Manchester City were confirmed as English Premier League champions for the fifth time in six seasons on Saturday without even having to kick a ball.
This was after second-placed Arsenal’s challenge ended in defeat away at Nottingham Forest.
Arsenal, who enjoyed an eight-point lead over Manchester City as recently as mid-March, needed at least a point to stay mathematically in the hunt, but went down 1-0.
Manchester City, who host Chelsea on Sunday after which they will be presented with the trophy, have 85 points with three games to play.
Arsenal are on 81 points with one game left.
It is Manchester City’s seventh Premier League title since they were bought by Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2008.
They are now just two wins away from completing a treble, only previously achieved by Manchester United in 1999.
Manchester City face Manchester United in the FA Cup final on June 3.
A week later, they take on Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final —-starting as big favourites in both games.
Manager Pep Guardiola has now won a total of 12 trophies since being hired by Manchester City in 2016.
While Arsenal had threatened to knock Manchester City off their perch this season, it all proved an illusion in the end as Guardiola’s side again proved relentless in the run-in.
Since losing to Tottenham Hotspur on Feb. 5 they have taken 40 points from the next 42 on offer and have 11 successive league games, beating Arsenal comprehensively home and away.
If Manchester City win their last three games they will reach 94 points.
This is not as many as the totals they achieved in 2017/2018 and 2018/2019 though, for Guardiola’s first two league titles.
But the way they have finished the season suggests the gap between them and the rest is widening.
Manchester City have now joined an elite group of clubs to win three successive English top-flight titles, with Huddersfield Town, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United the only others.(Reuters/NAN)
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