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Manchester City 3-1 West Ham: City claim fourth successive league title after Foden brace and Rodri’s second-half strike
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Manchester City won an unprecedented fourth straight English top-flight title with a 3-1 win over West Ham United on Sunday to pip rivals Arsenal on the final day of a thrilling Premier League season.
Two glorious early goals from league player of the season Phil Foden created a party atmosphere in the sunshine at the Etihad Stadium before a stunning bicycle kick from Mohammed Kudus before halftime brought West Ham briefly into the game.
But Rodri sealed the victory with a low 59th-minute shot from outside the area, giving Pep Guardiola’s side a phenomenal sixth title in seven years. Fans danced in their seats, belting out: “Champions again!” and “Are you watching Arsenal?”
In one of the closest title races in Premier League history, Arsenal could have taken the championship had City dropped points. But the Londoners’ 2-1 win in their game against Everton was in vain, leaving them two points behind.
Follow all the reaction below.
On a day when any tension was largely illusory, there was considerable symbolism. Arsenal lifted themselves to the 89 points that were required last season, only for Manchester City to go that bit further. They easily beat West Ham United to make it 91 points, illustrating how they always raise the bar.
Many point to this as a sign of the Premier League’s supposed competitiveness, but it really just shows how difficult it is to even keep pace with the apparently perpetual champions. City force teams to go the distance only to then go that bit further themselves. That comes from a combination of maybe the greatest manager of all time overseeing a squad and infrastructure as he idealises it, to now go further than anyone has before.
City have become the first team in English history to win four successive league titles and the first with as many as six in seven years. That’s all through returns of points (average 91.1), wins (average 29) and trophies (50 per cent of those available) that are superior to any previous club over a spell so long. It is an unprecedented level of domination, now akin to what has recently been seen in Ligue 1 or the Bundesliga.
There is of course another number that hangs over that, which played into a more potent piece of symbolism on the day. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters was not at Manchester City, and that ensured there were this time no comments about the competition’s most senior figure again handing the trophy to the club it has been investigating for so long.
Miguel Delaney on the 115 charges looming large over City’s historic achievement:
There is no doubting the quality of Pep Guardiola’s champions, but an ongoing investigation into alleged financial breaches weighs over the historic achievement of four league titles in a row, writes Miguel Delaney
And so, some 136 years after the foundation of the Football League, England finally has a team who have done the quartet. Manchester City are the first team to become champions in four consecutive seasons. Pep Guardiola has a historic achievement; another one, given the rare and unique distinctions he has engineered and amassed amid his own track record of unparalleled success.
There is a debate to be had if this City side are the greatest England has seen but they can claim to be the most relentless. Since the Club World Cup, they have taken 57 points from a possible 63. If Arsenal’s excellence left them with little room for error in the run-in, City made none, finishing with nine straight wins, each by at least two goals. They have turned winning into a routine: across games, months, seasons and an era.
While City have endured final-day drama before, Guardiola’s prediction that this would be like the nerve-shredding last game against Aston Villa in 2022 proved very wrong. Mohammed Kudus produced a late contender for goal of the season, but only when City were already up.
A goal ahead inside 80 seconds, two to the good within 20 minutes, this was a saunter in the sunshine. City were dominant, Foden rampant, his early double a further illustration of his capacity to score goals that are both important and excellent.
Read Richard Jolly’s full-time report from the Etihad:
Manchester City 3-1 West Ham United: Phil Foden’s early double set the champions on their way to a victory which clinched yet another league crown
Mikel Arteta was unequivocal on the Emirates pitch. “We’re going to get it,” the Arsenal manager declared, voice still strained. “They took it away from us. It’s the second season,” Arteta said, as Manchester City were crowned Premier League champions again. This was a difficult day for the emotions and Arteta and Arsenal went through them all as their hopes rose and fell. In the end, despite Kai Havertz’s late winner, they fell just short. Arsenal finished two points off Pep Guardiola’s side but Arteta was convinced that his challengers would one day become champions. “When, I don’t know, but it will happen,” he insisted.
Arsenal never managed to edge in front on the final day. Arteta looked pained, pulling his face on the touchline while Sean Dyche prowled in his tracksuit, his Everton team determined to disrupt. And yet, when full-time came and City were crowned champions for the fourth season in a row, the Emirates projected an image of defiance. It turned the day back to where it had started, when Arsenal dreamed of a first title in 20 years. More than that was the feeling that remained. Under Arteta, a club has been reborn, its energy restored.
Arsenal projected a picture of defiance even as the dream of a first Premier League title in 20 years faded away
“For Arsenal to push us to another level – before it was Liverpool and the last two seasons it’s been Arsenal. This one has been incredible. We get the message, we know they will be there for many years.
“Young manager with big talent – they sent us a message that you have to be careful for the next few years. When I moved here if someone had said I would win six leagues in seven seasons I would say you’re insane – no way. All these players for Manchester United and Liverpool and Chelsea, all these teams. Now is our period. We are part of that.”
On his secret to success: “I don’t know! Work a lot. I respect them a lot. Be humble, incredible work ethic. One game, one game, one game – you can’t think in November that you’re going to win it.
“Evolving it is not. The sport director gives me these players and I think OK what is the best position for them? We can’t play a false nine with [Erling] Haaland, we adapt the skills to the players. Not because I have an idea and every player had to do it. We adapt to the players.
“We were without [Erling] Haaland for many months, Julian [Alvarez] did an amazing job and Phil [Foden] has this talent. On the big stage, in the big moment he did. Amazing players but with Phil we have an extra thing.”
On his future at the club: “The reality is I am closer to leaving than staying. We have talked with the club – my feeling is that I want to stay now. I will stay next season and during the season we will talk. But eight or nine years – we will see.”
“Unbelievable feeling to be history makers. I’ve been here three years and every year I’ve won a Premier League – it’s been unbelievable. For the guys that have been here four years, to do it in the Premier League. Some say it’s the hardest league in the world so to do four in a row it’s unbelievable.
“I said last year I’ve never been in a team anywhere where we have what we have here. We have everything, younger guys, experienced guys, talent, and a togetherness that’s just amazing.
“I don’t feel like I’ve performed well this season at all. I performed better this year than my first year. That first year I just wanted to win no matter what. Last year I played more and this season has been stop-start. I played well in points.
“My standards are high so I feel like I could’ve played more in some games. I wanted to play as much as I could like last season. We have so many good players here so it’s difficult. There’s no team in the world that rotates like this team do but that’s the beauty of it.”
“I am the man at the front and I wear the armband but I don’t put myself above anyone else. We are a team. There are four captains including myself, and we all pull our weight. I am just the man they’ve picked to wear the armband which I am very grateful for. To be able to lift the trophy in this scenario, the four in a row, it is a dream come true.”
“We all knew the game at Tottenham, once we got over that hurdle, then it is in touching distance. To come here and play in front of our ow fans, where we haven’t lost all season… We had the crowd behind us, we had the momentum and we had the confidence as well.”
On how much the four in a row was discussed: “It has been spoken about all year what we can achieve and the history we can make. But it is about the finer details. It was down to just one game and that game was West Ham United. We get past that then we make history but more importantly we claim the Premier League again.
“It is a very, very tough league to win. I looked at the Italian league, German league, Spanish league, the winners are 10-15 points clear. Fair play to Arsenal and Liverpool for what they have done throughout the season, making sure they push us right to the limit.”
“After we beat Spurs we kind of knew we were going to do it. I was confident.”
On winning his second successive golden boot: “It’s not bad. There’s not much to say, it’s better to just play football and don’t speak too much. Let other people do the speaking and that’s better.”
On playing in the Premier League: “It’s been harder than I expected. Every game, the way every game is not like a final but it’s not far away. You come away somewhere or even at home you can’t relax. Every game is so intense and tough.”
On playing for Pep Guardiola: “It’s a bit demanding at times. It’s tough, but look what he’s done. He demands a lot every single day. If you don’t live up to what he expects you have a big problem. He’s demanding and he’s a lovely guy and I love him to pieces.”
“We decide if we are worried or excited. We decide if we believe. We decide if we trust or don’t trust. Today I am one of you and I keep believing. I stay believing 100%.
“Obviously I saw a lot of people crying and I will tonight too because I will miss people but change is good. Everything will be fine because the basics are 100% there.
“You welcome the new manager like you welcomed me. You go all in from the first day. You keep believing. You push teh team. I’m one of you now. I love you to bits.
“Thank you. You are the best team in the world. Thank you!”
Over at Anfield, Jurgen Klopp addressed the fans for the final time: “I’m surprised. I thought I’d already be in pieces but I’m not. I’m so happy about you all, the atmosphere, the game, being a part of this family and about us, how we celebrate this day. Thank you so much!
“It doesn’t feel like an end. It just feels like a start. Today I saw a football team play full of talent, youth, creativity, desire, greed. That’s one part of development, that’s what you need obviously.
“In these few weeks where I have had too much attention, I realised a lot of things. People say I turned them from doubters into believers. That’s not true. You did it. Nobody tells you to stop believing. This club is in a better moment than a long time.”
“The margins are so small. Liverpool in two seasons we beat them by one point and now Arsenal by two points. We’ve been lucky enough to have these small margins to be in front of them. The achievement is unbelievable. Four in a row, we are so, so proud and so, so happy.”
On the reaction to the West Ham goal: “It creates a bit of doubt because you know they don’t need to play very well to do some damage. The team maintained the same level, we created chances and went for the third goal and luckily we scored and won the game.”
On which Premier League title is the most special: “All of them but the first one is always the most special. Winning four in a row and something that was never done before is unbelievable, right?”
On the team set-up: “The way this team is built, they know if everyone works very hard we are a step closer to winning. As the senior guys right now, we have to make sure that the new guys feel the same way. In this team it is not acceptable to not work and give 100% and that’s what we do every game.”
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