Pep 'closer to leaving' Man City, Arteta's Arsenal vow, Klopp's farewell Liverpool message - how Premier League final day unfolded

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola poses for a photo with the Premier League trophy. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

The Premier League title race went to the wire but it was Manchester City who prevailed with Arsenal forced to settle for a runners-up finish for the second year running. Elsewhere, Luton’s relegation was confirmed while Tottenham and Chelsea secured European football. Here is how the final day unfolded…

Man City title win

Pep Guardiola cast doubt over his long-term Manchester City future after admitting he is running out of things to achieve following an historic fourth straight Premier League title.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp addresses the Anfield crowd at the end of his final match in charge. (Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

The battle for top spot went down to the final day but the reigning champions held their nerve at the Etihad Stadium, where they could not afford a slip-up with Arsenal breathing down their necks. Phil Foden’s fantastic double got City off to a dream start against West Ham and, having been shaken by Mohammed Kudus’ outrageous overhead kick, a driven Rodri effort completed a 3-1 win.

Elated fans poured onto the pitch at the final whistle as City celebrated becoming the first side in English football history to win four successive top-flight titles.

This is Guardiola’s 12th league title in 15 top-flight seasons as a manager and he is looking to add another FA Cup to his CV in next weekend’s Wembley final against rivals Manchester United. The double would come hot on the heels of last season’s treble, leaving the City boss – whose deal runs out in 2025 – running out of things to motivate him.

“The reality is I’m closer to leaving than to staying,” Guardiola told Sky Sports. “It’s eight years, will be nine. “Right now my feeling is I want to stay next season. We talked with the club, we have time to talk next season because I have to see the players as well, (to see) if they follow me, they follow us, for many reasons. I will stay and during the season we will talk when calm.”

Arteta’s Arsenal vow

Mikel Arteta vowed Arsenal would come back stronger and win the Premier League after they suffered title heartbreak for a second season in a row. The Gunners claimed a late 2-1 win over Everton on the final day but Manchester City’s 3-1 victory at home to West Ham crowned them champions for a fourth consecutive year.

Any chances of last-day jeopardy appeared minimal from the outset, but were reduced even further when City scored twice early on before Idrissa Gueye’s deflected free-kick in the 40th minute put the visitors ahead at the Emirates. Takehiro Tomiyasu levelled three minutes later, which was around the time West Ham reduced the deficit at the Etihad, but there would be no dramatic twist.

A tap-in by Kai Havertz with a minute left did at least ensure the Gunners ended a brilliant season on 89 points to show further signs of progress under their Spanish coach, who is determined to help his squad go one better next season.

“First of all congrats to Manchester City for winning the Premier League,” Arteta reflected. “Today some mixed emotions. First of all, to be really proud of the staff and those players. They’ve done an incredible job and they have pushed every limit and every margin that we could to try to win this Premier League.

“Unfortunately it a bit short and we couldn’t deliver the prize that we wanted. They (City) took it away from us. It’s the second season. There’s only one way to do it – you have to be more determined, you have to be more ambitious, you have to have a lot of courage and push every limit in everything that we have. That’s the next step.

“If we do what we have to do, we’re going to be closer and at the end we’ll win it. When? I don’t know, but if we keep knocking and being that close, in the end it will happen.”

Klopp’s farewell Liverpool message

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told Anfield to never stop believing and to welcome his successor Arne Slot like they welcomed him as “change is good”. Speaking at a presentation on the pitch, made by owners John W Henry and Tom Werner, chief executive Billy Hogan and Sir Kenny Dalglish after the 2-0 victory over 10-man Wolves, the German addressed the crowd and offered a positive outlook on the future.

“You welcome the new manager like you welcomed me. You go all-in from the first day. And you keep believing and you push the team,” said Klopp, who sang the name of Arne Slot to the tune of one of the songs the crowd sing about him. “People told me that I turned them from doubters to believers. That’s not true. Believing is an active act: you have to do it yourself. I just said we have to. You did it. That’s a big difference.

“And nobody tells you now to stop believing. Because this club is in a better moment than ever. Maybe ever – I have to ask Kenny – but since a long time, let me say it like that. We have this wonderful stadium, wonderful training centre, we have you, the superpower of world football.

“We decide if we are worried or excited. We decide if we believe or don’t believe. We decide if we trust or we don’t trust. And since today I’m one of you and I keep believing in you. I stay a believer, 100 per cent. Change is good.”

Rest of EPL

Dejan Kulusevski scored twice as Tottenham held off Chelsea in the race for fifth place after a 3-0 victory at relegated Sheffield United. Kulusevski struck after 14 minutes at Bramall Lane and, after Pedro Porro had increased the lead, doubled his tally to condemn the hosts to a seventh successive defeat.

Chelsea snatched a top-six finish with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Bournemouth. Moises Caicedo’s spectacular strike from just inside the Cherries’ half set the ball rolling and Raheem Sterling made it 2-0 just after the restart, but Benoit Badiashile’s own goal ensured a tense conclusion at Stamford Bridge.

Newcastle needed a late strike from Bruno Guimaraes to fend off a Brentford fightback as a 4-2 win at the Gtech Community Stadium secured seventh place. The Magpies looked to be cruising after first-half goals from Harvey Barnes, Jacob Murphy and Alexander Isak had put them 3-0 ahead, but Vitaly Janelt and Yoane Wissa dragged the hosts back into it before Guimaraes settled it.

A 2-0 win at Brighton could not prevent Manchester United from recording their lowest finish of the Premier League era. Goals from Diogo Dalot and substitute Rasmus Hojlund inside the final 17 minutes secured three points but that was only good enough for eighth place, and they will miss out on Europe altogether if they fail to beat City in next weekend’s FA Cup final – a result which would hand Newcastle a Europa Conference League berth.

At the other end of the table, Chris Wood eased Nottingham Forest to safety with two goals inside the opening 14 minutes as they won 2-1 at relegated Burnley, for whom Josh Cullen scored. That proved fatal for Luton, who succumbed 4-2 at home to Fulham with Raul Jimenez’s double and further goals from Adama Traore and Harry Wilson eclipsing Carlton Morris’ penalty and an Alfie Doughty strike.

Jean-Philippe Mateta’s hat-trick took some of the gloss off Aston Villa’s magnificent season as next season’s Champions League participants were trounced 5-0 at Selhurst Park. Mateta’s treble was accompanied by a double for Eberechi Eze which edged the Eagles to a top-10 finish.