A rare victory at Old Trafford meant Arsenal ensured the 2023/24 Premier League title race would be decided on the final day of the season.
Between the Gunners’ triumph at the Theatre of Dreams and Sunday’s finale, Manchester City faced a major hurdle.
Anything but a victory at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, a ground where Pep Guardiola’s men have succumbed so often in the past, would have handed the initiative to their title rivals on the final weekend. And while the Lilywhite fanbase was almost unanimous in their support of the Cityzens on Tuesday night, Ange Postecoglou made it clear that local bragging rights were the last thing on his mind.
His team had a job to do and they resisted City more than any other since Arsenal earned a point at the Etihad Stadium.
Nevertheless, Guardiola’s all-conquering outfit, with the help of a Son Heung-min brain fade in front of goal, got the required three points.
As a result, City boast a two-point lead at the summit heading into the final day.
Victory over West Ham at the Etihad will see them crowned champions for an unprecedented fourth-straight year. And securing titles on the final day is something the Cityzens are certainly familiar with.
Here’s how Man City’s final day record compares to Arsenal’s.
- Man City’s final day of the Premier League season record
Man City’s ventures in the second tier at the turn of the millennium mean they have played five fewer final day Premier League games than Arsenal, with City winning just 50% of such fixtures.
Of their 13 wins, nine have arrived since they were last beaten on the final day – an inconsequential 3-2 defeat at home to Norwich to wrap up 2012/13. Their only ‘slip-up’ since was a 1-1 draw with Swansea in 2016.
Under Guardiola, City have won all seven of their final day fixtures and several of these victories were significant.
The Cityzens secured two titles by winning 4-1 at Brighton in 2019 before coming from behind to beat Aston Villa in 2022.
Gabriel Jesus also scored late on at St Mary’s in 2018 to ensure Guardiola’s side became the very first ‘Centurions’ in Premier League history.
Before Guardiola rocked up, there was, of course, the most memorable conclusion in the competition’s history when Sergio Aguero struck at the last against Queens Park Rangers in 2012.
Aguero’s notorious title winner arrived just four years after Middlesbrough had put eight past the Sky Blues to conclude the 2007/08 season – the most infamous of eight final day defeats.
- Arsenal’s final day of the Premier League season record
Unlike City, Arsenal have never secured the Premier League title on the final day.
They did, however, ensure they enjoyed an unbeaten campaign in 2003/04 by beating Leicester 2-1 at Highbury.
The Gunners have proven prolific on the final day throughout Premier League history, winning 74.2% of their 31 outings.
During so, they’ve averaged 2.6 goals per game and racked up an imperious goal difference of +44.
They’ve won every final day encounter since the 2011/12 season and have prevailed in their previous three season closers by an aggregate score of 15-1.
Their most recent final day defeat remarkably arrived all the way back in 2005 when Birmingham beat them 2-1 at St Andrews. At the time, Arsenal had lost six of 13 season finales.
What we know
- Man City hold the edge in the 2023/24 title race heading into the final day
- City have secured the title on the final day four times
- Arsenal have ended the season in style over the past decade.
Photos
