Premier League Table: 2019 Final Standings and Reaction After Week 38 Results
May 12, 2019
Manchester City retained the Premier League title after a 4-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday.
City's triumph came at the expense of Liverpool, who won 2-0 against Wolverhampton Wanderers thanks to a brace from Sadio Mane to finish on 97 points as runners-up.
Victory means a fourth title for City this decade, as well as ensuring they become the first team since neighbours Manchester United in 2009 to retain the prize.
City have added a second trophy to the Carabao Cup won on penalties at the expense of Chelsea back in February. A first domestic treble will be completed if City beat Watford in the 2019 FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, 18 May.
Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur claimed fourth spot ahead of north London rivals Arsenal. Spurs drew 2-2 at home to Everton, with Christian Eriksen scoring an equaliser after Theo Walcott and Cenk Tosun had cancelled out Eric Dier's third-minute opener.
Meanwhile, the Gunners won 3-1 at Burnley, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scoring twice and Eddie Nketiah adding another. Even so, Arsenal missed out on a place in next season's UEFA Champions League by a single point, although Aubameyang's goals earned him a share of the Golden Boot award alongside Liverpool duo Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, who also found the net 22 times:
Arsenal must now focus on beating Chelsea in the UEFA Europa League final in Baku on Wednesday, 29 May to book a return to Europe's top table. The Blues are already there thanks to finishing third, despite a 0-0 draw away to Leicester City on the final day.
A disappointing season for Manchester United ended with a desperately poor 2-0 defeat against already relegated Cardiff City at Old Trafford, with Nathaniel Mendez-Laing scoring twice. It means sixth place for the Red Devils, with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer already under pressure ahead of next season, with Bluebirds manager Neil Warnock spelling out the challenge:
Sunday Scores
- Brighton & Hove Albion 1-4 Manchester City
- Burnley 1-3 Arsenal
- Crystal Palace 5-3 Bournemouth
- Fulham 0-4 Newcastle United
- Leicester City 0-0 Chelsea
- Liverpool 2-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Manchester United 0-2 Cardiff City
- Southampton 1-1 Huddersfield Town
- Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Everton
- Watford 1-4 West Ham United
Standings (Played, Won, Goal Difference and Points)
1. Manchester City: 38, 32, +72, 98
2. Liverpool: 38, 30, +67, 97
3. Chelsea: 38, 21, +24, 72
4. Tottenham Hotspur: 38, 23, +28, 71
5. Arsenal: 38, 21, +22, 70
6. Manchester United: 38, 19, +11, 66
7. Wolverhampton Wanderers: 38, 16, +1, 57
8. Everton: 38, 15, +8, 54
9. Leicester City: 38, 15, +3, 52
10. West Ham United: 38, 15, -3, 52
11. Watford: 38, 14, -7, 50
12. Crystal Palace: 38, 14, -2, 49
13. Newcastle United: 38, 12, -6, 45
14. Bournemouth: 38, 13, -14, 45
15. Burnley: 38, 11, -23, 40
16. Southampton: 38, 9, -20, 39
17. Brighton & Hove Albion: 38, 9, -25, 36
18. Cardiff City: 38, 10, -35, 34
19. Fulham: 38, 7, -47, 26
20. Huddersfield Town: 38, 3, -54, 16
The Citizens won the title at a canter last season en route to a record 100 points. An early Glenn Murray goal was cancelled out by Sergio Aguero's quick equaliser and a header from Aymeric Laporte.
Riyad Mahrez, making the most of a rare start, added a third, while Ilkay Gundogan fired in a free-kick to put the outcome beyond doubt. Those goals ensured they became the first team since Manchester United in 2009 to retain the title:
This campaign has been more of a slog, despite City finishing just two points shy of matching their historic total of last season.
Accumulating 198 points over two seasons in arguably the toughest league in Europe commands respect. So does the way Guardiola's team grafted for victories amid intense pressure from Liverpool and a slew of injuries to key players.
Top playmaker Kevin De Bruyne missed most of the season with various ailments, while left-back Benjamin Mendy and vital holding midfielder Fernandinho were also lost at crucial moments.
Even so, Guardiola consistently rallied his team and leaned on the awesome strength in depth of the best squad in the division to help win matches.
Pinpointing the key moments that helped seal the title must begin with January's 2-1 home win over Liverpool, when goals from Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane helped City cut a seven-point gap to four adrift of the Reds.
Sane's winner also brought up a notable landmark for Guardiola:
Surviving a tough encounter against their nearest rivals also showed how fortune has often favoured City this season:
Michael Cox @Zonal_MarkingExpecting lot of tripe about how City deserved that, but Liverpool were the better side: hit the post at 0-0, a couple off the line, City with some awful defensive mix-ups, Kompany should have been off, the winner was a deflected effort that went in off the post. Fine margins.
A 2-0 win over derby rivals United in City's game in hand put the champions top in late-April. Bernardo Silva and Sane again proved decisive, but Liverpool's relentless winning run kept the pressure on City to match them.
The pressure was at its most intense for a Monday night game at home to Leicester City on 6 May. Liverpool's 3-2 win away to Newcastle United two days earlier meant the champions had no margin for error in their penultimate match.
Leicester played well enough to earn an upset until skipper Vincent Kompany smashed in a stunning winner on 70 minutes:
The captain's contribution meant a win at Brighton guaranteed the title. City delivered in style to keep their bid for a unique domestic treble alive.
City's FA Cup opponents won't enter the final in buoyant mood after shipping four goals to West Ham United at Vicarage Road. Mark Noble scored twice, including from the penalty spot, while the Hammers also got goals from Manuel Lanzini and Marko Arnautovic.
A goal from semi-final hero Gerard Deulofeu couldn't help the Hornets, who saw Jose Holebas sent off for fouling Michail Antonio early in the second half. The result was enough to see West Ham replace Watford in the top 10.
Newcastle United are 13th after putting four past already relegated Fulham. A quartet of different goalscorers, Jonjo Shelvey, Ayoze Perez, Fabian Schar and Salomon Rondon, helped the Magpies sign off in style.
It was a similar story for Crystal Palace, who finished one place above Newcastle after coming out on the right side of an eight-goal thriller with Bournemouth. Chelsea loanee Michy Batshuayi bagged a brace at Selhurst Park, while a Jack Simpson own goal and finishes from Patrick van Aanholt and Andros Townsend saw the Eagles to a rare home win.
Bournemouth produced enough good football for Jefferson Lerma, Jordon Ibe and Joshua King to score, but familiar defensive frailties undermined the Cherries again.
Huddersfield Town were relegated long ago, but the Terries have said goodbye to the top flight with pride by following last week's draw with United with a 1-1 stalemate in Southampton. Alex Pritchard cancelled out Nathan Redmond's goal as both sides proved why they've spent the campaign at the wrong end of the table.
It's been a different story at the other end, where either Liverpool or City would have been worthy champions. In the end, City had the staying power to withstand and awesome challenge from the Reds.