Man City crowned Premier League champions 2018/19 on tense title race final day (RECAP)

12 May, 2019 13:29 / Updated 5 years ago

Catch all the updates on the Premier League 2018/19 title race as Manchester City travel to Brighton and Liverpool host Wolves knowing only one of them will be crowned champions of England on the season's final day.

Follow all the action here on RT Sport as we keep you up to date on one of the fastest-paced, most exciting title races in recent memory between Pep Guardiola's Blues and Jurgen Klopp's Reds.

12 May 2019

SITTING PRETTY

The customary ribbons are big applied to the Premier League trophy. No need to change to Red just yet - they can stay blue and white for the time being...

HOW IT FINISHED

1. Manchester City - 98pts

2. Liverpool - 97pts

A thrilling run-in goes all the way to the final day where, after the momentum shifted from Manchester to Liverpool, then back again over the course of the 90 minutes, City finished the campaign on top.

It means City are the first team to retain the Premier League title in a decade, while Liverpool finished just one point behind with the highest points total of any runner-up side in Premier League history.

In almost any other season, the title would be heading to Anfield, but the talent-packed squad at the Etihad - and their relentless form during the run-in - proved the difference-maker as Pep Guardiola's men retained their crown.

FULL TIME

Brighton 1-4 Manchester City 

They've done it! Manchester City are once again crowned Premier League champions, retaining their title with a rout of Brighton after an initial scare. 

They finish top of the pile with 98 points, just a single point ahead of second-placed Liverpool, who miss out on winning a first league title in 30 years.

Vincent Kompany, the man who set them on their way to victory with a piledriver against Leicester City last week to clinch a 1-0 win, celebrates with manager Pep Guardiola at the Amex Stadium.

THE GESTURE SAYS IT ALL

Jurgen Klopp's side kept their half of the deal by putting two goals past Wolves to claim a relatively straightforward win at Anfield.

But, ultimately, their destiny was out of their hands with the Reds hoping they could get a favor from Brighton & Hove Albion.

Unfortunately for Klopp and Liverpool, City bounced back from going a goal down to run out landslide winners, leaving the Merseysiders proud of a brilliant league campaign, but knowing that they will have to wait another year for their first-ever Premier League title.

MANE ADDS ANOTHER!

That magic combination of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Sadio Mane has linked up again to put Liverpool 2-0 up.

A beautiful deep cross from the Liverpool right back was met by a diving header from Mane as Anfield rose to celebrate the goal.

It may only be no more than a match-winning goal for Liverpool, but for Mane it has brought him level with teammate Mo Salah and Arsenal goal machine Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang on 22 Premier League goals for the season.

As it stands, all three will share the Golden Boot for the Premier League's top scorer... unless one of them can nab another in the final few minutes of the season.

ALL SMILES!

That's what scoring the goal that all but hands your team the Premier League title. Ilkay Gundogan celebrates his beautiful free kick with teammate Kyle Walker.

GOAL!

Brighton 1-4 Manchester City

This is turning into a rout. Ilkay Gundogan with a peach of a free kick into the top right hand corner to give the keeper no chance and eradicate any doubt about where the Premier League trophy is going to end up.

Keep those Blue ribbons on the trophy.

63' - Riyad Mahrez fires Manchester City into a 3-1 lead and another hand clasped around that Premier League trophy...

THEY'RE STILL SINGING AT ANFIELD

But it has a resigned tone to it now. News of City's third goal at Brighton has made it to Merseyside and the Reds fans are now half-deflated, half-trying to keep spirits up with their team still leading 1-0.

A Wolves goal will bury any lingering hopes they have, but it's going to take not one miracle, but two, on the south coast for Liverpool to end the day lifting the silverware now.

NAME ON THE TROPHY!

GOAL!!!

Brighton 1-3 MAN CITY

That could be the goal that final wraps up the title for Manchester City. Riyad Mahrez dummies and cuts inside, before firing right footed into the roof of the Brighton net to make it 3-1 and an almost unassailable lead. 

BLUES BULL FORWARD

City are not resting on that one goal lead, knowing full well Brighton are more than capable of nicking one against the run of play, having done so to open the scoring.

The Blues seem to have settled into a rhythm and are playing some beautiful football that has Brighton under pressure and has seen Raheem Sterling go close. Just under half an hour to go on the South Coast.

WOLVES LOOKING DANGEROUS

Wolverhampton Wanderers may not have too much to play for today, but they're certainly not sitting back and settling for a 1-0 defeat.

In fact, they've been the better side since the break and are starting to put a jaded-looking Liverpool side under pressure in this second half.

A Wolves goal would be disastrous for the home side, who are still praying for divine intervention with another Brighton goal against Man City.

'ULTIMATE SMALL CLUB MENTALITY'

Liverpool fans have hit out at Manchester United supporters cheering the goals of cross-town rivals City in their final day game at Brighton, knowing a City win will deprive Liverpool of a first league title in 30 years.

A day of split loyalties today, but United fans, where does your heart lie on this, the trickiest of last day predicaments...? 

TITLE RACE TIMELINE: THE STORY SO FAR...

17’ - LIVERPOOL 1-0 Wolves
Sadio Mane nets from close range to put Liverpool one point ahead in the title race.

27’ - BRIGHTON 1-0 Man City
Glenn Murray heads home a Brighton corner to extend Liverpool's lead to two points and leave City needing two goals.

28’ - Brighton 1-1 MAN CITY
Sergio Aguero pulls one back for City to bring them one step closer to retaking the lead in the title race.

38’ - Brighton 1-2 MAN CITY
Aymeric Laporte's powerful header puts City ahead to put the Sky Blues back in pole position to retain their title.

Will we see more twists and turns in the second half?

HALF TIME AT THE AMEX: BRIGHTON 1-2 MAN CITY

City are in the driving seat after an initial scare when veteran Glenn Murray, who dashed Arsenal's Champions League hopes last week, almost put Man City's championship aspirations on the rocks with a 27th minute header.

To their credit, City responded like champions and refused to be bowed, going up the other end to level just a minute later through Sergio Aguero, the man whom they have had to rely on many times this season. 

Then City took the lead for the first time through Aymeric Laporte with a header on 38 minutes to send City into the lead at the break. 

HALFTIME AT ANFIELD: LIVERPOOL 1-0 WOLVES

Sadio Mane's 17th-minute strike means Jurgen Klopp's side are doing their job at Anfield. But matters on the south coast may mean their victory could all be for nothing.

The tension levels are all over the place on Merseyside, with the Reds going from one point behind City, to two points ahead of them, and then back to one point behind them again as the momentum has shifted from Merseyside to Manchester in that opening 45 minutes.

WOLVES HIT THE BAR!

Wolves' raiding right wingback Matt Docherty crept in around the back of the Liverpool defence and saw his shot crash off the crossbar with Reds' keeper Alisson beaten.

A huge sigh of relief reverberated around Anfield, with the Reds fans knowing that, whatever happens in Brighton, they simply cannot afford to do anything other than win today to keep their title hopes alive.

CITY AHEAD!

Brighton 1-2 Man City  

Blue Mancunians (and Evertonians) delight! A header from towering center back Aymeric Laporte from a corner gives City the lead for the first time in the match and as it stands, they will lift the Premier League trophy. Still along way to go at the Amex, and of course at Anfield. 

ALL LEVEL!

Brighton 1-1 MAN CITY (Aguero)

That man again! Sergio Kun Aguero, the man who scored City's tittle-winning goal in 2012 levels for City almost instantaneously as the Blues march up the other end from the kick off and we're as you were at the Amex. Big player for a big game.

But the pressure is still on the current champions. With Liverpool leading at Anfield they still need to score.

NOW THEY ARE GOING CRAZY!

Incredibly, from that aforementioned corner, Brighton sensationally took the lead, thanks to Glenn Murray's near-post header.

Anfield are in dreamland, and Liverpool now sit two points clear at the top of the table.

THEY'RE GOING CRAZY IN THE STANDS AT ANFIELD...

But it's misinformation as someone in the stands at Anfield believed there had been a goal, when in reality it was still 0-0 at the AMEX.

Though Brighton have won a corner. Which is something...

'WHO THE F*CK DO YOU SUPPORT?!'

An early candidate for the chant of the day, courtesy of the Man City fans at the AMEX Stadium in Brighton as news trickled in of Liverpool's goal against Wolves.

The Brighton fans goaded the City fans with a chant of: "1-0 to the Liverpool."

The City fans responded with: "Who the f*ck do you support?!"

Brilliant!

THE MANE MAN PUTS LIVERPOOL AHEAD!

Trent Alexander-Arnold has been Liverpool's king of the assists this season, and the young English full-back has done it again, crossing from the right flank for Sadio Mane, who finishes from 10 yards out to put Liverpool 1-0 up.

Anfield, predictably, went bananas. If the scores stay the same for the rest of the afternoon, the title will be heading to Merseyside.

REDS PUSHING FORWARD

We're 10 minutes in at Anfield and Liverpool have been camped almost exclusively in the Wolves half.

Trent Alexander-Arnold has seen a lot of the ball early on as the home side has looked to attack down the right flank in particular.

However, despite their early pressure,Liverpool haven't produced anything to overly trouble Rui Patricio in the Wolves goal, with a weak Divock Origi shot the only serious effort on goal so far from Jurgen Klopp's men.

WHAT A START

Lively start from both sides here on the English South Coast. Brighton have only pride to play for having secured Premier League survival but are playing as if their lives depend on this game alone. 

City, defiantly chasing that championship, have themselves gone close with some good play from the two Silvas- Bernardo and David. 

Edge-of-your-seat action at the Amex.

THE TEAMS ARE OUT AT ANFIELD

The famous old stadium on Merseyside saw one of its greatest ever nights in midweek when Liverpool defeated Barcelona 4-0 to reach the UEFA Champions League final.

If they get the win today and they get a miraculous result down on the south coast at Brighton, the celebrations will be even bigger.

The odds are against them, but they were against them in midweek. Will it be an historic day on Merseyside, or will their wait for their first ever Premier League title continue for another year?

WE'RE OFF!

We're underway at the Amex as Premier League leaders Manchester City aim to get their hands on their second English title in as many years, with a watchful eye on Liverpool's match with Wolves at Anfield, knowing a slip-up could hand the Merseysiders a chance to win their first ever Premier League title and become champions for the first time in 30 years.

HISTORY MAKERS

Current Premier League champions Manchester City are looking to win back-to-back titles for the first time in their history, whereas Liverpool last won the title back in 1989 - before today's captain Jordan Henderson was even born - and have never won the Premier League. 

PRE-MATCH ODDS

The two teams may only be separated by one point, but the bookmakers seem convinced the title is heading back to the Etihad Stadium tonight.

Liverpool have home advantage against Wolverhampton Wanderers today, and are 1/3 shots to win the match.

But despite being odds-on favorites to win at Anfield, City are the huge favorites to walk away with the title.

The Sky Blues are 1/8 to win the title, with the bookmakers believing City will at the very least equal Liverpool's result and walk away with the silverware.

As for City's game itself, the bookies don't fancy Brighton to cause any problems whatsoever, despite playing at home.

The Seagulls are 8/1 to draw with City and 18/1 to spring a monumental shock and take all three points.

Liverpool fans will be praying for one of those outcomes to open the door for them to nip in and claim the title.

TEAM NEWS

Liverpool XI to face Wolves at Anfield:

Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Wijnaldum, Henderson, Salah, Mane, Origi

Subs: Milner, Lovren, Gomes, Mignolet, Sturridge, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Shaqiri

TEAM NEWS

Manchester City XI to face Brighton at the Amex Stadium:

Ederson, Walker, Kompany, Laporte, Zinchenko, Gundogan, Silva, Mahrez, Sterling, Bernardo, Aguero

Subs: Muric, Danilo, Stones, De Bruyne, Sané, Otamendi, Jesus