow for Tottenham.
Guardiola was frustrated at the manner of his side’s defeat – just their fifth loss of the season – but they have a huge 13-point lead over second-placed Manchester United.
“We missed our chance in the last minute of the first half for the penalty, but we were in a good position,” he told Sky Sports.
“We conceded a goal, suffered for 15 minutes, then reacted well, but in the end they scored.”
On the missed spot-kick, Guardiola said: “I have always said to him [Aguero], take one decision and take it full convincing, so he decided to do it this way. I have nothing to add.”
Tuchel’s in-form team ended
City’s dreams of a historic quadruple by beating them in the FA Cup semi-final last month and they once again proved tricky opponents.
Guardiola made nine changes from the side that saw off Paris Saint-Germain in midweek while Chelsea made five changes following their triumph over Real Madrid.
Tuchel admitted the match would have had a different complexion if Aguero had converted from the spot.
“If they score the penalty maybe it is over before it starts, at 2-0 you have no chance to come back,” the Chelsea boss said.
“I was impressed by the reaction and the performance in the second half. If you want to steal all three points here after being down, you need a bit of luck, decisions from the referee.”
City could be crowned champions if Aston Villa beat United overnight.