Manchester City are Premier League champions again after a 3-1 win over West Ham at the Etihad Stadium.
Needing victory to be certain of retaining their crown and becoming the first club to be champions of England for four consecutive seasons, Phil Foden fired City in front in the second minute and added a second soon after to ease any nerves.
Mohammed Kudus’ overhead kick late in the first half shifted the momentum briefly but Rodri’s low strike early in the second half ended any hope that Arsenal supporters may have had that City would slip up on the final day and gift them the title.
For Pep Guardiola, it is a sixth Premier League title in eight seasons, one achieved as a result of not dropping a point in their final nine games. David Moyes’ West Ham reign ends in defeat and a ninth-place finish in the table. Guardiola’s City go marching on.
How final-day drama unfolded
Tension was understandable at the outset given the muddle that City have got themselves into against Queens Park Rangers and Aston Villa on the final day in previous title wins but Foden swept much of that away inside 80 seconds with his sensational strike.
It was typical Foden, arrowing the ball into the top corner from the edge of the box, and when he doubled the advantage after finishing off a fine move, that looked to be that. Erling Haaland missed a glorious chance to make it three. It was a question of how many.
The point seemed likely to prove moot anyway when news of Everton’s opening goal at Arsenal filtered through but the celebrations began prematurely. Kudus’ spectacular overhead kick coupled with Arsenal’s equaliser made the mood more uneasy.
As has so often been the case in recent years, it was Rodri who intervened to settle things. His low shot from outside the penalty box was reached by Alphonse Areola but the West Ham goalkeeper could only push the ball into the corner of his own net.
Cue Poznan-style celebrations – and eventually a pitch invasion – in the knowledge that Arsenal’s challenge had finally been seen off. It needed nine wins in a row to do it but City showed again that when there is no margin for error, they are relentless winners.
With SkySport report
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