No last day glitches, Man City retain title
Guardiola’s side batters Brighton 4-1 to finish one point ahead of Liverpool, who beat Wolves 2-0
LONDON: Manchester City retained the Premier League title in style on Sunday, holding their nerve to come from behind against Brighton and see off a charging Liverpool after a thrilling campaign.
Pep Guardiola’s team thumped Brighton 4-1 away to finish on 98 points — the secondhighest total in Premier League history — as Liverpool beat Wolves 2-0 at Anfield to finish a single, agonising, point adrift.
City, who strung together 14 league wins at the end of the season, are the first side to retain the title since their bitter rivals Man United managed the feat in 2009, and remain on course for the first domestic treble in English football history.
But Guardiola’s team of aristocrats did not have it all their own way on a day of drama on England’s south coast in keeping with an astonishing season in which the lead switched hands time after time.
Liverpool drew first blood on Sunday, with Sadio Mane striking in the 17th minute to put them mathematically top of the table and on course for their first English top-flight title since 1990, before the Premier League era even started.
NERVOUS MOMENTS
City fans’ nerves were shredded even further when Glenn Murray put Brighton in front from a corner in the 27th minute, resulting in a huge roar at the Anfield.
But those cheers were quickly muted, with Guardiola’s side level just 83 seconds later, Aguero staying onside and keeping his cool to finish after a brilliant ball from David Silva.
Ten minutes later, the unmarked Aymeric Laporte rose to head in Riyad Mahrez’s corner to complete the turnaround for City.
Guardiola’s side continued to dominate at the start of the second half and were rewarded when Mahrez smashed in a third goal with 27 minutes to go. Ilkay Gundogan then blasted home a free-kick to put the result beyond doubt.
RECORD-BREAKERS
City broke a host of Premier League records in romping to the title last season, becoming the first team in English topflight history to reach 100 points and finishing a record 19 points clear of closest rivals Manchester United.
This term has been a totally different campaign, with Guardiola’s men forced to dig deep to see off the relentless challenge of Liverpool, who have lost just one Premier League game all season.
The champions have ground out a number of 1-0 victories in recent weeks, showing they have added steel to their style. The outcome was cruel on Liverpool, who are second behind only United in the alltime list of English champions with 18 titles. Their points tally is the third-highest in Premier League history. Jurgen Klopp’s side travelled to face City at the Etihad in January with the chance to open up a 10-point lead but the defending champions won 2-1 in what turned out to be the pivotal match of the campaign. Liverpool suffered a blip in late January and February, held to a series of draws. the pick of which inflicted Chelsea’s worst-ever Premier League defeat. Aguero scored a hat-trick, Raheem Sterling twice and Ilkay Gundogan was also on target in City’s most complete performance of the campaign.
MAN CITY 1 TOTTENHAM 0 Despite their domestic dominance, Champions League glory still eludes City after exiting in dramatic fashion on away goals to Tottenham.