Arsenal ended their 22-year wait to be crowned Premier League champions on Tuesday after Manchester City were held 1-1 by Bournemouth.
City had to win to take the title fight to the final day, but the Cherries extended their unbeaten streak to 17 league games, a run which has secured European football for the first time in the club’s history.
After finishing second for the past three seasons, Mikel Arteta’s Gunners have finally made it over the line to end a six-year trophy drought.
Arsenal edged to the brink of the title with an unconvincing 1-0 win over already relegated Burnley on Monday, which took them five points clear of City.
The Gunners, who have set the pace for most of the season, have bounced back impressively since losing to City last month, winning four straight league matches without conceding a goal.
On Monday, just 48 hours after completing a domestic cup double with victory over Chelsea in the FA Cup final, City were rocked by widespread reports that manager Pep Guardiola will depart after a decade in charge at the end of the season.
Victory at Wembley on Saturday secured a 20th trophy of Guardiola’s glorious reign.
But he cannot add to his six Premier League titles when Aston Villa visit the Etihad on Sunday for what is expected to be his final match in charge.
Guardiola had warned that fatigue could cost City against a highly motivated Bournemouth, who still have Champions League qualification in their sights for next season.
As it stands, Bournemouth will be in the Europa League after ensuring they will finish no lower than seventh.
Sixth could be good enough for a place in the Champions League if Aston Villa finish fifth and win Wednesday’s Europa League final.
City fans forlornly chanted “One more year, Guardiola” in the early stages at the Vitality Stadium in a bid to convince their decorated coach to see out the final season of his contract.
But if the travelling fans hoped City’s players would be inspired to give Guardiola a glorious goodbye, they were left sorely disappointed.
Antoine Semenyo had the ball in the net on his return to Bournemouth but was flagged offside in City’s best moment of a flat first half.
The home side suddenly sprang to life to open the scoring in the 39th minute.
Eli Junior Kroupi curled a brilliant strike into the top corner to set a new record of 13 goals in a debut Premier League season for a teenager.
Nico O’Reilly wasted City’s best chance of a lifeline when he was denied by Djordje Petrovic just seconds into the second half.
Guardiola watched on pensively as his side’s title challenge fizzled out with a whimper.
After winning what was billed a title decider against Arsenal last month, City put the destiny of the title back in their rivals’ hands by drawing 3-3 at Everton.
Guardiola looks set to depart having failed to win the league for two consecutive seasons for the first time in his coaching career.
Rayan and David Brooks hit the post as Bournemouth should have secured victory in Andoni Iraola’s final home game in charge.
Erling Haaland’s equaliser deep into stoppage time came too little, too late to save City’s title challenge.
But it was a big goal for Liverpool, who now have a three-point cushion over Bournemouth and a goal difference advantage of six heading into the final day battle to secure a top-five finish and Champions League football.
AFP
