Manchester City on Sunday created English soccer history, beating West Ham United 3-1 to win their fourth consecutive Premier League title and break Arsenal’s hearts, while Juergen Klopp made an emotional Liverpool exit.
Phil Foden scored two early goals — including one after 79 seconds — at an expectant Etihad to lay the foundations for City’s victory.
West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus pulled a goal back with a spectacular overhead-kick to give Arsenal renewed hope, but Rodri struck just before the hour mark to effectively wrap up the title.
Photo: Reuters
The Gunners, without a Premier League trophy since 2004, came from a goal down to beat Everton 2-1, but had to content themselves with second place for a second straight season after they finished two points behind City’s tally of 91.
The champions’ relentless surge to the finish line has included 19 wins and four draws since their last defeat in the league, at Aston Villa in early December last year.
City, who have won six titles in seven seasons, 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.
“When I moved here, if someone had said I would win six leagues in seven seasons I would say: ‘You’re insane — no way,’” City manager Pep Guardiola said. “All these players for Manchester United and Liverpool and Chelsea, all these teams. Now is our period. We are part of that.”
While City have set new standards in English soccer, they remain under a cloud as a result of 115 Premier League charges for alleged financial irregularities, leveled early last year.
Elsewhere on the final day of the Premier League season, Luton Town’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 Hotspur beat Sheffield United 3-0 to seal fifth spot and a place in next season’s Europa League, while Chelsea guaranteed a sixth-place finish and European soccer with a 2-1 win against AFC Bournemouth.
Newcastle United’s 4-2 win at Brentford condemned Manchester United to an eighth-place finish — their lowest since 1990.
Erik ten Hag’s men, who beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-0 in Roberto de Zerbi’s last game in charge of the south coast club, have a chance to salvage something from a disastrous season in Saturday’s FA Cup final against City.
If United lose that, they would miss out on European soccer.
Klopp ended his Liverpool reign with a 2-0 win at home over Wolverhampton Wanderers, but the match was merely a sideshow as the fans paid a warm tribute to a manager who has transformed the club since arriving in 2015.
“It doesn’t feel like an end,” the German told a packed Anfield. “It just feels like a start. Today I saw a football team play full of talent, youth, creativity, desire, greed.”
“We have this wonderful stadium, training center and you — the superpower of world football. Wow,” he added.
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