by Mick the Ram

Manchester City predictably beat West Ham United 3-1 at Etihad Stadium to clinch their fourth Premiership title in a row, becoming the first English team to achieve the feat.

The brilliant Phil Foden scored twice in the first half and the victory meant they finished two points ahead of Arsenal, who had pushed them all the way and topped the table for large portions of the season.

City won 19 and drawn four of in an unbeaten run of 23 league games stretching back to December 2023.

Manager Pep Guardiola now has six league triumphs with the club, and this gives him a total of 12 league titles in 15 seasons as a manager.

There is an opportunity for City to complete a second successive double of Premiership title and FA Cup winners, when they play bitter neighbours Manchester United at Wembley next weekend, in a repeat of last year final.

Almost inevitable

There has been an air of inevitability about City overhauling Arsenal in the title race, so very few doubted that they would get the job done on the final day of the season.

They duly obliged with what was in truth a relatively straightforward victory against a West Ham side who were being managed for the last time by David Moyes, but had nothing more than pride to play for.

Time for the fans to party

Phil Foden who has been sensational all year set them on their way in the opening minutes with a wonderful left-footed strike from just outside the box, and followed that up a short time later with a smart finish to put City in complete control.

Despite the hiccup of a Hammers goal, Rodri restored the two goal advantage mid-way through the second half, after which it was party time in the stands.

Foden’s thirst for more titles

Incredibly, at just 23-years-old, Foden now has six titles to his name. He may well have the record of 13 held by Ryan Giggs in his mind, and if he remains with his boyhood club, who would bet against him at least equalling it.

He said of this title: “ I’ll never get bored of this. When you win something there is no better feeling and I just want to keep winning as much as I can.”

Pep shows his class in victory

Pep Guardiola was keen to praise Arsenal for running his side close and pushing them to their limits. He said the Gunners had sent his side a message and he acknowledged they would be a danger for many years to come.

“But today is a day to celebrate. If people told me in the next seven years we are going to win six Premier Leagues I will say you are insane, it’s not going to happen, but it happened and now is our period; we are part of that,” the Spaniard said joyfully after the game.

Now Guardiola’s team have achieved something no other side has managed since the English league was formed way back in 1888. That is a staggering 136 years ago and in all that time no team has been able to win the top division, four years in succession… until now.

In recent English football history, he is fast approaching a position of deserving to be spoken in the same terms as Sir Alex Ferguson.

All about fine margins

What stands out is the manner in which the Manchester City players repeatedly step up and find those fine margins which break the hearts of those competing with them. They appear to be waiting for their rivals to make just one slip and then they pounce.

Arsenal have been outstanding and seemed to be refusing to bow to City’s pressure. They matched them week after week, until they allowed Aston Villa to steal a victory last month and that was all it took to put the race into City’s hands, and of course they were never going to pass up the opportunity.

Each of the four squads have been improved every title-winning season and there is every expectation for them to do so again when they begin the defence of their title again in August.