Manchester's Etihad Stadium was decked out with 53,000 light blue fans to celebrate the club's ninth Premier League, the third in a row for Pep Guardiola's team. The citizens, who mathematically proclaimed themselves champions on Saturday with Arsenal's defeat against Nottingham Forest (1-0), joined their fans' party with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea, the 28th in 36 journeys.
The sky-blue fans invaded the pitch of the Etihad Stadium at the end of the match to celebrate the fifth Premier in the last seven years with Guardiola. However, the players of neither of the two teams were in danger, nor were there any tense situations. The fans were quietly evacuated.
Pep Guardiola's team received the hall of honor in sports from the blues. Although the eleven citizen who came out onto the pitch and received the recognition of champion had little to do with the regulars, rather the Santpedor coach chose to give minutes to his less used second and third units.
Thus, Guardiola made use of goalkeeper Ortega Moreno, defenders Walker, Akanji, Laporte, Lewis; in midfield he formed with Phillips, Foden, Palmer, and in attack Mahrez, Sergi Gómez and Julián Álvarez.
The killer citizen Erling Haaland remained on the bench, who had scored 36 goals in his first 32 games with the sky blues. The bench was luxurious, with Bernardo Silva, Gündogan, De Bruyne, Rodrigo, Stones...
It was the 23-year-old Argentine forward, signed in January 2022 from River Plate, who opened the scoring with a great goal after 12 minutes. Álvarez received a pass up front from Cole Palmer and hit a cross shot past Kepa.
It was the Argentine striker's 9th goal in 29 Premier League games in his first season in England. A more than remarkable record that he extended in the 71st minute with a second goal to an empty goal, after receiving a pass from Mahrez. However, the goal was disallowed by a clear hand from the Algerian in control. The VAR confirmed the infraction and the referee invalidated the goal.
City had the entire game controlled against a Chelsea that was not at stake, who wandered in the middle of the table (12th) in an anodyne way with Lampard.
Guardiola rewarded Haaland by making him participate in the celebration party by giving him a start in the 73rd minute for Mahrez. The Norwegian formed an attacking tandem with Julián Álvarez and the Etihad went crazy with their gigantic scorer.
He also brought on De Bruyne and Rodri (minute 78). With more carats on the pitch, City managed to dominate the game, without excessive threats from Chelsea.
When the referee whistled for the end of the match, the citizen fans invaded the pitch peacefully, despite the explicit instructions given by the club on the video scoreboards.
The light blue players accelerated towards the changing room tunnel, protected by the club's security services. The most wanted was Haaland, persecuted to be photographed.
After the fans' pitch was evacuated and after a few minutes of celebrations in the City locker room, where the players sang "We are the Champions", the Premier League trophy delivery ceremony to the Manchester team took place. .
The president of the Premier League presented the champions' medal to Guardiola and the City players -one of the most applauded was Haaland-, who were installed on a podium located in the center of the field.
There Captain Gündogan received the champion's trophy under a shower of confetti and the chants of the sky blue fans, who are experiencing the most successful season in the history of the Manchester club: five Premier Leagues in the last six years can celebrate it very few clubs.
