MANCHESTER, May 19: Manchester City won a record fourth-straight Premier League title on Sunday by beating West Ham 3-1 in the final game of the season.
City is the first team to be crowned champion of English soccer’s top division four years in a row after holding off the challenge of second-place Arsenal, which beat Everton 2-1.
With City needing a win to be sure of holding off Arsenal, who started the final day two points behind but with a better goal difference, Phil Foden put Pep Guardiola’s side ahead after just two minutes.
The England star added another before the break and although Mohammed Kudus pulled one back, midfielder Rodri restored the home side’s two-goal cushion with a shot from the edge of the area after 59 minutes.
City survived a late scare when West Ham had a second goal ruled out by VAR for handball.
However, their victory was never seriously in doubt
The win completed a staggering run of 19 wins and four draws since their last defeat in the league, at Aston Villa on 6 December.
City have now won six out of the past seven Premier League titles. Last term, they joined Huddersfield, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United, twice, in winning the top flight three years in a row. Now Guardiola’s team have achieved something no other side has managed since the English league was formed in 1888, 136 years ago.
On 25 May they will aim to become the first side to complete the domestic Double in successive seasons when they face Manchester United in the FA Cup final at Wembley.
Meanwhile, Rasmus Hojlund and Diogo Dalot helped Manchester United finish their worst Premier League season with a 2-0 victory at Brighton. Despite the win, United end the season eighth.
Record goals in a season
The Premier League has never seen so many goals in a single season.
Jarell Quansah’s strike for Liverpool against Wolverhampton at Anfield on Sunday took the number of goals scored in England’s top flight this campaign to 1,223 — a record.
There are various factors that could be behind the increase in goals this season, including longer games because of more stoppage time, more attack-minded coaches and the weakness of the promoted teams. The previous record of 1,222 goals in a season came in the 1992-93 League campaign, when there were 22 teams in the division. (Agencies)
