City seal historic title on WILD final day as Ange secures big Spurs return: PL WRAP

Manchester City became the first team to claim four-consecutive Premier League titles with a 3-1 win over West Ham in a wild final day of the season, ensuring Arsenal’s wait for a first league crown in two decades stretches on another year.

Premier League player of the season Phil Foden scored an early brace – including a stunning strike just 78 seconds in – before Rodri sealed City’s historic victory with a composed finish in the second half.

Arsenal started the day in second place, hoping for a miracle to claim a first title in two decades. Mikel Arteta’s men needed to better City’s result, and the Gunners did their part, coming from behind to scrape past Everton 2-1.

But the relentless City machine, led by mastermind Pep Guardiola, withstood any nerves – and a brilliant bicycle kick from West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus just before half-time – to seal a sixth title in seven seasons.

Foden said: “It is so hard to put into words what we’ve done today. No team has ever done it [won four in a row], we have put ourselves into the history books.

“You see what it means to the fans and to us players working all year for this moment. A special moment to share it with the fans.”

Elsewhere, third-place Liverpool farewelled legendary manager Jurgen Klopp in style with a 2-0 win over Wolves at Anfield.

Fourth place already secure, Aston Villa were far from their best in a 5-0 defeat to Crystal Palace.

Ange Postecoglou secured fifth place and a place in the Europa League with a 3-0 win over Sheffield United, while Chelsea secured sixth and a spot in the UEFA Conference League with a 2-1 win over Bournemouth that featured a stunning goal from inside Chelsea’s own half.

Newcastle beat Brentford 4-2, ensuring they finished seventh and condemning Manchester United to eight position - their worst finish in 34 years - despite the Red Devils beating Brighton 2-0.

CITY WIN AGAIN AS ARSENAL FINISH SECOND...AGAIN

City enjoyed a dream start to their final-round Premier League clash against West Ham with a stunning long strike from Phil Foden just 78 seconds into the clash.

Awarded the Premier League player of the season this week, the second-minute goal was Foden’s 26th goal in all competitions this season - with 13 in the 23-year-old’s last 14 league games.

Foden doubled his tally in the 18th minute in much more straightforward style, curling home a shot from near the penalty spot after a perfect squaring pass from Jeremy Doku.

Striker Erling Haaland narrowly missed an acrobatic attempt in the six-yard box five minutes later, but City was running riot- forcing six saves from West Ham’s gloveman Alphonse Areola in the first half-hour.

But West Hamscored a stunning goal to reduce the deficit to one when Mohammed Kudus smashed home a thunderous bicycle kick after a corner wasn’t cleared.

But just before the hour mark, City’s outstanding midfielder Rodri slammed a first-time shot from outside the box into the bottom corner, making it 3-1 and sending City back to the verge of claiming a fourth-straight title.

A win against West Ham would guarantee City the title, while Arsenal need to better City’s result in their own game against Everton to win a first title in 20 years.

But Arsenal weren’t having it all their own way against the Toffees in the first half - with Everton striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin hitting the post just before the half-hour mark before scuffing the rebound wide.

And late in the first half, Idrissa Gana Gueye scored a free kick for Everton - that took a massive deflection off the wall - that took Arsenal’s hopes of a title miracle even further out of reach.

But Arsenal responded in the 44th minute Takehiro Tomiyasu slotted in from the edge of the area after a cut-back from Martin Odegaard.

It was just his second goal for Arsenal and his first since October. With West Ham scoring just seconds later against City, it meant a stunning turnaround in the title race was well and truly back on the cards.

But Arsenal still needed to win, regardless of what happened in City’s game - and they came close to breaking the deadlock when Kai Havertz hit the woodwork with a fine header in the second half. Emile Smith-Rowe also struck the post with a volley from the back post with five minutes to play.

There was almost another twist in the tale as West Ham had the ball in the back of the City net from a corner - but it clearly came off the arm of Tomas Soucek, and VAR quickly ruled it out.

In the 89th minute, Arsenal finally broke through the Everton defence with Kai Havertz making it 2-1 with a simple finish from close range after some shoddy defence.

But their 28th league win of the season - a club record in the Premier League - wasn’t enough as City saw off any West Ham challenge to make history.

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard spoke to fans from the pitch after the game, saying: “I think we’re all a little bit disappointed.

“We’ve been fighting so long for the big dream. We were so close. I’m so proud of the boys, so proud of the team the fans. I’m so proud of the progress we are making.

“We’ve changed the club and I think you all believe in us now.”

Coach Mikel Arteta says to the fans: “All this is happening because you started believing, you started to be patient and started to understand what we tried to do. All the credit has to go to the players and the staff.

“Don’t be sad. We want much more than that and we’re going to get it.”

Elsewhere, third-place Liverpool took the lead over Wolves just after half an hour after Alexis Mac Allister flicked in a header, the Reds celebrating Jurgen Klopp’s final game in charge against a Wolves side that received an early red card. Young central defender Jarell Quansah made it two before the interval when he tapped home a blocked shot from Mohamed Salah on the line. That goal was the 1,223rd of the season, a new Premier League record - and there were plenty more to come around the grounds.

Meanwhile Dejan Kulusevski scored his first goal since February to hand Spurs an early lead against Sheffield United. Young defender Pedro Porro rifled in a second after the half-time break, before Kulusevski scored his second to close out the victory which ensures Australian manager Ange Postecoglou locked in fifth spot and a place in the Europa League next season.

Moises Caicedo, Chelsea’s most expensive player in history, scored from halfway in the first half after Bournemouth’s keeper was caught horribly out of position. Caicedo’s first goal for the Blues delivered a huge boost in their hunt for sixth place and guaranteed European football.

Chelsea doubled their lead immediately after the break as Raheem Sterling slid in at the front post to poke home, only for Bournemouth to hit back straight away through a Benoît Badiashile own goal. But that was where the scoring ended as Chelsea won 2-1.

Newcastle scored three times in the first half against Brentford, taking themselves above Manchester United on the live ladder into seventh, with United goalless in their clash against Brighton in the first 45 minutes.

In the second half, Brentford hit back twice to make it 3-2, before Newcastle responded after a free-kick was parried straight back to Bruno Guimaraes to tap home and make it 4-2.

Diogo Dalot, meanwhile, handed United a 1-0 lead over Brighton with a rare goal, before striker Rasmus Hojlund scored for a second-straight game with a neat finish to make it 2-0.

But United’s win wasn’t enough to gain back seventh as Newcastle saw out their own victory.

Manchester United face Man City in the FA Cup final next weekend. If City win, sixth-placed Chelsea will play in the Europa League and seventh-placed Newcastle in the Conference League.

If Man Utd win the FA Cup, they will qualify for the Europa League, while sixth-placed Chelsea will play in the Conference League and seventh place misses out completely.

Elsewhere, Luton Town’s relegation was locked in when they slumped to a 4-2 defeat at home to Fulham. Sheffield United and Burnley, whose relegation had been confirmed before the final day, both also lost.

FULL PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS

Liverpool 2-0 Wolves

Sheffield United 0-3 Tottenham Hotspur

Luton Town 2-4 Fulham

Brighton 0-2 Manchester United

Manchester City 3-1 West Ham United

Arsenal 2-1 Everton

Brentford 2-4 Newcastle

Crystal Palace 5-0 Aston Villa

Burnley 1-2 Nottingham Forest

Chelsea 2-1 Bournemouth

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