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We will get credit for title if we win, don't know what people think of us - Guardiola

Manchester City won an unprecedented fourth straight English top-flight title with a 3-1 win over West Ham United on Sunday to pip rivals Arsenal on the final day of a thrilling Premier League season.

Two glorious early goals from league player of the season Phil Foden created a party atmosphere in the sunshine at the Etihad Stadium before a stunning bicycle kick from Mohammed Kudus before halftime brought West Ham briefly into the game.

But Rodri sealed the victory with a low 59th-minute shot from outside the area, giving Pep Guardiola’s side a phenomenal sixth title in seven years. Fans danced in their seats, belting out: “Champions again!” and “Are you watching Arsenal?”

In one of the closest title races in Premier League history, Arsenal could have taken the championship had City dropped points. But the Londoners’ 2-1 win in their game against Everton was in vain, leaving them two points behind.

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Manchester City are the best – but a cloud hangs over Pep Guardiola’s era of dominance

On a day when any tension was largely illusory, there was considerable symbolism. Arsenal lifted themselves to the 89 points that were required last season, only for Manchester City to go that bit further. They easily beat West Ham United to make it 91 points, illustrating how they always raise the bar.

Many point to this as a sign of the Premier League’s supposed competitiveness, but it really just shows how difficult it is to even keep pace with the apparently perpetual champions. City force teams to go the distance only to then go that bit further themselves. That comes from a combination of maybe the greatest manager of all time overseeing a squad and infrastructure as he idealises it, to now go further than anyone has before.

City have become the first team in English history to win four successive league titles and the first with as many as six in seven years. That’s all through returns of points (average 91.1), wins (average 29) and trophies (50 per cent of those available) that are superior to any previous club over a spell so long. It is an unprecedented level of domination, now akin to what has recently been seen in Ligue 1 or the Bundesliga.

There is of course another number that hangs over that, which played into a more potent piece of symbolism on the day. Premier League chief executive Richard Masters was not at Manchester City, and that ensured there were this time no comments about the competition’s most senior figure again handing the trophy to the club it has been investigating for so long.

City are the best – but a cloud hangs over Pep Guardiola’s era of dominance

There is no doubting the quality of Pep Guardiola’s champions, but an ongoing investigation into alleged financial breaches weighs over the historic achievement of four league titles in a row, writes Miguel Delaney

Ben Fleming19 May 2024 19:56

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Kyle Walker speaking to Sky Sports

“I am the man at the front and I wear the armband but I don’t put myself above anyone else. We are a team. There are four captains including myself, and we all pull our weight. I am just the man they’ve picked to wear the armband which I am very grateful for. To be able to lift the trophy in this scenario, the four in a row, it is a dream come true.”

“We all knew the game at Tottenham, once we got over that hurdle, then it is in touching distance. To come here and play in front of our ow fans, where we haven’t lost all season... We had the crowd behind us, we had the momentum and we had the confidence as well.”

On how much the four in a row was discussed: “It has been spoken about all year what we can achieve and the history we can make. But it is about the finer details. It was down to just one game and that game was West Ham United. We get past that then we make history but more importantly we claim the Premier League again.

“It is a very, very tough league to win. I looked at the Italian league, German league, Spanish league, the winners are 10-15 points clear. Fair play to Arsenal and Liverpool for what they have done throughout the season, making sure they push us right to the limit.”

Ben Fleming19 May 2024 19:30