Manchester City edge Liverpool in tight Premier League finish
It was a narrow, one-point margin over Liverpool, which seems only fitting, as the rest of the pack seemed to be playing for continental qualification.
Twenty-five points lay between 2nd placed Liverpool and Chelsea; the Blues having drawn with Leicester but the point sufficient enough to secure third over Tottenham, on 71 points, and Arsenal, who finished the season with 70 points.
There was a brief moment where it appeared that the title would go to Liverpool as they led Wolves whilst Man City had fallen behind to Brighton on an unexpected goal off the head of Glenn Murray. However, as it evolved there was little cause for concern, as Brighton v Man City, for a title decider, was the sort of fixture that should have had a big queue of paying customers requesting refunds.
The schedulers missed a trick with a tight Premier League competition coming to a game between Manchester City and Brighton while Liverpool were playing Wolverhampton Wanderers - but the fixture is set well in advance and there is nothing to be done about it that would not look as though something suspect was occuring.
Think of the Aussie bets that would be squandered if the A-League title race came down to the outcome of a match with Perth Glory and Brisbane or Central Coast. Not the sort of fixture on which you would want to spend a great amount of money to see. Or imagine if Juventus could edge a tight Serie A scudetto race with a final game of the season against Chievo or Frosinone.
Liverpool were on top for just two minutes before Sergio Aguero equalised. They took the lead in the 38th minute, and from that point forward, the outcome of the game was never in any serious doubt.
Seldom-starting Riyad Mahrez made it 3-1 to Manchester City in the 60th minute and the final goal came from a true beauty from German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan’s free kick.
Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Wolves was relatively straightforward but, if Manchester City had drawn or lost, the title would have gone to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
Elsewhere, there were wins for Newcastle and West Ham United away at Fulham and Watford respectively whilst Chelsea's 0-0 draw with Leicester and Arsenal's 2-1 victory over Burnley meant just two points separated 3rd and 5th; those points vital in making the difference as to whether or not a club qualifies for the Champions League.
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