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AAP
AAP

Man City roar to fourth straight Premier League crown

Manchester City have won a record fourth-straight Premier League title by beating West Ham 3-1 in the final game of the season.

City are the first team to be crowned champions of English soccer's top division four years in a row after holding off the challenge of second-place Arsenal, whose 2-1 victory over Everton proved all in vain.

In a last-round shootout for the crown, with City beginning two points ahead of Arsenal, two goals from Phil Foden in the first half set Pep Guardiola's team on course for their latest title. 

Mohammed Kudus pulled a goal back for West Ham with a stunning overhead kick just before the break, but Rodri restored City's advantage to calm any nerves as they marched toward a sixth title in seven seasons.

Foden helped ease any potential nerves among the home fans when firing City ahead with a brilliant goal timed at just under 80 seconds.

Foden, England's footballer of the year, added a second in the 18th minute when converting Jeremy Doku's cross from close range.

Kudus produced a moment of magic in the 42nd with an acrobatic overhead kick that might have given Arsenal hope of an unlikely comeback.

But it didn't take City long to extend their lead again after the break as Rodri fired low a effort from the edge of the box that West Ham goalkeeper Alphonse Areola could not keep out despite getting a hand to the ball.

It all meant City ended the season with 91 points — two more than Arsenal, who played their part by sealing their win against Everton with an 89th minute Kai Havertz goal. It was too little, too late.

At the other end of the table, Chris Wood eased Nottingham Forest to safety with two goals inside the opening 14 minutes as they won 2-1 at relegated Burnley, and that proved fatal for Luton, who succumbed 4-2 at home to Fulham, for whom Raul Jimenez scored twice.

Jurgen Klopp's reign at Liverpool ended amid great emotion at Anfield with a 2-0 win over Wolves, Alexis Mac Allister and Jarell Quansah doing the damage after Nelson Semedo's first-half dismissal.

Dejan Kulusevski scored twice as Ange Postecoglou's Tottenham held off Chelsea in the race for fifth place after a 3-0 victory at relegated Sheffield United.

Kulusevski struck after 14 minutes at Bramall Lane and, after Pedro Porro had increased the lead, doubled his tally to condemn the hosts to a seventh successive defeat.

Chelsea snatched a top-six finish with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Bournemouth.

Moises Caicedo's spectacular strike from just inside the Cherries' half set the ball rolling and Raheem Sterling made it 2-0 just after the restart, but Benoit Badiashile's own goal ensured a tense conclusion at Stamford Bridge.

Newcastle needed a late strike from Bruno Guimaraes at Brentford to fend off the home team's fightback, with the 4-2 win securing seventh place.

A 2-0 win at Brighton could not prevent Manchester United from recording their lowest finish of the Premier League era.

Goals from Diogo Dalot and substitute Rasmus Hojlund inside the final 17 minutes secured three points but that was only good enough for eighth place, and they will miss out on Europe altogether if they fail to beat City in next weekend's FA Cup final - a result which would hand Newcastle a Europa Conference League berth.

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