MY ACCOUNT
Ilkay Gundogan was left speechless as Manchester City produced an astonishing comeback to clinch the Premier League title with a dramatic 3-2 victory over Aston Villa.
A point clear of rivals Liverpool heading into the final day of the season, Pep Guardiola’s side trailed 2-0 heading into the last quarter of an hour at the Etihad Stadium as goals from Matty Cash and Philippe Coutinho put Villa boss Steven Gerrard on course to hand the title to former club Liverpool, who beat Wolves 3-1 at Anfield.
However, City demonstrated their champion characteristics in an emphatic manner, turning the match on its head with three goals in the space of five minutes.
Gundogan pulled one back by heading in Raheem Sterling’s cross, while Rodri’s low drive just two minutes later squared the contest.
And the most remarkable of turnarounds was completed within a further three minutes, as Gundogan arrived at the far post to apply the finishing touch to Kevin De Bruyne’s inviting cross and spark jubilant celebrations from the Etihad Stadium crowd.
The midfielder saluted his team-mates as they subsequently held on to seal their fourth Premier League title in the space of five seasons, while also paying tribute to runners-up Liverpool, who finished a point behind the Citizens.
“It was an unbelievable game, I don’t know what to say, it’s fantastic,” he told Sky Sports.
“Honestly, I think we are all human beings and, after going 2-0 down, the chances were very small. But we had to do the simple things, and obviously scoring those two quick goals gave us 10 minutes to score the third one. We’re proud of ourselves today.
“We felt the tension. It was a negative tension more than a positive one when we were 2-0 down, but it was about getting a goal, and we knew we could score more if we got the first.
“These are the days you look back on. It was an unbelievable day.
“If Liverpool didn’t play the incredible football they’ve been playing, I don’t think this league would have been that attractive.
“We pushed each other to the limits and even though it’s a sad day for them, we need to appreciate what they’ve done, and we look forward to competing with them again next season.”
