Chelsea delays Man City’s celebration

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND » In a haze of blue smoke produced by fans, Manchester City’s team buses were serenaded into their stadium with chants of “Champions.”

They proved premature. There was still a game — closed to crowds due to the pandemic — to be won.

And Chelsea came from behind to win 2-1 on Saturday and prevent City from clinching a third English title in four seasons and dethroning Liverpool.

City’s time will surely come, with three games still to get over the line in the Premier League. The celebrations could even come on Sunday if Manchester United, 13 points adrift of its neighbor, loses at Aston Villa.

How different it could have been had Sergio Aguero not chipped a “Panenka” penalty softly down the center that Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy saved in firsthalf stoppage time after Gabriel Jesus was brought down by Billy Gilmour.

It was a chance to double the lead after Raheem Sterling swept in the opener in the 44th minute.

Andreas Christensen failed to close down a long ball and fell, and Gabriel Jesus nipped in to seize possession. The pass was squared across the penalty area, that Aguero couldn’t control to shoot before Sterling applied the finishing touch.

Then it was a mistake by Rodri, playing as the only midfielder, in giving the ball away around the halfway line that led to Chelsea equalizing in the 63rd.

Bayern clinch 9th straight Bundesliga title

BERLIN » Bayern Munich clinched its recordextending ninth consecutive Bundesliga title without even kicking a ball, then celebrated with a 6-0 rout of Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday.

Robert Lewandowski’s hat trick lifted his season tally to 39 goals, just one off the alltime record of 40 by Bayern great Gerd Müller in the 1971-72 season.

Thorns beat Gotham in Challenge Cup

PORTLAND, ORE. » Morgan Weaver buried her penalty kick after Portland goalkeeper Adrianna Franch stopped Nahomi Kawasumi’s attempt and the Thorns won the Challenge Cup tournament on a penalty shootout after a 1-1 draw with Gotham.

The Thorns did not drop a match in the National Women’s Soccer League preseason tournament. Gotham, previously known as Sky Blue before an offseason rebrand, won a pair of group-stage games, including a 4-3 victory over the North Carolina Courage.

Christine Sinclair’s bending strike in the eighth minute gave the Thorns an early lead.