Manchester City are the 2023-24 Premier League champions — the first time in 135 years of top-flight football that a club has won the English league title four seasons in a row.
For the 10th time in the Premier League era, the the title was to be decided on the final day. At 15:59, the situation was simple: Arsenal needed to win, and required City to drop points against West Ham. Two years ago City went 2-0 down to Aston Villa on the final day, potentially handing the title to Liverpool, before coming back to win 3-2. Would a similar situation unfold today?
No, not really. Any nerves the reigning champions might have been feeling dissipated 118 seconds into their game as Phil Foden lashed home from outside the box. Before the match was 20 minutes old it was 2-0, thanks to Foden once more.
The initially raucous atmosphere at the Emirates was understandably impacted as news filtered through, and Arsenal’s fans became even more subdued when Everton took the lead after 40 minutes. Near-simultaneous goals for Arsenal — via Takehiro Tomiyasu — and West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus at least hinted at some final-day-drama life as half-time approached.
But any hopes of an ending to rival 2011-12, or even 2021-22, were dashed when Rodri made it 3-1 to City on 59 minutes. Arsenal scored late on via Kai Havertz but it was merely a consolation win albeit in a season of progress for Mikel Arteta’s side.
Here our writers analyse some of the key moments of a dramatic afternoon.
How apt were City’s scorers?
Frank Lampard’s highest Premier League goal-scoring tally was 22 in the 2009-10 season, his second highest was 16. He got double figures for 10 straight seasons from midfield and it is why his goal-scoring prowess is still considered the standard even now, and so it is quite something that Foden managed 19 this season.
The City midfielder has had a few games on the wing, and not just nominally, but those kind of numbers rubber stamp the individual awards that he is sweeping. He is more than just numbers, of course, because his grace on the ball, as well as how often he puts it in the net, will have won him plenty of votes. There was nothing really nervy about this game but you never know what would have happened had he not struck *that* goal so early on. And just to make sure, he doubled the lead inside 20 minutes to make this as serene as it possibly could be.
(Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images)
Had his team-mates been as deadly it could have been 5-0 by half-time. After West Ham pulled one back, and Arsenal levelled at Everton, it was extremely nervy at the Etihad until Rodri made it 3-1.
Honestly, you might not believe it but City fans are an especially pessimistic bunch, and nobody could take a breath until that third goal. A little reminder of the player of the year award situation actually: Foden is brilliant but Rodri is always there when you need him, too.
Sam Lee
How did those early City goals impact the atmosphere at Arsenal?
It all felt so damned inevitable when news filtered through of City’s early goals. Where was the jeopardy? The drama? The mood at Emirates Stadium dimmed for a while. Arsenal lacked some of their usual verve, and Everton were set up to compete in a low block. The dial moved even lower for Arsenal when Declan Rice of all people saw Idrissa Gueye’s free kick ricochet off his head and in.
Football suddenly launched a hint of dramatic twist at the afternoon. Tomiyasu’s driven equaliser revived both team and crowd. Moments later the message came through that West Ham pulled a goal back. There was bedlam briefly after that with one of those daft rumours of 2-2 at the Etihad.
(Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
Another City goal pierced the atmosphere in the second half, until the late matchwinner supplied by Kai Havertz. Then the volume was raised, and the pride in the team began to dominate. Faith in the occasion at times was hit, but love for the team wasn’t.
Amy Lawrence
Were Everton the worst side Arsenal could have faced?
When Arsenal won the Premier League in both 1997-98 and 2001-02, their final home game of the season was against Everton. They couldn’t make it a hat-trick here because of Manchester City’s win, which made their result academic. It also took them 88 minutes to get their noses in front against Everton.
Playing against a Sean Dyche side on a crucial final day is almost the last thing Arteta would have wanted. With the exception of the three title challengers, Dyche’s side have conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League. They sit deep and defend crosses well. They protect the defence with three combative midfielders who deny the opposition space between the lines. Their wingers tuck inside to keep the side horizontally compact, and when fully fit Dominic Calvert-Lewin is a fine target man, capable of winning the ball in the air or offering speed in behind.
Oh, and Dyche insists that his captain elects to switch sides, should he win the pre-match coin toss, as he did here for the 12th time in 19 away games this season.
(Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
And to give Everton due credit for their attacking play, they countered well here, twice forcing Arsenal players into cynical tackles that led to free-kicks in dangerous positions. The first brought the opener, with Idrissa Gueye’s free-kick deflecting heavily off Declan Rice.
This isn’t the usual type of match where you usually see this phrase, but this was a good advert for the Premier League: a mid-table side who had nothing to play for gave 100 per cent and very nearly won a point.
Michael Cox
How effective was David Moyes’ plan to deal with City?
David Moyes’ decision to move towards a back five out of possession against Manchester City didn’t stop Pep Guardiola’s machine from winning their fourth Premier League title in a row after putting three goals past West Ham United.
It could have been more if not for Alphonse Areola’s saves and Erling Haaland’s misses in the first half. City’s shape on the ball looked aggressive from the outset with Josko Gvardiol in an advanced narrow position on the left side, Phil Foden and Kevin De Bruyne between the lines, and Jeremy Doku and Bernardo Silva flanking Haaland.
(Martin Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)
Foden’s brilliant strike towards the far post put City in front after 78 seconds, but it was his second that showed how Guardiola’s side wanted to play through West Ham with Gvardiol’s presence in the left half-space allowing the England midfielder to occupy a more central position, where the passing combinations eventually found him in the penalty box. In the second half, City continued pinning Moyes’ side in their own penalty area and a trademark Rodri shot made it three.
West Ham wanted to make this harder for City with a back five out of possession and a focus on finding Vladimir Coufal’s runs down the right wing, but apart from a nervous couple of minutes after Mohammed Kudus’ goal, the new (and old) champions looked in control of the game.
Ahmed Walid
Are City secret advocates of the long range goal?
If City are renowned for trying to “walk it in” then their finishing against West Ham could not have been further from their type. Against a back five West Ham team that completely sat in, City set about shooting on sight more than trying to pick-lock with passes.
Foden cracked the game open with two swift touches, taking Bernardo Silva’s infield pass towards goal with a big first touch and then rifling past Alphonse Areola. His sixth goal from outside the box this season, with only Christian Eriksen (six, 2018-19) managing as many in any of the past six seasons — the finish was almost identical to Foden’s first goal in the home win in the Manchester derby.
Rodri’s game-sealing curled finish had shades of his winner against Inter in the Champions League final. Only Liverpool (18) have scored more from outside the box than City this season (17). And in truth it is a vital string to City’s attacking bow, having scored 18, 15 and 17 goals from outside the box in the past three seasons.
Liam Tharme
Where does this season leave Arsenal?
Miracles are not supposed to happen too often. That is kind of the point. They are exceptional, unbelievable, almost unheard of. The Emirates was the site of a pilgrimage, as supporters from near, far and wide, wanted to be here just in case. Because this particular Goliath has become so regularly monstrous, Arsenal’s David knew they had put up a brilliant fight, even if they could not land a final blow. They came to salute this team on the rise and acclaim their efforts this season.
Unity might not be a prize but it was impossible not to feel it, unequivocally, despite the outcome. This is a club at one with itself. The connection links supporters, players, manager, staff, hierarchy. This was inconceivable in the pre-Arteta days, and required a leap of faith in the early Arteta days. Psychologically it will not be easy to repeat the efforts of this season. But now, at least Arsenal feel like a club geared up to compete and aim for more.
(Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
Amy Lawrence
Where does this title sit in Manchester City’s pantheon of wins?
When you’ve clinched a 100-point season with the final kick, fought off Liverpool for fourth months, done that again and then gone 2-0 down on the final day of the season with 25 minutes to go, you know you have seen some special things over the years. Not to mention 20212. So this one is quite hard to place in terms of final day drama. City came into the day knowing a victory would be enough, and for the first 30 minutes it felt like party time inside the stadium.
The Kudus overhead kick made things very tense until Rodri settled it, and then it felt like a procession again for the remaining half hour… until West Ham scored in the 88th minute, sending panic around the stadium again, only for VAR to rule it out for an obvious handball. Truth be told, City fans would not have wanted this to be anywhere near as dramatic as those other ones anyway!
(Naomi Baker/Getty Images)
As a title victory overall there is an argument that this was the best yet, given they had won the last three as well and the hunger could quite easily have dipped just enough to prevent the historic fourth, and certainly after winning the treble last year. This one was not in their hands until the middle of April, when both Liverpool and Arsenal lost at home on the same day. Suddenly City were favourites, they just had to win their final six matches. And they did.
A familiar end to the title race, then, and impossible to rank alongside City’s other five of the Guardiola era.
Sam Lee
Everton’s opening goal came after a free-kick conceded by Thomas Partey. Sean Dyche’s team posed a considerable threat on the break during the first half, and the Ghanaian appeared to be struggling to keep pace with midfield runners. That has been a familiar sight at Arsenal in the last few weeks.
Partey has some remarkable strengths: his ability to shift his body weight and dribble away from a marker is unparalleled in the Arsenal squad. He’s also an aptitude for penetrative passes between the lines. But defensively, his game lacks the intensity it once had.
(Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images)
In some respects it has been surprising that Arteta has reverted to using Partey so regularly. Jorginho had been an important part of Arsenal’s team this season, and has just signed a new contract.
Partey’s own future is still up for debate. He will turn 31 this summer, and has an extensive injury history. If Arsenal can find a buyer, his position looks ripe for a potential upgrade.
James McNicholas
He could almost be a quiz question – which footballer played in the first and last games of the season and nothing in between? Arsenal were delighted to welcome Jurrien Timber back onto the pitch at the end of a long road back from an ACL injury. He immediately injected some energy and ambition.
Arguably the most disturbing of Arsenal’s injuries this campaign, it does raise the question of whether he might have been worth a couple of points during the course of the season had he been fit. His versatility makes him an excellent option at left back, a position with no obvious first choice who excelled beyond question.
Amy Lawrence
Amy Lawrence
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(Top photo: Getty Images)
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