This is the last article you can read this month
You can read more article this month
You can read more articles this month
Sorry your limit is up for this month
Reset on:
Please help support the Morning Star by subscribing here
THE Premier League title seesawed this way and that, and, in the end, Pep Guardiola escaped a season in which his phenomenal Manchester City team came within a goal of going without a single piece of silverware.
Ilkay Gundogan scored a brace as City hit three in six minutes to come from 2–0 down against Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa to win 3–2 at home.
Second-place Liverpool were tired and tense — and down after just two minutes against Wolves. But Mo Salah and Andy Robertson scored in the 84th and 89th minutes to ensure Jurgen Klopp’s Reds had done all they could, with a 3–1 victory.
But over in Manchester, Guardiola’s City had shown outstanding fight to right the wrongs of earlier in their match against Villa, sealing the Premier League title for a second season in a row and the sixth time in 11 seasons. Their 93 points was enough to lead them to the title, with Liverpool one agonising point behind on 92.
Son Heung Min of Tottenham Hotspur managed his first golden boot: two goals on the final day helped him to 23 for the season, matching Liverpool’s Mo Salah’s total, a late goal ensuring the Egyptian’s share. It marks the first season when Son has finished above teammate and England captain Harry Kane as Spurs’ top scorer for the season.
Son’s Spurs can enjoy Champions League football at their stadium next season too — making it much more likely that talisman Harry Kane and manager Antonio Conte will stay at the club.
In preceding weeks it had been Arsenal’s fourth spot to lose — and they did, going down 2–0 to a revitalised Newcastle United on Monday. And while the Gunners made light work of of Everton in a 5-1 victory at Ashburton Grove yesterday, they still had to resign themselves to playing Europa League football next season as North London rivals Spurs beat Norwich City 5–0 on the final day, joining Chelsea, Liverpool and successful title-defenders City in Europe’s elite competition for next season.
At the bottom of the table, Burnley slipped out of the Premier League, joining already relegated Norwich and Watford, as a late fightback was not enough to avoid a 2-1 defeat to Newcastle and one of their former bosses, Eddie Howe.
