Manchester City

Midfielder emerges from the bench to score twice late on as City come from two goals behind to clinch the Premier League on a remarkable final day, ...

Amidst all this drama there was a moment of poignancy that in a week of violent pitch incursions reminded us that the vast majority of supporters really do know how to behave. Rodri equalised with the next attack and three minutes after that the resurrection was complete, Gundogan bookending the madness to secure City’s eighth title. There was still 20 minutes to go and the feeling that Liverpool would prevail was the salient point here, filling the Etihad with dread. Before that there was a lot of precision huffing and puffing from City but nothing at the end of it. The capacity for rational thought at the Etihad was washed away in five insane minutes that evoked Aguero day in this stadium. There was more chance of turning back the tide than repelling the swollen sea of Manchester City fans drunk on bacchanal spirit.

Our dramatic 3-2 win over Aston Villa in the final game of the season sealed the title and saw us finish one point ahead of second-place Liverpool at the end of ...

Our exceptional form this season continues a trend seen over the past five campaigns. In the 190 Premier League matches City have played during the last half decade, we have won 146, taken 458 points (at an average of 2.5 points per game) and scored a remarkable 485 goals (at an average of 2.5 goals per game). City have also conceded the fewest goals and boast the best goal difference during that period. After the full-time whistle at the Etihad, our fans were able to see Fernandinho, our captain and leader, lift the Premier League trophy in his last act as a City player before bringing an end to his nine-year stay at the Club.

Manchester City are set up to serve their manager, and close contact with key club figures is pivotal to his happiness.

Exhibit Two. Erling Haaland is 21, a serial goalscorer, and was available at a bargain price from Borussia Dortmund thanks to his circa €60m buyout clause. His response was not to sulk but to get on with the job. Twenty-three – in 2018-19 – is the only lower total under Guardiola. This made the trip more attritional (City secured a semi-final berth) and three days later the side were at Wembley to play Liverpool again, for a place in the FA Cup final (they lost 3-2). Then, after three victorious league games (Brighton, Watford and Leeds) and the home semi-final leg against Real Madrid, it was back to the Spanish capital. Publicly Guardiola’s mantra is that he has to win or the bell will toll for his tenure. Guardiola was not convinced that a 36-year-old was right for the side and so no move was made. But, although defeats are detested, more important to him is how the side perform because this is a function of the stability he and the club have in place. If this season is rated City’s finest for the excellence almost from first whistle to last, there is a recognition that for Guardiola and his staff the closing month or so was perhaps the toughest. The Guardian has been told the latter characteristic, in particular, is a great strength because it allows a sixth sense regarding his players, his side, the opponent and the sport. This is the story of a Manchester City title triumph that is about trust, faith, mutual respect, working in concert and, most of all, excellence. Guardiola is a man of high intelligence and sensitivity. It could not have had Sunday’s happiest of endings without Guardiola’s close relationship with Khaldoon al-Mubarak, the chairman, with whom he speaks before and after every match.

The Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, hailed his side after they won a fourth title in five years, saying: 'This group of players are eternal in this ...

“It’s unforgettable emotions for me, for all Ukrainians,” the defender said. The magnitude of our achievement is because of the magnitude of this rival. “This is the most difficult game to win – you have to close something that has taken 10 months. Guardiola’s contract expires at the end of next season and the 51-year-old has previously stated he will not decide whether to sign a new one until then. This set up the scenes of sheer delight from City supporters when the match was finally over. An ecstatic Pep Guardiola hailed Manchester City as “legends” after claiming the Premier League title in dramatic fashion.

The jubilant mood inside the stadium quickly turned to despair when Matty Cash headed home the opening goal after 37 minutes. And when Philippe Coutinho doubled ...

SPECIAL REPORT BY JACK GAUGHAN: They have again palmed off Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp, whom Guardiola counts as his greatest rival in management, ...

Bernardo Silva dropped into holding midfield alongside Rodri and ran the show, Chelsea failing to register a shot on target at home for the first time in 18 years. But City have not won the title because of training ground games. Three teams of six crammed on to a small pitch, flying into each other, the ball whizzing around like it is in a washing machine. What the sniping has done is solidify Guardiola’s relationship with the fans. The way in which City have gone on to lift this trophy is broadly akin to last year. Phil Foden will play a short game of two-touch to get a feel of the ball. Guardiola’s principles, however, stay the same. When the star men do not show up, the cavalry have arrived during this manager's tenure and there is something in that beyond mere ability. Last summer did bring change behind the scenes. ‘That is the best legacy. Like three years ago, the margins are minuscule. No, this is the homegrown group among Pep Guardiola's squad.