Man City's treble bid up and running after winning English Premier League

Manchester City's bid for a treble of major trophies is up and running.

The first was secured on Saturday without City even playing as the team clinched a third successive English Premier League title — and a ninth top-flight crown in its 143-year history — thanks to another slip-up by second-placed Arsenal.

Arsenal losing at Nottingham Forest 1-0 capped an end-of-season meltdown for the once longtime leader and left City with an unassailable four-point lead.

City's players will get their hands on the league trophy after their match against Chelsea on Sunday, but don't expect the celebrations to last too long.

Pep Guardiola's squad has its sights on becoming just the second team to capture the Premier League-FA Cup-Champions League treble, and still has two finals to play.

The FA Cup final against Manchester United is on June 3 at Wembley Stadium followed by a meeting with Inter Milan in the Champions League final on June 10.

City is enjoying a period of domestic dominance rarely seen in English soccer.

That's five league titles in seven years in Guardiola's reign and seven in a 12-season spell that began with Sergio Aguero's storied stoppage-time goal to win the league in 2012.

It's the first time City has won three leagues in a row and comes while the Abu Dhabi-owned club is facing an unprecedented slew of charges from the Premier League for allegedly breaking financial rules from 2009-18 and a subsequent failure to co-operate with an investigation.

Those charges — 115 in total — cast a shadow over City's achievements under its Abu Dhabi ownership, though it could be years before a verdict is reached by an independent disciplinary commission.

What isn't up for debate is the quality City has produced in its now-familiar end-of-season burst of victories that piled the pressure on Arsenal, which has the unwanted distinction this season of leading the league for a record number of days (248) without eventually winning it.

While City has finished like a train by winning 11 straight games, Arsenal — owning the youngest squad in the league under inexperienced coach Mikel Arteta — has buckled with a first top-flight title since 2004 in sight and won just won of its last eight games. Forest is safe from relegation after its win.

Firmino scores late equalizer against Villa to keep alive Liverpool's Champions League hopes

Roberto Firmino kept alive Liverpool's Champions League qualification dreams with a goal as a substitute in his last game for the club at Anfield.

The Brazilian striker poked in a finish in the 89th minute to earn Liverpool a 1-1 draw with Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday.

A loss, coupled with fourth-place Manchester United's 1-0 victory at Bournemouth on Saturday, would have guaranteed Liverpool could not have finished in the top four.

Instead, Liverpool is not quite out of it, with Jurgen Klopp's team three points behind third-place Newcastle and Man United, which each have two games left to play. Liverpool only has one game remaining, at already-relegated Southampton next weekend.

Ollie Watkins missed a penalty for Villa in the 22nd but Jacob Ramsey put the visitors ahead five minutes later by sidefooting home at the far post from Douglas Luiz's cross.

Firmino is one of four players — along with James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – leaving this summer at the expiry of their contracts and the Brazilian came on in the 72nd minute for his final home game.

And he got behind Villa's defense to convert Salah's right-wing cross with the outside of his left foot.

Firmino has played for Liverpool since 2015.

Klopp watched the game from the stands while serving a touchline ban for questioning the integrity of a referee.

Ward equalizer splits EPL points between Crystal Palace and Fulham

Joel Ward's late equalizer salvaged for Crystal Palace a 2-2 draw at Fulham in the English Premier League on Saturday.

Mid-table teams without a chance of European competition next season played out their match at Craven Cottage at pedestrian pace.

Odsonne Edouard opened the scoring for Palace but Aleksandar Mitrovic's spot kick in first half stoppage time ensured the sides were level at the break.

The Serbian striker, who returned to Fulham's starting lineup for the first time since his eightmatch ban, looked to have ignited a comeback win when he fired in his 14th of the season.

The hosts, however, were denied a final home victory of the campaign when Palace skipper Ward levelled from his own rebound for his first goal since February 2019.

Kane scores again but future at Tottenham uncertain after 3-1 loss to Brentford

Harry Kane scored a goal and lost the game in perhaps his final home appearance for Tottenham.

The England captain, who again has been linked with an offseason move away from Tottenham, curled home after an indirect free kick in the eighth minute only for Bryan Mbeumo to score twice and set up another goal in the second half for Brentford in its 3-1 win in the Premier League on Saturday.

Tottenham might now struggle to qualify for any European competition for next season, having come into the game in seventh place — the division's only qualifying spot for the third-tier Europa Conference League.

Brentford stayed in ninth place but is only one point behind Tottenham ahead of the teams' final games of the season next weekend.

Kane's 28th league goal this season was perhaps his best of the campaign as he picked out the top corner with a 25-meter shot after Dejan Kulusevski rolled the ball backward with the sole of his foot at a free kick. It put Kane eight goals behind the league's top scorer, Erling Haaland.

Kane will be 30 years old by the time next season starts. With only one year left on his contract, he and Tottenham might decide this summer is the time to part ways to give the club a chance to get some money for its star player and for him to get a better opportunity for trophies.

"Speculation is speculation," said interim Tottenham manager Ryan Mason, whose latest short-term stint in charge is likely to end after the trip to Leeds on May 28.

"We do have an important game against Leeds and there will be conversations. There are massive decisions to make but we can't look too far ahead. That's after the last game of the season and those conversations will definitely happen."

Kane was joined by the rest of the squad in coming back out onto the field at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the end-of-season lap of appreciation, when he was also awarded the club's player of the season award from fans.

By then, the majority of home supporters had left, with Tottenham having slipped to a fifth loss in its last seven games.

Mbeumo cut in from the left for both of his goals, in the 50th and 62nd minutes, and then led a counterattack before setting up Yoane Wissa for a composed finish to seal victory for Brentford in the 88th.

Brentford was without Ivan Toney, who was handed an eightmonth suspension on Wednesday for breaching betting regulations.

Brentford hosts Manchester City in its last match.