Manchester City wrapped up their fourth straight Premier League title with a comfortable victory over West Ham on the final day of the season. Phil Foden scored two early goals to get the hosts off to a flyer, with Rodri adding a third after Mohammed Kudus’ sensational bicycle kick for the Hammers.
Express Sport takes a look at the biggest talking points from a memorable day at the Etihad Stadium…
Guardiola’s angry reaction speaks volumes
Pep Guardiola was left fuming on the touchline when Kudus scored an incredible bicycle kick to halve the deficit just before the break. The Hammers forward set himself up and smashed a brilliant volley past a sprawling Stefan Ortega in a late contender for the goal of the season.
Guardiola responded angrily by smashing a water bottle on the ground despite City’s lead remaining intact and Arsenal being a goal down to Everton at the time. It showed the elite mentality required to win four straight Premier League titles, with Guardiola unmoved in his pursuit of perfection despite being within touching distance of glory.
Foden dazzles again with two early goals
Phil Foden needed just 78 seconds to make his mark on proceedings, firing a rocket into the top corner to ease any lingering nerves in the stands. The newly-crowed Premier League player of the year wasted no time in doubling his tally with a smart first-time finish, giving City some breathing space inside the opening 20 minutes.
Foden has been so important to City’s success this season and it was only right for him to have a major say on the final weekend of the campaign. The hometown hero has won everything there is to win at his boyhood club and will only continue to get better under the guidance of Guardiola.
De Bruyne survives ankle injury scare
Kevin De Bruyne was a doubt to face the Hammers after hobbling off with an ankle injury against Tottenham in midweek. Guardiola said on Friday that it would be touch-and-go but the midfield maestro was named in the starting line-up to ease any concerns over his fitness.
De Bruyne managed to get through the entire match unscathed in a significant boost for City ahead of next weekend’s FA Cup final. They will face Manchester United in a repeat of last year’s fixture and will be hoping for their main creative outlet to be fit and firing on all cylinders.
Doku can be City’s next big thing
Jeremy Doku has enjoyed a strong debut campaign at City, finishing on 11 goal contributions which is more than any other Premier League player under the age of 21. He was given a surprise start against West Ham and looked lively throughout, grabbing a fine assist for Foden’s second goal with a clever cutback across the penalty area.
As we have seen many times before, players tend to improve in their second season under Guardiola and there is no reason to suggest that Doku will be any different. The Belgian winger could be a scary prospect when the Premier League returns after the summer break and his next task will be nailing down a regular starting spot.
Are City the best club team ever?
It could be argued that we are currently witnessing the best club side to have ever been put together, with City now firmly in a league of their own. Their historic treble-winning season has been followed up with yet another Premier League triumph, the first time any English side has achieved domestic glory in four successive campaigns.
There is little doubt that City are now on an equal footing with the likes of Barcelona in the early 2010s and the great Liverpool side of the 1980s. Questions will continue to be asked about the financial charges hanging over their heads, but it cannot be denied that City’s current team is one of the best to have ever graced a football pitch.
