Manchester City lifted the Premier League trophy amid jubilant scenes despite Huddersfield gaining a vital point in their battle to avoid relegation with a goalless draw at Etihad Stadium.
Walking out to a guard of honour as thousands of blue and white flags fluttered in the stands, Pep Guardiola’s side had been expected to collect a routine three points, as the champions faced the 16th-placed Terriers with celebration the tone of the day.
But City could not produce the style of football fans have become so accustomed to this season, with Kevin de Bruyne and Gabriel Jesus going closest in a game of few clear-cut chances.
And while Huddersfield players will have watched the trophy presentation knowing their place in the top flight is not yet secure, they produced a resolute performance worthy of a Premier League future.
As the final whistle sounded, City fans proved they cared little for the result on the day as they spilled on to the pitch on a special occasion for east Manchester, delaying the trophy presentation.
The Terriers had done their best to spoil the party and contained City in the first half, although De Bruyne almost opened the scoring for the hosts on two occasions.
Alex Pritchard came agonisingly close for the visitors, unleashing a drive from 25 yards out that an outstretched Ederson could only push around the post.
There were few obvious chances for either side after the break as Huddersfield became ever more defensive in pursuit of a precious point, Jesus heading one of City’s better opportunities high over the bar as the clock approached 80 minutes.
And as the nerves started to get to the Huddersfield fans, City continued to press, and almost snatched the win three minutes into stoppage time when Nicolas Otamendi’s curled effort edged just wide of the post.
While City’s coronation may be the main talking point of the day, their record-breaking run to the title deserves another mention.
More records could yet fall in their final two matches of the season, against Brighton and Southampton, with only one more goal needed to equal the highest tally in a Premier League season – the 103 scored by Chelsea in the 2009-10 campaign.
For City fans, it is a title-winning campaign that will no doubt go down in club folklore, turning a 15-point deficit to champions Chelsea last season into a runaway success just a matter of months later.
With only two league defeats to his side’s name, Guardiola has quickly learned key lessons from his first season in charge in English football.
If he undoubtedly has vast spending money at his disposal, his talent as a coach has shone through this season as he continually brought out the very best in his players while rejuvenating the old guard at the same time.
Raheem Sterling has perhaps benefited most from the Spaniard’s tutelage, having enjoyed the most consistent season of his career with 18 goals to date. Sunday was an uncharacteristically quiet day for the 23-year-old – he was one of only three home players who failed to have a shot.
Guardiola now faces his next big challenge – bring back-to-back Premier League titles to the Etihad while making City successful on the European stage. Pull that off and he will be on the way to going down as one of the greatest managers the Premier League has seen.
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Source: BBC