Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Manchester City’s Phil Foden, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side’s second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Fulham and Manchester City at the Craven Cottage Stadium in London, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol, right, celebrates after scoring his side’s third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Fulham and Manchester City at the Craven Cottage Stadium in London, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Tottenham Hotspur’s Pedro Porro celebrates scoring his sides first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Saturday May 11, 2024. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)
Burnley manager Vincent Kompany reacts on the touchline, during the English Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Newcastle United, at Turf Moor, in Burnley, England, Saturday, May 4, 2024. (Steve Welsh/PA via AP)
West Ham United’s Tomas Soucek celebrates scoring their side’s second goal of the game with team-mates during the English Premier League soccer between West Ham United and Luton Town match at the London Stadium, London, Saturday May 11, 2024. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)
Newcastle United’s Sean Longstaff scores his side’s first goal of the game, during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion, at St. James’ Park, in Newcastle, England, Saturday May 11, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Chelsea’s scorer Nicolas Jackson, left, and his teammate Reece James, right, celebrate their side’s third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and FC Chelsea in Nottingham, England, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, top right, attempts a shot on goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and FC Chelsea in Nottingham, England, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
Manchester City’s Phil Foden, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side’s second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Fulham and Manchester City at the Craven Cottage Stadium in London, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Manchester City’s Phil Foden, centre, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side’s second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Fulham and Manchester City at the Craven Cottage Stadium in London, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol, right, celebrates after scoring his side’s third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Fulham and Manchester City at the Craven Cottage Stadium in London, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Manchester City’s Josko Gvardiol, right, celebrates after scoring his side’s third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Fulham and Manchester City at the Craven Cottage Stadium in London, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)
Tottenham Hotspur’s Pedro Porro celebrates scoring his sides first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Saturday May 11, 2024. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)
Tottenham Hotspur’s Pedro Porro celebrates scoring his sides first goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, Saturday May 11, 2024. (Adam Davy/PA via AP)
Burnley manager Vincent Kompany reacts on the touchline, during the English Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Newcastle United, at Turf Moor, in Burnley, England, Saturday, May 4, 2024. (Steve Welsh/PA via AP)
Burnley manager Vincent Kompany reacts on the touchline, during the English Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Newcastle United, at Turf Moor, in Burnley, England, Saturday, May 4, 2024. (Steve Welsh/PA via AP)
West Ham United’s Tomas Soucek celebrates scoring their side’s second goal of the game with team-mates during the English Premier League soccer between West Ham United and Luton Town match at the London Stadium, London, Saturday May 11, 2024. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)
West Ham United’s Tomas Soucek celebrates scoring their side’s second goal of the game with team-mates during the English Premier League soccer between West Ham United and Luton Town match at the London Stadium, London, Saturday May 11, 2024. (Victoria Jones/PA via AP)
Newcastle United’s Sean Longstaff scores his side’s first goal of the game, during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion, at St. James’ Park, in Newcastle, England, Saturday May 11, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Newcastle United’s Sean Longstaff scores his side’s first goal of the game, during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and Brighton & Hove Albion, at St. James’ Park, in Newcastle, England, Saturday May 11, 2024. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)
Chelsea’s scorer Nicolas Jackson, left, and his teammate Reece James, right, celebrate their side’s third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and FC Chelsea in Nottingham, England, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
Chelsea’s scorer Nicolas Jackson, left, and his teammate Reece James, right, celebrate their side’s third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and FC Chelsea in Nottingham, England, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, top right, attempts a shot on goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and FC Chelsea in Nottingham, England, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
Nottingham Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White, top right, attempts a shot on goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and FC Chelsea in Nottingham, England, Saturday, May 11, 2024. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)
Two more wins.
That’s all that separates Manchester City from becoming English champion for an unprecedented fourth straight year.
The game is up, though, for Burnley, whose relegation from the Premier League was confirmed on Saturday with a game to spare.
On a significant day at both ends of the standings, City racked up another big victory by routing Fulham 4-0 to climb above Arsenal into a two-point lead. The top two each have two games left, and Arsenal faces Manchester United next on Sunday.
However Arsenal finishes the season, the title will be City’s if Pep Guardiola’s team beats both Tottenham away on Tuesday and West Ham at home in the final round on May 19.
“My players like to play with pressure. They are used to it,” said Guardiola, whose team has won five of the last six Premier Leagues. “The players enjoy this feeling.
“This season is the same — don’t think about anything other than the next game. Focus on winning the next game and then we will see what happens.”
Josko Gvardiol scored twice for City to enhance his status as an unlikely goal-getter for Guardiola, with the left back making it five in his last seven games. Phil Foden and Julian Alvarez also netted at Craven Cottage as City extended its unbeaten run in all competitions to 33 matches.
No team in the 136-year history of English soccer has won the top division for four successive years. It’s the latest record in touching distance of Guardiola’s City, which has also reached the FA Cup final against Man United on May 25.
Two of the three teams which came up to the Premier League for this season are sure to be heading back down to the Championship after one year.
It’s not looking great for the third one, either.
Burnley needed to beat Tottenham to stand a chance of a second straight season in the league but lost 2-1 to join already-relegated Sheffield United in going down.
Luton lost at West Ham 3-1 to stand on the brink of being the third team relegated. It was given a reprieve, however, when fourth-from-last Nottingham Forest squandered a lead and lost at home to Chelsea 3-2.
Forest was three points above Luton and has a superior goal difference of 12. In the final round of games next weekend, Forest visits Burnley and Luton hosts Fulham — and there has to be a huge, and improbable, swing in goal difference for Luton to survive.
Last season, all three promoted teams staved off relegation for the first time since 2018.
Tottenham kept alive its Champions League qualification hopes with the come-from behind win over Burnley, which was secured by Micky van de Ven’s 82nd minute goal.
Spurs’ first goal was also scored by a defender — right back Pedro Porro — to begin the fightback.
Spurs trimmed the gap to fourth-placed Aston Villa to four points, with both teams having two games left. Villa can secure fourth spot and the final automatic Champions League spot from the Premier League by beating Liverpool on Monday.
In the fight to qualify for the minor European competitions, Newcastle stayed in sixth place — but dropped six points behind Tottenham — by drawing at home with Brighton 1-1. Newcastle is tied on points with Chelsea, with both teams three points ahead of eighth-placed Man United.
Brentford won at Bournemouth 2-1, Crystal Palace beat Wolverhampton 3-1, and Everton defeated Sheffield United 1-0 for a fifth straight home win.
Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
