They didn’t wait until the 93rd minute this time but Manchester City still needed a late salvo to secure the Premier League title and fend off Liverpool on the final day.
Just as 10 years ago, when Sergio Aguero achieved immortality with his injury-time winner, City found themselves trailing in the closing stages of a game they knew would be a must-win.
But three goals in five minutes from Ilkay Gundogan, Rodri and Gundogan pulled the rug from under Aston Villa and yanked the trophy out of Liverpool’s reach.
In doing so they not only became English champions for the fourth time in five years but also answered critics who had questioned their nerve in recent weeks, following a damaging European defeat to Real Madrid and last week’s wobble at West Ham.
Guardiola, too, proved a point to those who have taken issue with his substitutions by making three decisive changes. This was the Spaniard’s 10th domestic league title in 13 seasons of club management at City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona.
“We are legends. We will be remembered,” he said. “When you win the Premier League in this country four times in five seasons, it is because these guys are so, so special.”
Although the Premier League trophy was never technically out of their hands, as Wolves kept Liverpool from taking the lead they needed to apply scoreboard pressure until the 84th minute at Anfield, the threat of City letting it slip – and ending the season empty handed – was very real.
As has been the case all season and for most of his six years as manager, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool pushed City and Guardiola to the bitter end.
City finished one point ahead of their closest challenger. It is the only difference between their aggregate points tallies from the last four campaigns.
“The magnitude of the achievement is related to the magnitude of our rival and I have never seen a team like Liverpool in my life,” Guardiola added. “They have made us better and better each week.”
Goals from Matty Cash and former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho either side of half-time gave Villa a surprise – but not wholly undeserved – lead and threatened to cancel City’s coronation.
But Guardiola changed the game with three substitutions – Oleksandr Zinchenko, Raheem Sterling and Gundogan – and the hosts’ pressure eventually told in a five-minute blitz.
Zinchenko added balance to a side struggling to cope with Villa’s full-backs and still managed to pose a threat in the opponents’ penalty box.
Sterling stood up a cross for Gundogan to head City’s first on 76 minutes. Five minutes later, after Rodri had side-footed an equaliser from 20 yards, the German followed in a cross-shot from Kevin De Bruyne to poke the winner and spark delirium at the Etihad Stadium.
On Merseyside, Liverpool were labouring, having fallen behind inside three minutes. Although Sadio Mane levelled midway through the first half it took until the last six minutes for Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson to secure a win that ensured City had no margin for error.
With that, the FA Cup and EFL Cup winners’ dream of becoming the first English team to achieve a quadruple died. They can, however, still emulate Rafa Benitez’s 2005 cup treble in the Champions League final against Real Madrid on Saturday.
“It’s not the result we wanted,” said Klopp. “We chased the best team in the world to the wire, that’s absolutely special.”
The most significant numbers suggest it has been an era of dominance for City, but they have not had it their own way, least of all on Sunday. With a potent new striker in Erling Haaland arriving, though, it’s not about to get any easier for the chasing pack.
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