Manchester City on Sunday celebrated their English Premier League title triumph with a 1-0 win against Chelsea before captain Ilkay Gundogan lifted the trophy in front of their jubilant fans, while Leeds United slipped closer to relegation.
City clinched a fifth title in six seasons on Saturday when second placed Arsenal crashed 1-0 at Nottingham Forest.
Manager Pep Guardiola’s side marked their third successive title by winning a 12th consecutive league game as Julian Alvarez’s first-half goal extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to 24 matches.
Photo: EPA-EFE
That blistering streak has left Arsenal trailing as the Gunners failed to end City’s reign despite leading the table for much of the season.
“All Premier Leagues are special. Always it’s so difficult to win it,” Guardiola said. “We had to push Arsenal and wait if they dropped some points. They did. We were there. You never know how we are going to respond, but the team was outstanding.”
The fans’ celebrations were going strong by the time the City team bus arrived at the Etihad Stadium, which was surrounded by flag-waving supporters who set off blue smoke flares as they hailed their dynastic team.
City, seven points clear of Arsenal with two games left, would cement their status as one of English soccer’s greatest ever teams if they can add the FA Cup and UEFA Champions League to their latest Premier League conquest.
Guardiola’s treble chasers face Manchester United in the FA Cup final at Wembley on June 3, then take on Inter in Istanbul seven days later as they look to win the Champions League for the first time.
Manchester United were the last English club to win the treble in 1999 and City would relish the chance to emulate their rivals’ feat.
“You have to win the Champions League to be considered one of the best teams, but also it’s unfair to say if you don’t win it, the Premier League doesn’t make sense,” Guardiola said.
“Of course it makes sense, of course it’s important. It’s every day, every week. This club won five of the last six. It’s amazing.”
At the other end of the table, struggling Leeds lost 3-1 at West Ham United as Rodrigo’s opener was erased by goals from Declan Rice, Jarrod Bowen and Manuel Lanzini.
Manager Sam Allardyce’s side remain third bottom and are two points adrift of fourth bottom Everton, with both teams having just one game left.
Even if Leeds beat Tottenham Hotspur at home on the final day of the season, the Yorkshire club could still be relegated if Everton win their last game against AFC Bournemouth at Goodison Park.
Brighton & Hove Albion secured European soccer for the first time in their history with a 3-1 win against Southampton.
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