Man City win Premier League title: ‘Even by their standards, this was a remarkable season climax’

The pain of losing their crown would have been even more acute given they had a 14-point advantage over Liverpool on 15 January, only to be stalked every inch of the way by Jurgen Klopp’s side.

What City had stored away was the knowledge of how they edged out Manchester United on the last day of the 2011-12 season, won their last home game to finish above Liverpool in 2013-14 and beat Brighton to fight off Liverpool by a point in 2018-19.

They are battle-hardened in the unique pressures of the Premier League’s final day.

Indeed, it almost looked like muscle memory dragging them off their feet for a five-minute spell that brought those three decisive goals and will be remembered forever by every City fan who experienced it.

Guardiola has made many substitutions in his illustrious career but he will recall few more fondly than the second-half introduction of Ilkay Gundogan.

First, the German lifted the gloom with a far-post header after 76 minutes. Rodri raised the anticipation levels with an equaliser two minutes later and there was almost a sense of inevitability about Gundogan’s winner, slid home at the far post from Kevin de Bruyne’s cross with nine minutes left.

Guardiola will have known deep down only victory would do here. He implored City’s fans to take to the streets to welcome the team, which they did, and he rammed home his message via programme notes which ended with the words: “Don’t forget it. LOUD. LOUD. LOUD.”

And it was loud, loud, loud when referee Michael Oliver sounded the final whistle to release an outpouring of emotion and relief, especially from City’s manager.

Not all of the emotion coursing round the Etihad was to be applauded. Sadly, in what appears to be turning into an increasingly dangerous trend, Villa keeper Robin Olsen was assaulted in a pitch invasion after the final whistle, City swiftly issuing an apology and launching an investigation.

As the strains of Oasis’ ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’ rang around the ground, City bade farewell to 37-year-old Fernandinho after nine successful years at the club, the Brazilian tossed in the air by team-mates while being sprayed with champagne.

Ukrainian defender Oleksandr Zinchenko, an outstanding substitute here and a man who has had to cope with so much with the Russians invading his homeland, was also overcome by emotion amid the triumph and was comforted by colleagues.

And before that, a crossbar at one of the end stadium drooped, broken in the middle as the celebrations raged, re-enacting that famous scene when Scotland’s fans flooded Wembley in 1977.

Manchester City have conjured up some incredible Premier League finales, often stretching believability to breaking point, and this may just have topped the lot.

Guardiola’s side are deserved champions once more – but this simple phrase will not even touch the sides when history recalls the story of five remarkable minutes on an astonishing day at Etihad Stadium.