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Man City win record fourth straight Premier League title

Tuesday, 21 May 2024


MANCHESTER, England, May 20 (AP): Manchester City fans could hardly stand the wait for the final whistle.
Not because they feared a last-minute twist and the unlikeliest of comebacks from West Ham.
The tension during the dying moments of the Premier League season at Etihad Stadium was simply because fans couldn't wait to get the party started after a record fourth straight English top flight title for Pep Guardiola's dominant team.
A 3-1 win on the day made certain of that and soon a sea of light blue shirts flooded the field. Flares and the smell of sulphur filled the air and delirious fans danced, posed for selfies and simply savored the moment - ignoring the futile pleas from the stadium announcer and messaging on the big screens instructing them to return to their seats.
Winning has become a familiar feeling in these parts. And there is no sign of it getting old.
"It feels just as amazing as the first one. We worked so hard for it," City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne said. "It has been a tough battle with Arsenal and Liverpool this year, and you know to be here again doing something historic is amazing."
Four titles in a row is also six in seven seasons for Guardiola, who has won 17 trophies and counting since heading to the blue half of Manchester in 2016. That number could rise to 18 as soon as next week when City plays Manchester United in the FA Cup final.
In all, Guardiola has won 38 trophies as a coach at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City to strengthen the case for him to be considered the greatest manager of his era. By comparison, Carlo Ancelotti has won 28, including a record four Champions League titles - one more than Guardiola - and the chance to make that five when Real Madrid meets Borussia Dortmund in this year's final of European club soccer's most prestigious competition. "Everyone in football is in awe of his (Guardiola's) coaching but there is more to it than that," outgoing West Ham manager David Moyes said. "Four in a row is incredible."