Manchester City wrapped up a sixth Premier League title, fending off a world-class Liverpool outfit that fought tooth and nail for league honours.
Premier League Champions 21/22!!! 🏆💙 pic.twitter.com/FzOuKblPZd
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 22, 2022
Man City clinched a fourth league crown in five years, however this past title defence was one of Pep Guardiola’s two most strenuous years since arriving in Manchester six years ago. This tumultuous season was one signified by fine margins and it was the ninth time in 30 years the Premier League was decided on the final day of the season.
City showed tremendous character to rally back from two goals down and snatch the Premier League trophy from out of Liverpool’s grasp. With City two-down to Aston Villa, Guardiola’s side seemed like they would falter at the final hurdle but a couple of inspired substitutions steered City to success.
Raheem Sterling and Ilkay Gündogan were introduced in the second half and the pair combined for City’s first goal, before Rodri pegged the Citizens level and Gündogan struck again to complete the turnaround for Guardiola to put his hands on a league title for the tenth time in the Spaniard’s managerial career.
Liverpool conceded early versus Wolves before they overturned the deficit and stormed to a 3-1 win at Anfield. Jürgen Klopp’s men were not in position to win the league at any point during those frantic 90 minutes on Sunday, and the mighty Citizens scored three quick-fire goals five minutes apart to deny Liverpool’s hopes of a second PL coup and a 20th English league title.
Despite ex-Liverpool man Coutinho doubling Villa’s advantage at the Etihad Stadium, City struck thrice in the blink of an eye and this is essentially the second time former Reds captain Steven Gerrard surrendered a league title to Man City.
2005 – Manchester City have won a Premier League game in which they trailed by 2+ goals for the first time since February 2005 against Norwich (3-2). Scenes. #PL pic.twitter.com/Q0I96lpKV2
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) May 22, 2022
Sadio Mane’s goal after half-time was ruled out for offside and by the time Mohamed Salah put Liverpool ahead in the 84th minute, City had already completed the comeback and were within touching distance of yet another league success. City ultimately got the job done and they have added a sixth league crown to the mantelpiece, overtaking Chelsea to become the outright second-most successful club in PL history.
City took 93 points – their third-most under Guardiola – and conceded just 26 times in 38 games, one goal fewer than they let in during Guardiola’s first PL title-winning season (2017/18). City also scored a phenomenal 99 league goals, one shy of a century but four more than the 95 they shipped in during the melodramatic 2018/19 campaign, whereby City denied Liverpool their first Premier League title by a single point.
Ahead of the final day of the 2021/22 campaign, Man City’s duo of Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden were respectively named as the Premier League Player of the Season and Young Player of the Season. De Bruyne was Guardiola’s most prominent goal contributor this term and the Belgian playmaker scored 15 in the league in addition to making a further eight assists.
Foden netted nine and gave five assists and, approaching his 22nd birthday next week, he is the youngest player in history to claim four Premier League winner’s medals.
For the third successive season, Ederson kept the most clean sheets in the Premier League and he shares this year’s Golden Glove with countryman and Liverpool goalie Alisson. Both compeitiors are Brazil international goalkeepers and each kept a clean sheet in more than half of their league outings, with 20 shutouts apiece.
16 different players contributed goals for City in the league, with half of those bagging at least seven apiece. Sterling registered 13 league goals, Riyad Mahrez 11, and the trio of Gündogan, Bernardo Silva, and Gabriel Jesus each found the back of the net eight times. Defensive midfielder Rodri notched seven PL goals to his name, including a crucial strike on the final day.
City skipper Fernandinho scored twice this term and lifted a second PL crown as captain of the ship, a fifth overall in City colours. The 36-year-old now bows out from the Etihad and he is in line for a return to his native Brazil after nine years in Manchester, during which time he has celebrated five PL titles, one FA Cup, and six League Cup trophies with the club.
Obrigado, @fernandinho! 💙 pic.twitter.com/kCsKuMlgOT
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 22, 2022
Of the five clubs that have been champions of England over the past decade, Manchester City remain the only team to successfully defended their PL crown.
