This season has certainly been one of the highly contested league title races and after a hard-fought draw at West Ham, Pep Guardiola has promised Citizens a perfect end in what has been a roller-coaster season.
Manchester City from the onset were the clear favourites to win the league title, but it wasn’t going to be a walk in a park with one of the best Liverpool sides unyielding on their backs. But after their draw against Tottenham Hotspur and a win at home against Watford, it all felt like the title race is well and truly over, and it was for City’s to lose given the calibre of the opponents left.
But yesterday’s result made sure that they would have to do it on the last day providing Liverpool don’t slip up against Southampton on Tuesday as they continue in their quest for a quadruple.
The draw against David Moyes’ team was a emotional fare as the Hammers put in a performance worthy of their favourite son. Mark Noble’s last home game was a tale of two halves with Jarrod Bowen’s double wetting mouths in Merseyside after 45 minutes.
In a press conference Pep said of the losing at halftime and draw at West Ham “it normally happens when City play, don’t worry bout it.” Had they lost it would be a different story because they would have also lost their one-point advantage they have on Liverpool. But again, the story would have been different had Riyad Mahrez converted the penalty.
Nonetheless, Pep said it would be a story of a lifetime to win the title at home, “I can assure you something, in one week, our stadium will be so loud, and we will give them all our lives, and they will give us their lives, for 95 minutes, it’s an incredible privilege to win one game at home to be champion.”
Next week’s game against Aston Villa will be do or die for Pep and City and there’s no room for an error, “I encourage all the people, all blue people in Manchester that day, go to the stadium, because we are going to give everything to win the PL, I am pretty sure about that.”
Steven Gerrard’s team will visit Manchester next week hoping to do a favour for his boyhood club, turning a solid performance and slipping the title down the M62.