Tribal Football

Manchester City claim fourth consecutive title after final day triumph

Phil Foden of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team's first goal
Phil Foden of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team's first goalAFP
Manchester City have won the Premier League title for the fourth year in a row after a final-day victory over West Ham United.

Goals from Phil Foden and Rodri secured a 3-1 win over the Hammers at the Etihad, leaving rivals Arsenal with no chance of lifting a first Premier League trophy since 2004.

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Pep Guardiola's side have dominated the league in the last decade, winning six of the last seven Premier League titles and despite a strong challenge this season from the Gunners, when it mattered the most City's stars delivered - a habit they have mastered in recent years. 

Phil Foden celebrates scoring for Manchester City
Phil Foden celebrates scoring for Manchester CityProfimedia

The only time Manchester City failed to win the Premier League in the last seven seasons was the 2019/20 campaign when Liverpool ended their long wait for a top-flight trophy.

Before the last two seasons, Liverpool were the only serious challengers to City's throne but Arsenal have since risen to take the place of Klopp's side under Mikel Arteta. 

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Unlike last season when Arsenal's title credentials collapsed in April, the Gunners have taken the fight to City right to the final day this campaign.

A key reason for Arsenal's improvement this time out was beating Manchester City to the signing of Declan Rice for £105 million. 

Rice not only added defensive stability with his immaculate reading of the game but he provided quality and creativity to Arsenal's attacking play. 

Manchester City's English midfielder #47 Phil Foden celebrates scoring his, and the team's, second goal
Manchester City's English midfielder #47 Phil Foden celebrates scoring his, and the team's, second goalAFP

It was another Englishman in Foden who starred for Manchester City in the absence of injured Kevin De Bruyne through large chunks of the campaign, with the freshly anointed Player of the Season pivotal to his side's charge towards the title.

Although both Arsenal and Manchester City had title-deserving seasons, City didn't drop a single point since drawing with Arsenal in March, whilst Arsenal lost 2-0 to Aston Villa in April.

The media point to that defeat as the match that cost them the title but in reality picking up just one point from two games against mid-table Fulham was just as damaging.

Manchester City on the other hand did what they always seem to do in the business stage - win, win and win again.