Outcome, verdict approaching, this Sunday England will know its King after months of fierce struggle. If the other four major championships of the Old Continent have had the identity of their champion for weeks, like Inter in Italy – on April 22 -, the English must wait until the 38th and final day this Sunday (5 p.m.) . For now, it is Manchester City who hold the reins but the Skyblues remain within gunshot of Arsenal’s gunners. Two points separate the two teams heading into this crucial weekend, which is sure to see tears shed after the final whistle. On the one hand, those of a champion who succeeded in his quest. On the other, those of a dolphin which failed so close to the goal.
After breaking the curse of the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in midweek – 2-0 victory – Manchester City took the lead in the championship at the best of times. Before Sunday’s decisive day, the Skyblues are two points ahead of Arsenal and are therefore masters of their destiny. Against West Ham, Pep Guardiola’s men know what they have to do: win. If successful, they will be crowned champions of England for the 4th consecutive time. A complex performance never achieved since the creation of the English championship in 1888. “No team has won four consecutive titles in the PL, which shows how difficult it is,” declared Pep Guardiola. Otherwise, Liverpool in the 80s, Sir Alex Ferguson in the 90s, Chelsea with Roman Abramovich, José Mourinho, Arsenal with Wenger… they would have done it but they didn’t.”
For the reception of the Hammers, the Catalan technician is deprived of Ederson – victim of a fractured orbit – but will be able to count on the impassable understudy of the Brazilian goalkeeper, Stefan Ortega. The latter managed to put his trainer on his butt on Tuesday by winning a decisive face-to-face against Son. The title save according to Pep Guardiola: “Without his fantastic save, Arsenal are champions.” In addition to the contribution of a solid goalkeeper, the 53-year-old coach has at his disposal his essential good luck charm in the person of Rodri. The Spanish midfielder is undefeated in more than 70 matches in all competitions with his club – extra time and penalty shootouts are not taken into account. Added to this is the individual talent of Foden – recently voted player of the season -, the magical feet of De Bruyne and the goal machine Erling Haaland. All the lights are green for the Etihad Stadium to experience another festive afternoon in east Manchester.
But Pep Guardiola has calmed things down. “We are in the best position. There is one match left, destiny is in our hands, we have to win a match to be champion. Everyone would love to be in our shoes, that’s for sure. At the same time, is it going to be easy? Absolutely not,” he said. As in the 2021-2022 season, the Catalan expects a difficult match and has a feeling of déjà vu: “Like Aston Villa two seasons ago, they [West Ham, Editor’s note] have nothing to play for but I know what happened, and the same thing will happen. We and our supporters will have to be ready from the first minute.” Pep Guardiola refers to Aston Villa’s reception on the final day of the 2021-2022 season. Trailing 2 to 0, the Skyblues then let the title slip away to Liverpool – by two small points – but managed to reverse the trend in five minutes (76th, 78th and 81st) to be crowned.
“The dream is still alive.” 20 years after the “Invincibles” title – the last won by Arsenal – the Gunners have never been closer to regaining the throne of England. Before hosting Everton at the Emirates Stadium this Sunday, the Londoners do not have their destiny in their hands. The route to follow is simple. They must win against the Toffees while hoping that Manchester City loses against West Ham. A scenario that Mikel Arteta believes in: “If I don’t believe in it today, imagine what it would have been like in August. Because with what they (Manchester) have done over the last 12, 13 years as a club, and what we (Arsenal) have done over the last 20 years in the Premier League, we wouldn’t stand a chance that time. We can’t think like that. We have to believe in it.”
In the event of a coronation, Arteta and his players would be rewarded for long-term work started in December 2019. In an interview with France Football, the Spanish technician – disciple of Guardiola – expressed the secret of his success by insisting on the importance of humans: “That’s what gives me joy. This is the reason for my job. Every morning I wake up and look forward to spending time with people, talking, understanding how they feel. It’s the biggest part of my job. I work to create an environment in which they can grow, and then it’s up to them how far they want to go. I try to help them achieve their dreams, to improve certain aspects of their lives. I have to make sure that self-esteem remains high, that they believe in themselves but, above all, that they love what they do.” After a complicated start – 15th in the championship in December 2020 – Arsenal “made in Arteta” is fighting for the title. Whatever the outcome of this 38th day, the Gunners are already assured of playing in the Champions League next season.
The two London clubs of Tottenham and Chelsea will also fight from a distance. This time for fifth place in the championship, synonymous with access to the Europa League. Spurs are in a favorable position but will have to do the work on the pitch of Sheffield United, bottom, to avoid being joined by the residents of Stamford Bridge – a draw would be enough for Ange Postecoglou and his players.
At the same time, the Blues will host Bournemouth. Imperative victory for Cole Palmer – 22 goals – and his teammates. In the event of a contrary result, Chelsea’s chances of finishing 5th would be buried. The title, the coveted Europa League place at the top of the standings on the last day of the Premier League is at stake. Luton, Burnley and Sheffield – all three promoted at the start of the season – are, for their part, condemned to return to the Championship in 2024-2025.