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Manchester City players lift the Premier League title on May 19, 2024. Photo by Reuters© Provided by eVnExpress
Manchester City created English football history on Sunday, overcoming West Ham 3-1 to win their fourth straight Premier League title and break Arsenal’s hearts as Jurgen Klopp made an emotional Liverpool exit.
Phil Foden scored two early goals at an expectant Etihad to put his side on the brink of the title before Mohammed Kudus pulled one back with a spectacular overhead kick.
But Rodri struck just before the hour to restore City’s two-goal cushion and the home side rarely looked troubled as they coasted to the win.
Arsenal started the day two points behind their rivals and praying for a miracle to deny City their coronation, knowing that a win against Everton would not be enough if the champions won on home turf.
The Gunners, without a Premier League title since 2004, came from a goal down to beat Everton 2-1 but had to content themselves with second in the table for a second straight season.
City, who have now won six titles in seven years, stand alone as the only English team to have won four straight top-flight titles, eclipsing the achievements of the great Liverpool and Manchester United teams of the past.
“It is so hard to put into words what we’ve done today,” Foden told Sky Sports. “No team has ever done it (won four in a row). We have put ourselves into the history books.
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“You see what it means to the fans and to us players working all year for this moment. A special moment to share it with the fans.”
Elsewhere on the final day of the Premier League season, Luton’s relegation was confirmed with a 4-2 loss at home to Fulham. They will join Burnley and Sheffield United in the Championship next season.
Tottenham beat relegated Sheffield United 3-0 to seal fifth spot and a place in next’s season’s Europa League while Chelsea guaranteed a sixth-place finish with a 2-1 win against Bournemouth.
Newcastle’s 4-2 win at Brentford condemned Manchester United to an eighth-place finish — their lowest since 1990.
Foden magic
Foden, 23, has enjoyed his most impressive season yet for City, taking his tally to 27 goals in all competitions on Sunday, together with 11 assists.
The England man opened the scoring on Sunday after just 79 seconds with a vicious left-footed shot from outside the penalty area, settling nerves among the home fans. He then passed the ball into the net in the 18th minute after an assist from Jeremy Doku.
City appeared to have one hand on the trophy and news then filtered through that Everton had taken the lead at Arsenal, leaving Mikel Arteta’s men leaving an unlikely sequence of events to come out on top.
But the title race came alive again within the space of a few minutes when Takehiro Tomiyasu side-footed home to level at the Emirates before Kudus pulled one back for West Ham.
The atmosphere became more subdued at the Etihad but the visitors rarely threatened again in David Moyes’s final game in charge and Rodri’s goal in the 59th minute eased the pressure.
Arsenal fell behind to Idrissa Gueye’s 40th-minute goal at home but Tomiyasu leveled just three minutes later and Kai Havertz sealed a 2-1 win in the 89th minute.
Klopp was given an emotional send-off at Anfield after nine trophy-filled years.
Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring in the 34th minute and Jarell Quansah netted six minutes later for the Reds, who ended the season in third place.
Dejan Kulusevski scored twice for Tottenham against Sheffield United while Moises Caicedo scored a spectacular goal from the half-way line to set Chelsea on their way against Bournemouth.
The win for Mauricio Pochettino’s men means they seal a European place after a topsy-turvy season.
Erik ten Hag’s United beat Brighton 2-0 in Roberto De Zerbi’s final game in charge of the south coast club but it was too little too late to save a disastrous league season.