Manchester City crowned Premier League champions after dramatic fightback against Villa

Manchester: Manchester City have been crowned 2021/22 Premier League champions – their fourth title success in the last five seasons.

City’s dramatic 3-2 win over Aston Villa in the final game of the season sealed the title and saw them finish one point ahead of second-place Liverpool at the end of a gruelling battle for supremacy.

It marks Pep Guardiola’s 11th major honour since becoming City manager in 2016, a period which has seen City’s style of play revolutionised by the Catalan and his backroom staff.

Five minutes, 36 seconds – that’s the time it took for Man City to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead against Aston Villa in the second half. Ilkay Gundogan, a sub just eight minutes before the first of his two-goal salvo, proved the match-winner. Rodri was the other goalscorer for the Premier League champions.

Villa took the lead on 37 minutes with their first shot of the match, Matty Cash heading Lucas Digne’s cross past Ederson.

Ollie Watkins missed a glorious chance to make it 2-0, stabbing a shot wide, before Philippe Coutinho doubled Villa’s advantage on 69 minutes. Gundogan headed in at the far post from Raheem Sterling’s cross to pull a goal back with 14 minutes remaining.

It was 2-2 on 78 minutes, Rodri striking low into the bottom-left corner. The comeback was complete when Kevin De Bruyne drove into the box and crossed for Gundogan to tap in.

In City’s 38 league matches this season, they have won 29, drawn six and lost three, scoring 99 goals in the process.

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