Man City on Verge of Historic Fourth Premier League Title
• Or will there be a final-day twist?
For the 10th time in the history of the Premier League, the title will be decided on the last day. With two points clear of Arsenal after 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday, to place Manchester City in the position they have occupied so often and one from which they rarely slip. The Citizens will tomorrow welcome West Ham United to the Etihad Stadium, in which a win will hand them a record fourth Premier League title in a row. Though, Pep Guardiola’s men are overwhelmingly favoured to get the better of the Hammers, a final day twist could never be ruled out as witnessed in the now famous ‘Aguerooooo’ in City versus Queens Park Rangers and most recently the defending champions’ encounter against Aston Villa in which they needed a late rally to win 3-2 after being down 2-0 up till the 75th minute
The Premier League title race is going down to the final day for just the 10th time. But will it be Manchester City or Arsenal fans celebrating tomorrow?
Manchester City are two points clear at the top and would be the first side to win four consecutive top-flight titles if they beat West Ham at home tomorrow.
But if City fail to win Arsenal will lift the title if they beat Everton at the at Emirates Stadium.
Anything other than an Arsenal win will hand City the title. Interestingly, no team has come from second to win the Premier League title on the final day.
Pep Guardiola has delivered his verdict on what to expect from Manchester City’s final Premier League fixture of the season at home against West Ham United tomorrow.
The reigning champions have been involved in a fierce title battle with Arsenal throughout the campaign and they know that victory over the Hammers at the Etihad Stadium will clinch an unprecedented fourth consecutive English top-flight title.
Man City are in buoyant mood as they have won each of their last eight matches, including a 2-0 success at Tottenham Hotspur in midweek, to leave the league leaders two points clear of the Gunners in second place with just one game remaining.
The Citizens are no strangers to final-day drama in the Premier League, with arguably the most iconic moment in the division’s history taking place in 2012 when Sergio Aguero scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner against Queens Park Rangers to clinch the title on goal difference at the expense of rivals Manchester United.
Man City were also given a scare on the final day of the 2021-22 season when Aston Villa raced into a two-goal lead, before Ilkay Gundogan’s brace inspired a remarkable comeback to help Guardiola’s men finish above Liverpool to win another title.
West Ham now stand in Man City’s way of making history and Guardiola has admitted that his team could be involved in another nail-biting drama-filled final day of the season.
Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Guardiola said: “Everyone would love to be in our position but it won’t be easy. I have the feeling it will be an Aston Villa game. We would love to be 3-0 up but it isn’t going to happen.
“West Ham will be ready to beat us. I don’t have any doubt about that. It was the same with Aston Villa two years ago – they were in the same position, they didn’t have anything to play for and we know what happened.
“What happened against Aston Villa and QPR, with the Aguero moment and the Edin Dzeko moment, I’m ready for a tough, tough game against West Ham.
“I want to put in the minds of the players. Look at Tottenham on Tuesday, how they fought for every ball, it was incredible aggression and commitment. It’s going to happen the same with West Ham.
“Destiny is in our hands. Ourselves and our people have to be ready to support from the first minute and be with us.”
“We want to experience winning the title again and we have to perform. You can’t think ‘we want to win it’, you have to do something to earn it, you have to be resilient in the bad moments like what happened against Aston Villa in 2022 and against Spurs in the last game.
“Don’t talk about the consequences, just what you have to do to win, to control it, the transitions, the coolness, the set-pieces, the long balls – how you defend every single ball. There’s a lot of stuff that West Ham demand that you have to do, and you have to do it perfect. These are the only things on my mind.
“I don’t want to play the game thinking about the consequences, what will happen if. We have to be focused more than ever and feel the support of our people – this is what we need to think about.
“If you are waiting for them to drop points and become champions, you are wrong. If you are thinking Arsenal are going to drop points at Old Trafford last week, forget about it. If you are thinking Everton are going to do something at Arsenal on Sunday, forget about it.”
Meanwhile, a glistening Premier League trophy will be ready and waiting at the Emirates Stadium today, where victory for Arsenal over Everton could propel the Gunners to top-flight supremacy.
However, Mikel Arteta’s men are relying on Manchester City to drop points against West Ham United, so some Gooners have already resigned their squad to another second-placed finish.
Edging out Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford temporarily kept the Gunners at the head of the pack before Man City made full use of their match in hand, but unlike the capitulation of 2022-23, Arsenal have taken this title scrap right to the wire in another sign of serious progression – both technically and mentally – under Arteta’s watchful eye.
The beating of Man United represented a fifth Premier League success on the bounce for the North London giants, who have kept clean sheets in four of those matches and should at least end the campaign as the meanest defence in England, even if the top prize eludes them.
As Arsenal fans watch their beloved team and check their phones with bated breath on Sunday afternoon, there are no further obstacles blocking Everton’s amble to the finish line, and Sean Dyche’s men are certainly ending the season as they mean to go on.
