City celebrates Premier League coronation with victory over Chelsea

MANCHESTER: Manchester City celebrated its Premier League title triumph on Sunday, beating Chelsea 1-0 with an early goal by forward Julian Alvarez in the team’s home finale at a sun-drenched Etihad Stadium.

The treble-chasing City, which wrapped up the title when Arsenal was beaten 0-1 by Nottingham Forest on Saturday, has now won 12 successive matches in the English top-flight.

City has 88 points from 36 games, seven more than Arsenal, which has played 37 matches. Frank Lampard’s Chelsea is 12th with 43 points and one game remaining.

Alvarez scored in the 12th minute for a largely second-string City side, slipping the ball under Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga after being set up by Cole Palmer. He had another goal chalked off for a handball in the build-up.

With nothing on the line on Sunday and two huge games on the horizon – the FA Cup and Champions League finals – Pep Guardiola left his big guns, including goal-scoring machine Erling Haaland, on the bench for most of the match. City still dominated, proving it is a well-oiled machine no matter what parts the manager has to work with.

The mood on Sunday was festive. Chelsea sportingly gave the City players, who had watched the Arsenal match together the previous evening, a guard of honour before kick-off while thousands of fans rushed onto the field after the final whistle.

Haaland was a late substitute and did not extend his record of 36 goals in a single Premier League season.

Brighton secures European spot for first time

Brighton and Hove Albion earned a European spot for the first time in its history after beating the relegated Southampton 3-1 at the Amex Stadium, with teenage striker Evan Ferguson scoring twice.

Brighton is sixth in the standings on 61 points and can no longer be caught by the eighth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, meaning it is guaranteed a spot in Europe next season – either in the Europa League or the Europa Conference League.

In another crucial match, West Ham United got the better of Leeds United by a 3-1 scoreline.

RESULTS: Manchester City 1 (J Alvarez 12) bt Chelsea 0; Brighton & Hove Albion 3 (E Ferguson 29 & 40, P Gross 69) bt Southampton 1 (M Elyounoussi 58); West Ham United 3 (D Rice 31, J Bowen 72, M Lanzini 90) bt Leeds United 1 (Rodrigo 17)