MANCHESTER CITY won an unprecedented fourth consecutive Premier League title on Sunday as Phil Foden’s double inspired a 3-1 victory over West Ham.
No side in the history of the English top flight had ever won four successive titles, but City have become accustomed to rewriting the record books under Pep Guardiola.
The Catalan coach has masterminded six Premier League wins in the past seven seasons.
In four of those years, City have also surpassed 90 points. They were pushed this season to deny Arsenal a first title since 2003/04.
The Gunners celebrated a 0-0 draw at the Etihad last month that kept them one point in front of City with nine games to play.
But the champions were relentless in the run-in, winning their final nine league games, scoring 33 goals.
Guardiola conceded City had felt the pressure in a nervy 2-0 win at Tottenham in midweek that kept the destiny of the title in their own hands.
In the same scenario two years ago, they needed a remarkable late fightback from 2-0 down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 on the final day.
There was far less drama as West Ham melted under the baking Manchester sun in David Moyes’ final game in charge of the Hammers.
Foden was recently crowned the football writers’ player of the year for his best-ever goalscoring season and ended any suspense after just 79 seconds.
The England international arrowed a blistering drive into the top corner to ensure there was no nervous wait for the title party to get started.
Foden doubled City’s lead inside 20 minutes with another cool left-footed finish from Jeremy Doku’s cross for his 27th goal of the season.
City should have been out of sight before half-time as Alphonse Areola denied Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland failed to turn in from point-blank range.
Out of nowhere, there was a twist in the tale of the first half when, from a West Ham corner, Mohammed Kudus’ outrageous overhead kick flew high past Stefan Ortega.
Haaland claimed his second Golden Boot in as many seasons in the Premier League despite a day to forget in front of goal.
The Norwegian missed a huge chance to restore the home side’s two-goal cushion when he spooned over another inviting Doku cross.
City swiftly restored order at the start of the second period and fittingly it was Rodri, himself a player of the year contender, who delivered the knockout blow to Arsenal’s title hopes.
The Spaniard has not been on the losing side for club or country since March 2023.
City’s only three Premier League defeats came in the three games the 27-year-old was suspended.
This time Areola should have done better as the Frenchman failed to turn Rodri’s tame effort round the post.
City could cruise to the finish line and extend a remarkable 35-game unbeaten streak in all competitions from open play.
The only blip on that run was a penalty shootout defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals that denied Guardiola’s men the chance of back-to-back trebles.
They can make it double next weekend when Manchester United have the unenviable task of stopping their local rivals in the FA Cup final.
By achieving a degree of league dominance never seen before, City have made their case to be considered the greatest side English football has produced.
There was an anti-climactic end as City players had to tell fans to get off the pitch before the full-time whistle.
Thousands of supporters poured onto the field at the end despite pleas from the club to stay off the playing surface.
Meanwhile, Arsenal claimed a late 2-1 win over Everton on the final day but suffered title heartbreak for a second season in a row, as City’s victory rendered the Gunners’ result meaningless.
The chances of any last-day jeopardy appeared minimal from the outset, but were reduced even further when City went two up early on before Idrissa Gueye’s deflected free-kick in the 40th minute put the visitors ahead at the Emirates.
Takehiro Tomiyasu levelled three minutes later, which was around the time West Ham reduced the deficit at the Etihad, but there would be no dramatic twist in the title race.
A tap-in by Kai Havertz with 89 minutes on the clock did at least ensure the Gunners finished a brilliant season with a 28th league win to show further signs of progress under Mikel Arteta, who will attempt to help his squad go one better next season
Additional reporting by Press Association
Against this huge Fiji team I think it’s fair to say that everyone on the bench will get a game
@Niall Cunneen: this will be quite close id say
I hope McCloskey will be a mainstay in the squad after this month
@Shcoop: I bet he won’t do whatever he was told not to do in his last game.
Have to say the technique on the bag hit is all wrong
Head across body , asking for a concussion
Sorry , pedantic I know
@Tony O Dwyer: I don’t think they’re doing tackle practice there…
@Tony O Dwyer: Chris Farrell should be holding that tackle pad. I’d have both McCloskey and Farrell hitting the forwards’ pads.
@Tony O Dwyer: Good point! He won’t want Joe seeing that photo. It always annoys me seeing pro players do it. The worst one I ever saw was Leigh Halfpenny getting knocked out for refusing to tackle with his left shoulder against Italy. What’s even worse is that he still won’t tackle with his left shoulder to this day!
@Conor Paddington: It’s still asking for injury. We all know that McCloskey is going to win a physical contest with Carbery in training but if it’s a game and he doesn’t, he risks serious injury. He is also taking most of the power out of his cleanout by having his neck in front of the man.
@Tony O Dwyer: It’s a rucking drill.
@EK: it’s not asking for injury if he’s not practicing his tackling.
@Gary: Correct, it’s a rucking drill and the height of Carbery’s feet off the ground suggests that McCloskey hit the pad low and then lifted his mate which is the proper rucking technique.
@Conor Paddington: How wonderfully disingenuous of you to ignore my second point. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that whatever drill McCloskey does, whether it’s tackling or rucking, should be practiced with perfect technique to prepare him for game situations. Otherwise he’s practicing a mistake.
This isn’t a witchhunt, just an attempt from a coach to preach the virtues of good habits in training. Unless of course Conor Paddington is an alias for Allen Iverson then…..it’s just practice man.
@EK: I would like the record to state that I am not disingenuous, just lazy. I didn’t read that far. Sorry. That said, we still don’t know what the drill is, my initial point stands. But as you said, it’s a bad angle if he is clearing out.
@Conor Paddington: Fair enough and point taken.
@Tom Reilly: Agreed but the purpose seems to be to unbalance the ball carrier for either a second to secure possession.
Murray might be on gardening leave mariahh
@Range Rover: Carey?