Sports Desk, May 19 ( EFE)- Phil Foden struck two first-half goals to set up a 3-1 win over West Ham United as Manchester City became the first-ever team to win four English Premier League titles in a row in men’s football on Sunday.
City’s win at the Etihad meant Arsenal had to remain content with the runners-up title despite coming from behind to beat Everton 2-1 at home.
Foden, named player of the season before the game, took just 79 seconds to fire City into the lead before turning Jeremy Doku’s cross in the 18th minute to leave their home fans going wild.
West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus pulled a goal with a stunning overhead kick just before halftime to put some excitement into the contest.
But Rodri’s typical finish in the 58th minute restored City’s two-goal cushion, which the men in sky-blues maintained until the final whistle to secure their 10th top-flight title, their sixth in seven seasons.
Huddersfield Town (from 1923 to 1926), Arsenal (1932–1935), Liverpool (1981–1984), and Manchester United (from 1998–2001 and from 2006–2009) had won three trophies in a row.
Pep Guardiola’s side has now wrapped up their fourth consecutive title by remaining unbeaten at home throughout the campaign.
City had their destiny in their own hands, having led fellow contenders Arsenal by two points before the contest.
But knowing the history of the competition, where they snatched the title from the grasp of Manchester United with a last-minute goal against QPR seven seasons ago, they could not take anything for granted.
And true to the occasion, the two title contenders endured a few anxious moments, with their matches providing several twists and turns.
Just when City fans started celebrating Idrissa Gueye’s goal for Everton against Arsenal, Kudus dampened their mood with his stunning effort three minutes before the break.
They became further nervous as the Gunners soon equalized through Japanese defender Takehiro Tomiyasu.
They could not relax until Rodri slid a shot into the bottom corner for the decisive blow on Hammers.
But there was the threat of late drama when Tomas Soucek had the ball in the back of the net.
The referee initially awarded the goal, but a replay indicated that the defender used his hand for the goal, prompting VAR to rule it out much to the relief of City fans.
City players had to intervene to keep their fans away from invading the pitch in the final few seconds, despite Kyle Havertz scoring a late goal to ensure Arsenal’s win.
It was City coach Pep Guardiola’s sixth league title for City and 17th in all competitions for the side.
Since he debuted with Barcelona on the bench, he has lost only three league titles – Real Madrid in 2010, Chelsea in 2017, and Liverpool in 2020. EFE
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