Manchester City’s task is simple against West Ham: win, and they will be Premier League champions.
Draw or lose, and Arsenal have the chance to leapfrog them on the final day. City beat Tottenham this week to put themselves two points clear at the top of the table going into today’s final round of fixtures, but are clear that there is still work to do.
The Blues will be without Ederson, who went off injured against Spurs and has a small fracture to his eye socket, ruling him out of this game and the FA Cup final. Stefan Ortega, the hero at Tottenham after coming off the bench, will deputise in his absence. Kevin De Bruyne should also be available after hobbling off in the week.
Pep Guardiola expects the last day to be as difficult as it was two years ago when City came back from two goals down to beat Aston Villa, as he warned his players to remain professional to get the job done and make history as the first club to win four titles in succession.
The sun is out and the beer gardens have been full all afternoon ahead of this one as Blues look to get the title party started early. Cutting Room Square in Ancoats has been packed for hours, and the Manchester Evening News has you covered outside the ground as well as with all the goings on inside the Etihad which you will find right here.
How is this game being viewed from outside the Etihad Campus then?
Arsenal and Mikel Arteta are obviously praying for a miracle, and Arteta has said this week he still believes Arsenal can win the title. They will obviously need City to slip up and a favour from West Ham, but also must do their job against Everton at the Emirates which is their first objective.
David Moyes insists he will not be looking to help two of his former captains – Arteta and Declan Rice – and is only focussed on ending his West Ham reign on a high. He accepts beating City will be a tough ask, and earlier this week said West Ham would struggle to beat City’s under-14s, but vowed to make it as hard as possible for the Blues.
That will raise fears among the City fanbase of the 2022 final day when Aston Villa went 2-0 up, or in 2012 when QPR very nearly spoiled the party. But if City are forced to focus solely on beating a fired-up West Ham side today, that could play into their hands and avoid thoughts straying to the bigger picture until the final whistle.
