Manchester City will lift the Premier League trophy on Sunday if they beat Chelsea
Manchester City will lift the Premier League crown at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday should they secure a third consecutive title over the weekend.
Arsenal’s chastening 3-0 home defeat by Brighton all but ended their fight to win the league, leaving City four points clear with a game in hand going into the final seven days of the season.
City’s coronation will be confirmed should they beat Chelsea at home on Sunday but could come 24 hours earlier if the Gunners lose away at relegation-threatened Nottingham Forest.
Mail Sport understands that the glistening silverware is set to be ready in the North West for those eventualities, with a choregraphed lift after the match.
Pep Guardiola’s side travel to Brighton next Wednesday but would not be presented with the trophy at the Amex Stadium if that was the night when the victory was sealed.
Winning at Brighton would see captain Ilkay Gundogan – whose future remains up in the air – be leading the celebrations on the final day at Brentford instead.
Still with eyes on an historic Treble, City face Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final second leg on Wednesday night.
‘It’s about keeping the group calm and not get too overexcited,’ Gundogan said. ‘It’s a game every three or four days so there’s not a lot of time to recover so we have to try to make the most out of it.
‘We know in the final stages of the season we need every single player. It doesn’t matter who’s playing, it’s about the group and the support for each other.
‘We have to concentrate on what we have to do and the job as a team in the best possible way and with that group we can be very successful. If we can keep the spirits in that way, it can be an amazing end to the season for us.’ City will hope the league is wrapped up this coming weekend, with another opportunity to bask in the glory in front of their own supporters.
Last year’s dramatic final day, when Gundogan scored twice in what appeared a lost cause against Aston Villa, brought an emotional trophy ceremony at the Etihad Stadium.
The moment in 2020-21 was shared with 10,000 supporters who were allowed to attend the final game against Everton after coronavirus restrictions were lifted, which was also Sergio Aguero’s farewell.
