Manchester City record their eighth Premier League defeat in a thrilling 2-1 loss to Chelsea, as Liverpool claim title.
In a pulsating match between two Premier League heavyweights, the game promised to be an intriguing one, and it was.
Chelsea needed a win to go five points clear of fifth-place Manchester United and strengthen their hold of top four.
A win for City would delay Liverpool from clinching their first Premier League title, preventing a guard of honour at the Etihad.
The game started, and the Citizen settled in quickly, taking control for the first half-hour.
Fernandinho tested the Chelsea goalie with a header from Mahrez’s free-kick but the Spaniard stood up to the task and acrobatically tipped the ball over the crossbar.
With Sergio Aguero out injured, City went into the game with Bernardo Silva as false-nine, and he would be gifted the first significant goal-scoring opportunity of the game.
A lofted pass from goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga was intercepted by Mahrez and headed towards the Portuguese. He immediately got crowded out by the Blues defense before getting a decent attempt on goal.
Chelsea had a series of goal-scoring chances and looked likely to make the breakthrough, with Christensen, Mount, Barkley and Giroud all having a go at goal.
Finally, in the 36th minute, Chelsea broke the deadlock.
Kevin De Bruyne’s corner was cleared back to last-man Benjamin Mendy, however, miscommunication between the Frenchman and Ilkay Gündogan allowed Christian Pulisic pounce on the ball in midfield.
The American then showed superb pace and composure, as he evaded Mendy’s last-ditch tackle and glided deep into the City half. Face-to-face with Ederson, he calmly slotted home his seventh goal of the season.
In the second half, five minutes before the hour-mark, Pep Guardiola’s men found a way back into the game.
World-class midfield Kevin De Bruyne superbly drove a direct free-kick over the Chelsea wall and into the top bins.
This goal sprung the Manchester club into life and they were immediately denied only by the post, after a well-worked counter-attack between De Bruyne, Mahrez and Raheem Sterling.
Chelsea remained resilient and continued with a series of dangerous attacks. One of them required full-back Kyle Walker to make an emphatic goal-line clearance, denying Pulisic his second of the night.
The attacking tenacity shown by Blues was rewarded in the 77th minute with a penalty. VAR revealed that Fernandinho had palmed the ball during a scramble in the box, preventing Tammy Abraham’s effort on goal.
The Brazilian was sent off while his fellow compatriot Willian smashed the penalty into the top corner, giving the Blues the lead.
While City yet pushed for an equalizer, it was Chelsea who came closest to adding another. Substitute Pedro had a shot superbly saved by Ederson after a quick counter attack.
This defeat means league leaders Liverpool have now claimed their first Premier League title.
Similar to 2014, Chelsea have played a major role in deciding a title involving Liverpool. Only that this time, they are crowning the team they derailed for kingship.
