Manchester City made history on Championship Sunday with an unprecedented fourth-straight Premier League title, beating West Ham United 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium to seal the deal.
Phil Foden scored twice to give City a two-goal lead, but Mohammed Kudus’ bombastic bicycle kick before halftime promised second-half drama.
WATCH MANCHESTER CITY vs WEST HAM FULL MATCH REPLAY
Rodri delivered his seventh Premier League goal of the season just before the hour mark to essentially ensure the win and insure title stock, as Man City’s dynasty is statistically unmatched in Premier League history.
City finish with 91 points, two more than Arsenal and nine more from next-closest Liverpool.
West Ham end the season, and David Moyes’ tenure, with a ninth-place finish on the Premier League table. Their 52 points were eight back of eighth-place Manchester United and four clear of the bottom half.
The best ever (*?)
Let’s keep this simple: No one has ever been better, deeper, and stronger than Manchester City and that’s largely why they won their fourth-straight Premier League Trophy. To do so without Kevin De Bruyne for half the season and Erling Haaland for a month further shows how good of a manager Pep Guardiola is, as those absences should really be enough to take any team out of contention for a title in this deep, free-spending Premier League. He may be the best manager of all-time, is certainly the best manager of his era, and City is a beast.
But there will be plenty more, now, who will be hoping for someone to dethrone Man City as 100-plus charges loom over the club. It has to be noted that the club has continuously protested its innocence and plans to prove it with a public judgment in its favor. That sort of conclusive proof would be splendid, because this team is so special and has been produced from within as well. Pep Guardiola called Phil Foden the best player in the Premier League and he’s definitely up there. Rodri has become one of the best midfielders in the world while Kyle Walker, John Stones, and Ruben Dias have all taken other steps. That’s without mentioning that Pep guided Cole Palmer to the precipice of stardom, then watched him dazzle at Chelsea.
City is a machine. That cannot and should not be taken away from them. And Pep is a wizard.
Manchester City 3-1 West Ham player ratings (from fotmob.com)
Manchester City 3-1 West Ham player ratings (from fotmob.com)
Manchester City 3-1 West Ham player ratings (from fotmob.com)
How to watch Manchester City vs West Ham live, stream link and start time
Kick off: 11am ET Sunday
TV Channel: NBC
Online: Watch live online via NBC.com & Premier League on Peacock
Manchester City vs West Ham live updates — by Nick Mendola
Manchester City vs West Ham final score: 3-1
Goalscorers: Foden (2', 18'), Kudus (43'), Rodri (59')
Full-time: Man City have completed the four-peat
It’s over. Pep and his people have done it again.
Arsenal hope for a half-minute, as goal taken from West Ham
A West Ham corner is whipped in and Tomas Soucek has it over the line.
His sheepish grin is explained by replay, as VAR reveals that Soucek saw it go off his forearm and past Stefan Ortega.
As you were.
Rodri goal! Man City 3-1 West Ham (59th minute)
It’s so City.
Kevin De Bruyne and Phil Foden are part of a good ball movement, but the final two touches go to Bernardo Silva and Rodri.
The Portuguese moves it from inside the 18 back to the outside edge, and Rodri rips one home.
If it’s the title-sealing goal, there are few more deserving scorers than the best possession/defensive midfielder in the world.
Halftime — Man City 2-1 West Ham
City’s left the door open at halftime. Imagine if Jarrod Bowen wasn’t ill!
Seventy-two percent possession and a 15-2 shot-attempt edge have been unsettled by Kudus’ tremendous bicycle kick goal.
Imagine if City were to drop points but so did Arsenal? The second-half of that is happening, and West Ham have hope of making the first a thing.
Mohammed Kudus *bicycle kick* goal! Man City 2-1 West Ham (43rd minute)
Oh wow. Hope for Arsenal.
A corner kick gets to Kudus, who juggles it into position for a bombastic overhead kick goal.
Sensational. 2-1.
(Another) Phil Foden goal! Man City 2-0 West Ham (18th minute)
The Stockport boy is the man, again.
It’s 19 goals on the season and it’s almost certainly a fourth-straight title for Manchester City.
Find your drama somewhere else? Your move, West Ham.
Phil Foden goal! Man City 1-0 West Ham (2nd minute)
Of course it was him!
Phil Foden with a gorgeous, unstoppable arrow into the upper 90 with his left-foot from outside the box.
How good has he been this season?
Manchester City lineup
Ortega Moreno, Walker (C), Akanji, Dias, Gvardiol, Rodrigo, De Bruyne, Bernardo, Foden, Doku, Haaland
West Ham lineup
Areola, Coufal, Zouma, Mavropanos, Cresswell, Emerson, Ward-Prowse, Soucek, Paqueta, Kudus, Antonio
Manchester City focus, team news
OUT: Ederson (face) | QUESTIONABLE: Kevin De Bruyne (achilles)
West Ham focus, team news
OUT: Kalvin Phillips (calf/loan - parent club) | QUESTIONABLE: Konstantinos Mavropanos (knock), Nayef Aguerd (foot)
