Naema Celestine 
By wanjala Derrick
• City beat West Ham 3-1 to pip Arsenal to title
• Foden double and Rodri strike secure victory
• Guardiola’s record-breakers on course for double
On the last day of an exciting Premier League season, Manchester City defeated rivals Arsenal 3-1 to clinch an unprecedented fourth consecutive English top flight title. The victory brought a sea of blue fans to the pitch.
At the Etihad Stadium, two spectacular goals in the first half by league player of the year Phil Foden produced a celebratory atmosphere in the sun. However, just before halftime, a magnificent bicycle kick by Mohammed Kudus of West Ham briefly unsettled the hosts.
However, there was never any doubt about the outcome, as Rodri’s low shot from outside the area just before the hour gave Pep Guardiola’s team its sixth championship in seven years.
Now, when City plays Manchester United in the FA Cup final the following Saturday, they have the opportunity to win both titles.
As the final whistle blew, supporters burst into the pitch, bursting into cheers of “Champions again!” and “Are you watching Arsenal?” before swarming onto the field and igniting blue flares.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal chased them hard in one of the closest Premier League title races ever, and they would have won if City had given up points.
Nevertheless, the Londoners’ 2-1 victory over Everton at home was in futile as they now trail by two points.
AMAZING FODEN
When Foden sent the ball into the upper corner in the second minute and finished off a superb team move to score the second in the eighteenth, his already outstanding season took an even greater turn.
“It’s so hard to put into words what we’ve done today,” he stated. It has never been accomplished by a team. You can see the significance it holds for both us and the fans. I’ve been working for this moment all year.”In my opinion, we simply played our football today with confidence, and it paid off in the end.”
At just 23, the midfielder has won six Premier League titles and scored 19 goals in the league this season, making him one of England’s strongest prospects for the next Euros in Germany.
Blue-clad supporters disobeyed the officials and rushed onto the field at the final whistle. The players gave each other hugs and afterward celebrated by dancing in their dressing room.
The club anthem, “Blue Moon,” reverberated throughout the area.
With 91 points against Arsenal’s 89, City won their most recent title.
They even had the luxury of witnessing Erling Haaland, the 27-goal league Golden Boot winner, miss two close-range opportunities on Sunday.
Haaland simply remarked, “It’s not bad,” after winning the Premier League Golden Boot twice in his first two seasons with City. It’s best to just play football and be quiet; there’s not much to say. Allow others to speak for you.”
As usual, City turned things around in the latter stretch of the season, winning nine straight league games and going undefeated in 23 after trailing Liverpool and Arsenal for significant chunks of the campaign.
“Winning this league is extremely difficult,” stated Kyle Walker, the captain of City. “The winners of the Italian, German, and Spanish leagues are clearly ahead by ten to fifteen points. Bravo to Arsenal and Liverpool for their efforts this season, which have ensured that they push us to the absolute limit.”
Real Madrid, a Spanish rival, crushed City on penalties in the Champions League quarterfinals, setting up City’s most recent Premier League victory. City won the FA Cup, the Premier League, and the Champions League last year.
Twenty-five years after the team’s historic playoff victory over Gillingham lifted them out of the English football third division, former City forward Paul Dickov handed the trophy on Sunday, serving as a reminder of more difficult times to come.
As the Spaniard accepted his medal, Guardiola wore a City shirt and waved to the fans and staff while giving them high fives. The players then basked in the attention of the supporters one by one before starting a lap of honor.
Guardiola is the fourth manager in the 136-year history of the English league to win six or more top-flight titles. The other three are record holder Alex Ferguson with Manchester United (13), George Ramsay of Aston Villa, and Bob Paisley of Liverpool (both six).
“It feels as amazing as the first one (title),” stated Kevin De Bruyne, a Belgian midfielder who returned from injury to spearhead City’s last-gasp rally.
“We put a lot of effort into it. This year, the competition between Arsenal and Liverpool has been fierce. It’s incredible to be making history once more.”
“This is my most treasured possession. It was difficult for me to return after a six-month absence.”
Even though City has received well-deserved praise, Premier League charges about purported financial rule violations during the ownership of billionaire Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan have damaged the reputation of the team for many supporters of rival teams.
City is defending the claims and denies any misconduct.
This season, Everton and Nottingham Forest, two other Premier League teams, each lost points after acknowledging wrongdoing. When Manchester City’s case will end is unknown.
