Manchester City secured a record fourth consecutive Premier League title with a 3-1 victory over West Ham United on Sunday.
The reigning champions showed no early nerves, with Phil Foden scoring twice within the first 20 minutes to give City a commanding lead. West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus made the match interesting with an impressive overhead kick, but Rodri restored City’s two-goal cushion in the second half.
City’s midweek win over Tottenham Hotspur had positioned them at the top of the table, overtaking Arsenal heading into Gameweek 38. Although Arsenal secured a dramatic 2-1 win against Everton, with goals from Takehiro Tomiyasu and a last-minute strike from Kai Havertz, it was not enough to surpass City.
This title marks City’s tenth English League championship and their eighth Premier League title. They also became the first team to win the league four consecutive times, finishing at the top in six of the last seven seasons.
City began their title defense strongly, winning their first six matches before a loss to Wolves in late September. They also faced the setback of losing key playmaker Kevin De Bruyne to injury on the opening weekend, with the Belgian returning only in early January.
A defeat to Arsenal before the October international break temporarily knocked City off the top spot, and they even fell behind Aston Villa as Arsenal and Liverpool had spells leading the table. A four-game winless streak from November to December, including a loss at Villa Park, seemed to hand the title initiative to their rivals. However, City remained undefeated thereafter, drawing only four matches and winning the rest.
Despite the pressure of being a game behind Arsenal for much of the campaign due to their involvement in other competitions, City won nine straight games during the run-in to secure the title.
Erling Haaland, despite facing criticism during his second season at the Etihad Stadium, played a crucial role with 27 league goals. Phil Foden’s outstanding season earned him individual awards, and Kevin De Bruyne, despite his injuries, still managed double-digit assists. Summer signings Josko Gvardiol, Mateo Kovacic, and Jeremy Doku made positive contributions, while Matheus Nunes had a more subdued impact.
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— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 19, 2024