Former Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp believes Pep Guardiola made one of the greatest substitutions in Premier League history to inspire Manchester City to a sixth Premier League title.
City won their fourth top-flight title in the space of five seasons on Sunday afternoon after coming back from 2-0 down at the Etihad Stadium in the final 20 minutes to beat Aston Villa 3-2 and to win the league ahead of Liverpool by a single point. The fightback was largely inspired by a second half substitution made by Guardiola just a minute before Philippe Coutinho put Villa 2-0 up in the 69 th minute.
Ilkay Gundogan came on in the 68 th minute in place of Raheem Sterling and went on to score twice within 15 minutes of his introduction either side of Rodri’s equaliser.
Speaking on the substitution, ex-England and Liverpool man Redknapp told Sky Sports: "Today, you’ve just got to congratulate Man City. Greatest substitution bringing on Gundogan. Five minutes of chaos, scored two goals."
There was also praise on the decision from fellow pundit and former Manchester United captain Roy Keane following City’s dramatic title win. The Irishman added: "It was a huge decision but it’s great when you’ve got them options off the bench. What a substitution. Credit to the manager and credit to the player for getting up to speed."
City’s title win makes them the second most successful club in Premier League history. Only local rivals Manchester United (13) have won more league titles than them in the three decades of the Premier League.
Was the introduction of Ilkay Gundogan one of the greatest substitutions in Premier League history? Have your say in the comments section.
After the title win, City boss Guardiola described his time as legends, with his side winning the Premier League four times in the last five seasons, with only Liverpool in 2019/20 stopping them from making it five straight titles.
"We are legends. We will be remembered. This group of players are absolutely eternal in this club," said Guardiola. "What we achieved, it is so difficult to do it. Sir Alex Ferguson with Manchester United has done it years ago - two or three times - now I realise again the magnitude of doing this. Now we are part of this."
The final game of the season saw City captain Fernandinho play his final game for Guardiola’s side following a nine-year spell that saw him make 382 club appearances, scoring 26 goals in all competitions.
City’s chances of taking their Premier League crown tally to seven next year look strong, with strikers Erling Haaland and Julian Alvarez arriving from Borussia Dortmund and River Plate in the summer.
Liverpool’s 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers proved not to be enough in their quest to nab the title off City on the final day on Sunday, with Jurgen Klopp’s side finish a point short of the Sky Blues in the title race.
Following Carabao Cup and FA Cup final wins over Chelsea earlier this season, Liverpool have already done a domestic cup double this term. They could turn it into a treble of trophies this term if they beat Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Paris on Saturday.
