City stretch unbeaten run to 21 as fourth title looms
Two more wins — that’s all that separates Manchester City from becoming English champions for an unprecedented fourth straight year.
The game is up, though, for Burnley, whose relegation from the Premier League was confirmed yesterday with a game to spare.
On a significant day at both ends of the standings, City racked up another big victory, routing Fulham 4-0 to climb above Arsenal into a twopoint lead. Arsenal faced Manchester United at Old Trafford overnight.
However Arsenal finishes the season, the title will be City’s if Pep Guardiola’s team beat Tottenham away on Wednesday and West Ham at home in the final round next Monday.
“My players like to play with pressure. They are used to it,” said Guardiola, whose team have won five of the last six Premier Leagues. “The players enjoy this feeling. This season is the same — don’t think about anything other than the next game. Focus on winning the next game and then we will see what happens.”
Josko Gvardiol scored twice for City to enhance his status as an unlikely goal-getter for Guardiola, with the left back making it five in his last seven games. Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez also netted at Craven Cottage as City extended their unbeaten run in the Premier League to 21 games dating back to December 7.
No team in the 136-year history of English football have won the top division for four successive years. It’s the latest record in touching distance of Guardiola’s City, who have also reached the FA Cup final against Manchester United on May 26.
Burnley down
Two of the three teams who came up to the Premier League this season are heading back down to the Championship after one year. It’s not looking great for the third one, either.
Burnley needed to beat Tottenham to stand a chance of a second straight season in the top flight but lost 2-1 to join already-relegated Sheffield United.
Luton lost at West Ham 3-1 to stand on the brink of being the third team relegated. But they were given a reprieve when fourth-from-last Nottingham Forest squandered a lead and lost at home to Chelsea 3-2.
All White Chris Wood played the full 90 minutes for Forest, who are three points above Luton and have a superior goal difference of 12.
In the final round of games next Monday, Forest visit Burnley and
Luton host Fulham — and there has to be a huge and improbable swing in goal difference for Luton to survive.
Last season, all three promoted teams staved off relegation for the first time since 2018.
Spurs retain hope
Tottenham kept their Champions League qualification hopes alive with their come-from behind win over Burnley, secured by Micky van de Ven’s 82nd-minute goal.
Tottenham’s equaliser was also scored by a defender — right back Pedro Porro — to begin the fightback.
Spurs trimmed the gap to fourthplaced Aston Villa to four points, with both teams having two games left.
Villa can secure the fourth and final automatic Champions League spot from the Premier League by beating Liverpool at home tomorrow morning.
Other results
In the fight to qualify for the minor European competitions, Newcastle stayed sixth — but dropped six points behind Tottenham — by drawing at home with Brighton 1-1.
Newcastle are tied on points with Chelsea, with both teams three points ahead of eighth-placed Manchester United.
Brentford won at Bournemouth 2-1, Crystal Palace beat Wolverhampton 3-1 and Everton defeated Sheffield United 1-0 for a fifth straight home victory.