Manchester City clinch Premier League crown on incredible final day

Needing to win to be assured of holding off Liverpool, City were in danger of blowing it as Matty Cash and former Reds star Philippe Coutinho struck at the Etihad Stadium.

Yet Pep Guardiola’s side showed all their champion quality to rally, with Ilkay Gundogan coming off the bench to score twice either side of a superb Rodri strike in a remarkable five-minute spell.

City had known that second-placed Liverpool, trailing by just a point, could overtake them with victory over Wolves and there were times on a tense final day when they lived on their nerves.

When they trailed by two, Liverpool were being held 1-1 and news of another goal at Anfield at that stage would have been a hammer blow.

Yet in remarkable late drama, City cast off the shackles of a dismal first-half display to turn the game around and render Liverpool’s eventual 3-1 win academic.

Villa manager Steven Gerrard was doing his job for former club Liverpool, his side 2-0 up until the 76th minute.

Then substitutes Raheem Sterling and Gundogan combined to pull one back, and moments later City levelled as Oleksandr Zinchenko picked out Rodri, who stroked the ball into the bottom corner.

There was more to come, with Gundogan again in the right place at the back post as Kevin De Bruyne whipped in a good ball.

The comeback was complete, and although an equaliser from Villa would have changed the picture again, it never looked likely and City celebrated a fourth title in five years.

Hero Gundogan said: “It was an unbelievable game. After going 2-0 down the chances were just very, very small.

"But we had to do the simple things and scored two goals quickly, and then having 10 minutes to score the third one gave us the right lift.

“Even though they (Liverpool) finished (a point) behind us, I think they played an incredible season. We pushed each other to the limits again.”

But there was heartbreak for Burnley, who were relegated following a 2-1 home defeat by their former manager Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United. Leeds United won at Brentford by the same score to finish three points above the Clarets.