BRIGHTON 1, MANCHESTER CITY 4
Manchester City became the first side to retain the Premier League trophy in a decade after a 4-1 win at Brighton left the Sky Blues on an unassailable 98 points.
Embed from Getty ImagesThe winning total may be less than last season’s total haul of 100 points but this time City were chased all the way by title rivals Liverpool and needed every point from the 14 game winning run they racked up to lift the title this term.
198 points racked up by Man City between the two visits to the Amex in the last couple of seasons puts the back-to-back title wins into perspective.
Goals by Sergio Aguero, Aymeric Laporte, Riyad Mahrez, and Ilkay Gundogan confirmed the victory which earned them the title by a margin of just a single point from dogged pursuers – second placed Liverpool on 97 points.
There was a gap of about 83 seconds in the first half of the final round of Premier League games with Liverpool – already 1-0 up at Anfield – celebrating Glenn Murray’s 27th minute opening goal against Manchester City at Brighton.
Murray, whose header from a Pascal Gross corner opened the scoring for the home side, looked like upsetting the defending Champions, had given the red half of Merseyside hope that the miracle was on.
It had been the first time since City had conceded the first goal in a Premier League match since defeat at St James’ Park to Newcastle United.
Inevitably, Aguero quickly put a dampener on the romance just 83 seconds later – levelling the scores with Laporte’s pass flicked into the Argentine striker’s path by David Silva.
Liverpool were still in the drivers’ seat for the title but the tide was turning on the south coast.
Aymeric Laporte was lost by Murray and made no mistake with his free header from Mahrez’ corner in the 38th minute and City put the game out of sight later in the second half.
Mahrez, who was Pep Guardiola’s sole change from the side that dramatically won against Leicester City on Monday night, starting instead of Phil Foden, scored City’s third goal to give them breathing space.
Heavily criticised for being predictable in moving the ball onto his left foot, the Algerian left Lewis Dunk floundering as he scored with his right foot into the top corner after a superb dummy in the 63rd minute.
And Ilkay Gundogan’s perfectly flighted free kick made it 4-1 with 18 minutes to go.
It was City’s first goal direct from a free kick for months, since August 2018.
And it was a fitting way to seal the title but it was only the second chapter of a trilogy which could end with Pep Guardiola’s side sealing an unprecedented domestic trophy treble of Carabao Cup, Emirates FA Cup, and Premier League title.