Manchester City have been crowned Premier League champions for the fifth time in six seasons after Arsenal's hopes of challenging them ended in a defeat away at Nottingham Forest. Arsenal, who had an eight-point lead over City in mid-March, needed to get at least one point to stay mathematically in the race, but lost 1-0. City, who will be presented with the trophy after their game against Chelsea on Sunday, now have 85 points with three games remaining, while Arsenal are on 81 points with one game left.
This is City's seventh Premier League title since being acquired by Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan in 2008. They are now just two wins away from achieving a treble that was previously accomplished only by Manchester United in 1999. City will face Manchester United in the FA Cup final on June 3, before taking on Inter Milan in the Champions League final a week later. They are favourites in both games.
Manager Pep Guardiola has now won a total of 12 trophies since being hired by City in 2016. While Arsenal posed a threat to City's dominance this season, they eventually fell short as Guardiola's side proved to be relentless in the run-in. City have taken 40 points from the next 42 on offer since losing to Tottenham Hotspur on Feb. 5. They have won 11 successive league games, beating Arsenal comprehensively home and away.
If City win their last three games, they will reach 94 points, which is not as many as the totals they achieved in 2017-18 and 2018-19, when Guardiola won his first two league titles. However, the way they have finished the season suggests that the gap between them and the rest is widening. 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.
The club's website featured animated tickertape flittering down the screen with a live video showing an enormous banner being unfurled down the side of the Etihad Stadium stating "Three in a Row". Club captain Ilkay Gundogan described the latest title as something "very special". He said, "The Premier League is without doubt the most demanding and competitive league in the world so that tells you everything about what an achievement this is. This squad is so talented and so special, and to have been captain this season has been an enormous privilege. To have won this trophy three times in a row and five times in six years is incredible. That quality and consistency helps sum up what Manchester City stand for and ensures the club will continue to strive for success going forward."
Despite City's dominance in England, there remains a cloud on their horizon. The club was charged with over 100 alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations from 2009 to 2018 and may face severe punishments if found guilty. The club said at the time they welcomed the review and insist they have "irrefutable evidence" to support their position.
Arsenal will have to be content with the runners-up spot and a return to the Champions League after a five-year absence. But manager Mikel Arteta will have much to ponder as he analyses how the Gunners buckled under City's relentless pressure. Defeat at Forest means Arsenal have won only two of their last eight matches in the league.