By Lori Ewing
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – Manchester City celebrated their Premier League title on Sunday, beating Chelsea 1-0 with an early goal by Julian Alvarez in the team’s home finale at a sun-drenched Etihad Stadium.
Treble-chasing City, who wrapped up the title when Arsenal were beaten by Nottingham Forest on Saturday, have won 12 successive games in the top flight.
They have 88 points from 36 games, seven more than Arsenal who have played 37 games. Frank Lampard’s Chelsea are 12th with 43 points and one game remaining.
Alvarez scored in the 12th minute for a largely a second-string City side, slipping the ball under keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga from a pass by Kyle Walker. He had another goal chalked off for a handball in the build-up.
With nothing on the line on Sunday and two huge games on the horizon – the FA Cup and Champions League finals – Pep Guardiola left his big guns including goal-scoring machine Erling Haaland on the bench for most of the game. City still dominated, proving they are a well-oiled machine no matter what parts the mastermind manager has to work with.
City were crowned champions for the third season in a row and fifth in six years a day earlier than expected when Arsenal’s 1-0 defeat doused any hopes the Londoners had of catching them.
The mood on Sunday was festive. Chelsea sportingly gave the City players, who had watched the Arsenal game together the previous evening, a guard of honour before kickoff while thousands of fans rushed onto the field after the final whistle.
Haaland was a late substitute and did not extend his record of 36 goals in a single Premier League season.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing; Editing by Toby Davis)
