On Sunday, May 22nd, 2022 Manchester City made a historic 3 – goals over the course of only 5 – minutes in order to turn the tables on an intense as well as dramatic end to the 2021 – 2022 season. Manchester City was ultimately able to clinch their 6th – English Premier League championship title over the course of just 11 – seasons, as Man City rallied to defeat Aston Villa with the final tally of 3 to 2 as they held off Liverpool’s hard – fought challenge last Sunday.
After starting the day in the 1st – place slot, Manchester City was at a major risk of a momentous let – down choke when after they conceded 2 – goals in order to trail 2 to 0 in their home stadium against Aston Villa.
İlkay Gündoğan’s head – shot began the ultimate come – from – behind that started during the 76th – minute. Rodri equalized just 2 – minutes after that when he managed to fit the football through very a tight gap in order to find the back of the net into the bottom corner of the goal. The Etihad Stadium exploded into mass celebrations during the 81st – minute of game action when Gündoğan tapped in the cross from Kevin De Bruyne.
“It was an unbelievable game,” Gündoğan explained. “We are human beings and, after going 2 – 0 down, the chances were just very, very small. But we had to do the simple things and scoring 2 – goals quickly and then having 10 – minutes to score the third one gave us the right lift.”
The importance of that goal seemed to become much clearer just several moments later. Liverpool had been locked at 1 to 1 stalemate versus Wolverhampton, but Mohamed Salah then put the 2nd – place EPL club in front by the score of 2 to 1 during the 84th – minute of the contest. That score – line would have potentially propelled Liverpool into 1st – place in the EPL had Manchester City not just mounted one hell of a come – back effort in order to eventually take the lead of this crucial game.
The jeopardy still lingered when Andy Robertson sealed – up Liverpool’s 3 to 1 victory while Manchester City would have given – up the English Premier League championship title if they had found a way to concede a late equalizer to Aston Villa.
Manchester City got themselves in trouble against a lowly club, who had very little to play for, until Matty Cashheaded – in a sweet goal vs. Aston Villa in front of the net during the 37th – minute of the match, and former star of Liverpool, Philippe Coutinho, expanded the advantage in the 69th – minute to the amazement of the players of Manchester City.
Gündoğan had come off of the bench just a minute earlier, which was among one of Pep Guardiola’s 2nd – half substitutions that would translate to great things for Manchester City at the end of this instant classic for the English Premier League championship title.
“He came on and changed the whole game,” the Manchester City midfielder Phil Foden stated. “He always knows where the ball is going to be in and around the box. He’s such a clever player.”
Manchester City somehow managed to recapture the championship trophy by just a single – point following their 38thand final contest in such a fashion that was more nail – biting and crazy than was ever anticipated especially because Manchester City at one point held a 14 – point lead way back in January of 2022.
“We are legends,” Pep Guardiola emotionally expressed. “When you win 4 in 5 then it’s because these guys are so special. We will be remembered.”
This was the 1st – occasion since Guardiola took control way back in 2016 that Man City has secured the English Premier League championship title in front of their home – town supporters and fans that had trickled onto the field buy the thousands when the final blow of the whistle was pronounces in this huge game versus Aston Villa.
Even though it all came down to the wire, it was not as excruciatingly late as 10 – years ago when Manchester City’s 1st– English Premier League title was set in concrete with stoppage – time goals at the very conclusion of that season at the historic and legendary Etihad Stadium.
“This is the Man City spirit,” the departing captain Fernandinho said. “You never give up. You always go to the end. It happened 10 – years ago and it’s happened again.”
The success back in 2012 was Manchester City’s first championship crown in approximately 44 – years with Roberto Mancini as their head coach in charge who ushered in the era of dominance enjoyed by a football club that was ultimately transformed by the influx of the investments made from Abu Dhabi.
Manchester City is now experiencing as well as fully celebrating the constant stream of championship titles they once used to have to watch their crosstown rivals in Manchester United compile up under the control of their manager, Alex Ferguson.
The rise of Manchester City was very much in stride with the retirement of the Scottish – native that had previously won the English Premier League title 13 – times from the year of 1993 to the year of 2013.
While Manchester United has a record 20 – English Premier League titles, Manchester City only moved onto 8, that includes the championship title successes way back in 1937 as well as 1968 well before the inception of the English Premier League. That is quite the sign of how detached these city rivals are now on the field as Man City is finishing 35 – points in front of their 6th – placed next – door – neighbor in Manchester United.
Recently Liverpool has been a much larger threat to Pep’s football club who has been dominating the EPL as of late. Over the course of the last 5 – seasons, the only time Manchester City did not win the EPL championship title trophy was when Liverpool’s 30 – year EPL championship title drought was finally put to rest back in the year of 2020.
It will, however, be another season finishing with Manchester City coming up short of winning the largest and most coveted prize in European football, the Champions League, while Liverpool will play against Real Madrid in the Champions League final on Saturday, May 28th, 2022.
While Liverpool’s net expenditure on transfers has been approximately $250 million over the last 5 – years, Manchester City’s has equated to over $530 million.
Manchester City’s financial struggle sure as hell not enough in order to convince Tottenham Hotspur to sell Harry Kane ahead of this upcoming season, leaving Guardiola to accomplish this English Premier League championship title without a very recognizable and dominant striker.
Yet, Manchester City was able to destroy the English transfer record by signing Jack Grealish for 100 million pounds ($139 million), and he still did not have to bring the strong midfielder off of the bench on last Sunday, May 22nd, 2022 while playing against his former football club.
Manchester City has already protected their attack for the upcoming 2022 – 2023 next season, with a deal that they conducted with Borussia Dortmund in order to sign Erling Haaland for 60 million euros ($63 million), which will no doubtably add one of Europe’s most exciting and promising young forwards to their already championship contending football club.
There are still some major concerns remaining regarding the human rights activists and less wealthy rivals about the football squad’s Abu Dhabi ownership and their overall actions.
The human rights violations made by the country of United Arab Emirates have been looked past by Manchester City fans who largely accept how their football club has been utilized by another nation as a tool of soft – power that exploits the attraction of the world’s biggest professional game / sport in order to wipe their image clean.
The owner of Manchester City, Sheikh Mansour, has only been witnessed attending 1 – match throughout the course of his 14 – years as owner of the football club. Mansour, who is the undisputed prime minister of the UAE, was condemned by the government of the United Kingdom recently for hosting the President of Syria in President Bashar al – Assad.
Manchester City was fined €10 million ($12 million) back in 2020 for tampering with a UEFA investigation in to their finances after there were leaks of some internal correspondence at the club level, although a Champions League tournament ban was ultimately overturned by UEFA.
Despite the ongoing English Premier League investigations into the overall conduct of Manchester City, including whether or not the overly – inflated Abu Dhabi – linked sponsorship has anything to do with boosted income of the English football giant, Pep Guardiola has long denied any concerns regarding the manner in which his football club has been funded over recent years.
“Tomorrow we can celebrate together in the Manchester streets with cigars and beers,” the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich head coach mentioned following winning a 10th – league title during time in management of the club.
Sources:
Harris, Rob. “Man City wins 6th EPL title in 11 seasons in dramatic finale”. The Associated Press. May 22, 2022.
Harris, Rob. “3 goals in 5 – minute recovery wins Premier League for City”. The Associated Press. May 22, 2022.