The increasing violence amid pitch invasions in English football is of great concern to Gary Neville and Roy Keane, who called the culprits "idiots, scumbags" and a "disgrace".

City won the Premier League – their fourth title in the last five campaigns under Pep Guardiola – in dramatic fashion on the final day of the season on Sunday, coming from 2-0 down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium.

However, as has been the case at several grounds across the country in recent weeks, City's win sparked scenes of fans charging onto the pitch at full-time.

While the majority of the supporters celebrated peacefully, some fans were seen to have approached Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen, who had to be escorted off the pitch by stewards.

Steven Gerrard subsequently confirmed that his goalkeeper had been "attacked" while City released a statement apologising to Villa and Olsen, promising a full investigation.

The incident follows on from a Nottingham Forest fan having been jailed for assaulting Sheffield United striker Billy Sharp at the end of a Championship play-off semi-final, while lower down the pyramid, Port Vale fans were involved in an altercation with Swindon Town players.

On Thursday, Everton supporters ran onto the pitch to celebrate a 3-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace that secured their Premier League status.

One fan appeared to aggravate Palace boss Patrick Vieira, who seemingly lashed out at the supporter.

It is a situation that former Manchester United and England defender Gary Neville is extremely worried by.

"This brilliant last 20 years, or 30 years, where we've brought the fences down in English football and the fans are respected and 99 times out of 100 they don't run onto the pitch because they enjoy the family environment, far more children coming to the game, far more women coming to the game," Neville said on Sky Sports.

"All of a sudden in this last few weeks, months, not just running on the pitch, which is a problem, but if you're attacking managers and players – what are you doing?

"Running on the pitch, they've won the league, they're delirious, I get that, but attacking the opposition players on the pitch – where has this come from, why is happening?

"I've got no idea, it's absolutely ridiculous."

It was a sentiment echoed by Neville's former Manchested United team-mate Keane, who is concerned by what may come next.

He said: "A player or a manager is going to be seriously injured. If you're mad enough to punch a player you're going to be mad enough to do something stupid like stab a player.

"I think people have come back after COVID and forgot how to behave themselves. Idiots, scumbags, disgrace. Absolutely disgraceful."

Pep Guardiola allowed himself a joke at Manchester City's expense after a thrilling comeback against Aston Villa clinched the Premier League title, claiming he asked Real Madrid how to rescue a seemingly lost cause.

It was Madrid who broke City's hearts in the Champions League semi-finals this season, recovering from 5-3 down on aggregate heading into the 90th minute of the second leg to remarkably pull off a 6-5 win after extra time.

That trophy remains frustratingly out of reach, but the Premier League is City's yet again, won by the mighty Etihad Stadium outfit for a fourth time in five seasons.

A stunning 3-2 victory against Villa on Sunday saw City over the line, with Ilkay Gundogan coming off the bench to net a decisive double, sandwiching a fine strike from Rodri.

Villa had led 2-0 and at that stage everything was up for grabs, with Liverpool tantalisingly close to pipping City on the final day. Yet 12 minutes and 22 seconds after City surrendered the second Villa goal to Philippe Coutinho, the game had turned around and the hosts were in front.

Asked how the flurry of goals had come about, Guardiola said: "I called Real Madrid and they gave me good advice, this was the reason why."

He followed the quip by adding: "No explanation in Madrid, no explanation today. It's momentum."

The City celebrations were in full swing on Sunday evening and were set to spill into Monday, with a bus parade planned.

"Tomorrow we can celebrate together in the Manchester streets with cigars and beers," Guardiola said.

He has backed his players all season, even after the collapse in Madrid, and said the Premier League remains the ultimate measure of their quality.

"When you win the Premier League in this country four times in five seasons, it is because these guys are so, so special," Guardiola said.

"This game is completely different than the other ones. You have to close something that is so difficult. It's like serving to win Wimbledon. It's the most difficult one, the tennis players say that, so it was quite similar today."

The former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss said City's four titles in five years represents, for the coaching staff, "probably the best achievement we have done in our careers".

"I'm not saying the Premier League is better or more important than the Champions League, but it is the most honest one," Guardiola said. "The Premier League doesn't lie. It's 38 games, away and home. Many problems for all the teams and in the end who wins it's because of who is the best.

"These guys are legends already. This group of players are absolutely eternal in this club because what we have achieved is so difficult."

Jack Grealish was reduced to tears after Manchester City's stunning turnaround against Aston Villa secured the first Premier League title of his career.

An unused substitute at the Etihad Stadium, Grealish watched on from the bench as Pep Guardiola's men fell 2-0 behind against his former club, who appeared set to hand the crown to Liverpool.

However, City hit back in emphatic fashion with three goals in the space of five minutes – Ilkay Gundogan's brace sandwiching a Rodri strike – completing a remarkable turnaround and sealing a fourth title in five seasons in a 3-2 victory.

Grealish has endured a tricky first year at the Etihad since making a British-record £100million switch from Villa.

But with a first Premier League triumph under his belt, the England international is confident he can truly kick on next season.

"It's unbelievable," he told Sky Sports. "After the third goal went in, I ran onto the pitch and, after that, I ran straight down the tunnel, I was just crying my eyes out.

"We know how good of a side they were, and they showed it today. But we knew with our quality, we can beat anyone.

"I can't put it into words. When I signed here, people would say to me: 'what do you actually want to win, the Champions League or Premier League?' For me, I've never won it, so it's incredible.

"It's harder [playing at City] than I thought. It's more difficult than I thought, but I’ve enjoyed it all. It's been difficult.

"This today, makes up for it, it really does. I know that I can kick on, and I certainly will."

Meanwhile, Raheem Sterling, who took his personal Premier League winners’ medal tally to four, highlighted the talent and determination within Guardiola’s squad.

"It shows what a talented bunch [of players] we have, and the determination to go year in and year out and try to challenge for the title. It's an unbelievable achievement," he said.

"At 1-0, I still thought we could do it. When I saw that second goal go in, it was a real disappointing one. But with the players that we have and still having time on the board, it’s still possible, so what a win!

"Each year, we know how difficult it’s going to be. Liverpool is a great opponent; every year, they push us to the wire, but this is why we can achieve stuff like this."

Kevin De Bruyne expressed his pride after Manchester City sealed a dramatic Premier League title win on the final day of the season, highlighting how his side had to be consistently "excellent" in the face of Liverpool's challenge.

City went into their home contest with Aston Villa knowing a win would confirm their fourth top-flight title in five seasons, though things looked desperate for Pep Guardiola's men when Matty Cash and Philippe Coutinho gave Steven Gerrard's men a 2-0 lead.

But an Ilkay Gundogan brace, scored either side of Rodri's leveller, sparked jubilant scenes as City retained their crown despite Liverpool's 3-1 victory over Wolves, with De Bruyne providing the assist for the all-important winner.

The win marked the first time City had come from two goals down to win a Premier League game since beating Norwich City 3-2 in February 2005, while Liverpool finished second with a massive 92 points – the second-highest tally amassed by a team to not win the title after their own 97 in 2018-19.

Jurgen Klopp's side pushed City all the way after going unbeaten through their last 19 games of the season, winning 16, and De Bruyne said overcoming Liverpool's relentless challenge was a great source of pride.

"It's hard because Liverpool push you that far, and you need to be excellent all the time," he told Sky Sports. "There's never a moment where you can play a little bit less, losing some points means it's the end.

"We feel so proud because they've pushed us that far for years and years, but we've still managed to find a way."

De Bruyne was named the Premier League's Player of the Season after top-scoring for Guardiola's men with 15 league goals, also adding eight assists and either scoring or laying on a goal in 14 of City's last 20 league outings.

The Belgium international also joked his cross for Gundogan's winner was his best of the campaign, as he hailed the Germany midfielder - and fellow substitute Oleksandr Zinchenko - for changing the game.

Asked where his assist ranked, De Bruyne replied: "The best, the best, honestly!

"It's not the best cross but Ilkay is there, I just wanted to put it in a place where we could score. Ilkay and Zinchenko changed the game for me.

"He [Gundogan] has got a real good timing when going in front of goal, and he won us the game."

Meanwhile, just 12 minutes and 22 seconds separated Villa going 2-0 up and Gundogan completing the turnaround, and De Bruyne admitted City were beginning to panic before scoring their first.

"Maybe [we panicked] a couple of times! But I think it's normal in this situation, it's so different, you can't really explain it," he added. "We tried to stay as calm as possible, but sometimes there was a little bit.

"2-1 just changed the whole situation, you see the whole stadium changes, the atmosphere, and we just didn't look back. 

"You just go for it, you're losing anyway, and you just want to change the situation, and that's what we did. 

"It changed quickly with the first and the second goal, I think we created more chances before that, but it is what it is.

"I knew it was 1-1 at half-time [in Liverpool's clash with Wolves] but after I'm not too sure – I think it was 1-1 for a long time.

"Even then, I think we looked at ourselves and if you see how we tried to change the situation, we tried to force it ourselves and didn't want to look at Liverpool. Luckily, we managed it."

Fernandinho signed off from Manchester City with a fifth Premier League title under his belt as the club captain declared: "It's like we came back from the dead."

From 2-0 down to Aston Villa after goals from Matty Cash and Philippe Coutinho, City roared back in the final 15 minutes and snatched a 3-2 win with a double from Ilkay Gundogan and a fine strike from Rodri.

Brazilian Fernandinho has decided his time is up at City, after nine successful years in which he established himself among the best defensive midfielders in the history of the Premier League.

At the age of 37, the skipper played the first half of Sunday's game before a tactical switch saw Oleksandr Zinchenko take his place after the break.

That was a shrewd move as the younger legs of Zinchenko gave City a little extra energy, with Fernandinho having been deployed out of position at centre-back.

The outcome delighted Fernandinho, who watched on anxiously from the bench before City roared back to snatch the silverware. He then lifted the trophy, the perfect finale to his City career.

"It's a great experience for me," Fernandinho old Sky Sports. "It's like we came back from the dead today and won the league – an amazing feeling.

"At 2-0 down, playing at home, and we were a little bit nervous. We struggled a little bit to find the spaces. We had so many set-pieces [in the first half], but it wasn't enough to score the goal."

The likes of Kevin De Bruyne and substitutes Gundogan and Raheem Sterling drove City forward late on, and Fernandinho said such players "made the difference for us.".

"I think this is Manchester City's spirit. We never give up, we always believe until the end," Fernandinho added.

He joined the club a year after their first Premier League title in 2012, when a 3-2 comeback win over QPR on the final day was clinched by Sergio Aguero's stoppage-time strike.

"It happened 10 years ago and today is a little bit different, but it's quite the same," Fernandinho said.

"It's a really emotional day for me. It was a really nice experience for me, a beautiful journey, and for sure they will be always in my heart.

"It's unforgettable emotions for me."

Manchester City sealed the Premier League title in dramatic fashion as they came from behind to beat Aston Villa 3-2.

It meant Liverpool's own comeback win over Wolves was rendered meaningless, as Jurgen Klopp's team finished second, one point off the pace.

Chelsea capped an ultimately underwhelming campaign by beating Watford, who will be joined in the Championship next season by Burnley – the Clarets relegated by a defeat to Newcastle United, while Leeds United beat Brentford to stay up.

Already safe Everton were hammered 5-1 at Arsenal, but the Gunners' big win was not enough to get them into the Champions League as Tottenham thrashed Norwich City.

Elsewhere, Manchester United lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace to end a dismal season for them, but they did at least qualify for the Europa League, as West Ham were beaten 3-1 by Brighton and Hove Albion, meaning David Moyes' team will take a place in next season's Europa Conference League.

For the final time this season, Stats Perform looks at the best facts from across the Premier League's fixtures, using Opta data.

Manchester City 3-2 Aston Villa: Gerrard's dream dashed by Gundogan

Steven Gerrard never managed to win the league with Liverpool but he looked destined to give his old club a huge helping hand when Villa took a 2-0 lead at the Etihad Stadium.

Former Liverpool playmaker Philippe Coutinho put Villa 2-0 up midway through the second half, and he has now scored five goals against City in the Premier League, more than against any other team.

However, substitute Ilkay Gundogan became the first player to score twice from the bench for City since Sergio Aguero did so against Everton on the final day of last season, as he inspired a comeback for the ages.

Gundogan scored either side of Rodri's equaliser – there were just 12 minutes and 22 seconds between City going 2-0 down, and then leading 3-2 in the match.

City have now won a sixth Premier League title, with four of those coming in the past five seasons under Pep Guardiola, while it was the first time the club have come from two goals down to win a top-flight game since February 2005.

Liverpool 3-1 Wolves: Salah seals share of Golden Boot but Reds settle for second

There will be no quadruple for Liverpool, who nevertheless have a Champions League final to look forward to on May 28.

Liverpool have finished the season on 92 points, the second-highest total by a side that did not go on to win the title in English top-flight history, behind only their own 97 in 2018-19.

Sadio Mane cancelled out Pedro Neto's opener (the third-earliest Premier League goal for Wolves, timed at 02:11), with the Senegal star having scored six goals on the final day of the Premier League season for Liverpool, the most of any player at the club – three of those strikes have come against Wolves.

Mohamed Salah finally got Liverpool in front in the 84th minute to take him to 23 goals for the season, meaning he shares the Golden Boot with Son Heung-min. Andrew Robertson added a third, which means Wolves have now lost their last 11 league meetings with the Reds by an aggregate score of 24-3.

Arsenal 5-1 Everton, Norwich City 0-5 Tottenham: North London rivals go big

It has been a frustrating end to the season for Arsenal, who let a Champions League place slip out of their grasp and fall into Tottenham's lap.

The Gunners put five past a much-changed Everton team. Arsenal have now scored more goals against the Toffees than any other side has netted against another team in Premier League history (117).

Arsenal are also unbeaten in their final league game in each of the last 17 seasons (W15 D2), winning the last 11 in a row, while Everton have lost their final league game in five of the last six seasons (D1), conceding at least three goals in each defeat.

Only in 1993-94 (22) have Everton lost more games in a Premier League season than the 21 defeats they have suffered in the competition this term, but they have nevertheless stayed up. Norwich were not so lucky, and their place at the bottom was confirmed by a hammering at home to rampant Spurs.

Tottenham ended the season with 71 points, only in three previous Premier League campaigns have they had more points – 86 in 2016-17, 77 in 2017-18 and 72 in 2012-13.

Son Heung-min is the first Asian player to win the Premier League Golden Boot, while Harry Kane has scored nine goals on the final day of Premier League seasons, the joint-most in the competition's history.

Burnley 1-2 Newcastle United, Brentford 1-2 Leeds United: Another late show caps Whites' survival

Leeds defeated Brentford thanks to a last-gasp Jack Harrison goal, and only City (nine) have netted more goals in the 90th minute than the Whites have this season (eight).

That effort, combined with Burnley's defeat at Newcastle, ensured Leeds avoided the drop and it was Burnley who were relegated.

Burnley netted their 300th Premier League goal, the 32nd side to hit that milestone in the competition, but it was not enough to inspire a comeback after Callum Wilson's double.

The Clarets faced a team in form, with only Liverpool (51), City (43) and Tottenham (41) having picked up more points than Newcastle in 2022.

An emotional Oleksandr Zinchenko declared "I would die" for Manchester City after lifting the Premier League title due to the support the club have offered amid the conflict in Ukraine.

Pep Guardiola opted to leave Zinchenko on the bench against Everton in February, City's first game since Russia invaded neighbouring Ukraine following heightening political tensions between the two countries.

Zinchenko returned for the next match and captained the side to victory in a FA Cup fifth-round win over Peterborough United, as support continued for the Ukraine international in the stands and on the pitch.

The 25-year-old capped a turbulent season on a personal level as he came off the bench at half-time in the dramatic 3-2 win over Aston Villa, which secured the Premier League title on Sunday.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Zinchenko expressed his gratitude for the support of his team-mates, coaching staff and supporters at City.

Asked what the title meant, the left-back said: "Unforgettable emotions for me, this is for all Ukrainians at the moment who are starving and surviving in my country because of Russian aggression.

"I'm so proud to be Ukrainian, I would love to one day bring the title to Ukraine for all Ukrainian people because they deserve it.

"This [club] means everything to me because I want to die for these people, the support that people gave me, what they have done for me during this period, the toughest period of my life.

"It is so appreciated and I will never forget this."

Zinchenko continued to dedicate the top-flight success to his home country as he detailed the struggles of continuing to compete with the ongoings in Ukraine.

"Honestly at some point at the beginning, I didn't even think too much about football because it's impossible to live at the moment with this going on in my home country," he added.

"But all this support I have had in this period and during, you know, we did it – so what can I say."

As for what his fourth title at City meant, Zinchenko added: "I hope we are going to keep going because this amazing club deserve everything."

Pep Guardiola described his Manchester City players as "legends" after they staged an astonishing fightback to beat Aston Villa and deny Liverpool the Premier League title.

City are champions once more, taking the crown for the fourth time in five seasons, with Sunday's 3-2 win against Villa giving the season a remarkable finish.

They had trailed 2-0 going into the final 15 minutes at the Etihad Stadium, but substitute Ilkay Gundogan scored twice, either side of Rodri's low strike, to turn the match around.

Liverpool, a point behind City, were 3-1 winners against Wolves at Anfield but had to settle for second place.

Guardiola acclaimed City's triumph as the best of his six years in Manchester, given they wrapped it up in such dramatic fashion and in front of a packed home stadium.

"Wow, we, these guys, are legends," Guardiola told Sky Sports.

"When you win in this country the Premier League four times in five years, it's because these guys are so, so special.

"We'll be remembered. The first time, 100 points, we won with a lot of margin; the second one was in Brighton, not in home; the third last season without people; wow, winning at home with our people is the best."

Last season's title was clinched when Manchester United lost to Leicester City, with City not in action. It was a different story this time, as City fans flooded the pitch to celebrate after victory was secured.

"The moment we scored, and after we equalised, we had the feeling we would have chance to score the [winning] goal," said Guardiola.

"What it means to me is that the magnitude of the achievement is related to the magnitude of the rival, and I've never seen a team like Liverpool in my life.

"Big congratulations, they help us to be a better team season by season."

Guardiola said his team were aware that Sunday marked the five-year anniversary of the Manchester Arena bomb attack, when 22 people were killed after a suicide bomber detonated a device as fans left an Ariane Grande concert.

"Of course today is special. It's the fifth anniversary for the arena in Manchester, the 22 people that were killed," said Guardiola. "Today was special for our people. We talked about that and the guys did it."

Asked whether he would commit to a new contract, Guardiola said he had other plans for the coming days.

"Now golf," said the former Barcelona and Bayern Munich boss.

Manchester City have apologised and launched an investigation after an incident involving Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen during a pitch invasion by fans of the newly crowned Premier League champions.

City came from two goals down to beat Villa 3-2 on Sunday and clinch the league title in dramatic fashion at the Etihad Stadium.

That led to scenes of jubilation from the home fans at the final whistle, with supporters pouring onto the pitch to celebrate a fourth title in the space of five seasons.

However, Villa manager Steven Gerrard claimed goalkeeper Olsen had been attacked. 

When asked if his players had avoided any harm, Gerrard told reporters: "The answer is no. My goalkeeper was attacked. I think those questions should go to Pep and Manchester City."

Villa reportedly said Olsen was struck on the back of the head, though they were unaware if this was intentional. 

City swiftly issued a statement condemning what they called an "assault".

"Manchester City would like to sincerely apologise to Aston Villa goalkeeper Robin Olsen, who was assaulted after the final whistle at today’s match when fans entered the pitch," the statement read.

"The club has launched an immediate investigation and once identified, the individual responsible will be issued with an indefinite stadium ban."

This incident comes on the back of a spate of pitch invasions up and down the football league in England.

Earlier this week, a Nottingham Forest fan was jailed for assaulting Sheffield United striker Billy Sharp, while on Thursday, Everton fans flooded onto the Goodison Park pitch after their 3-2 comeback win over Crystal Palace sealed Premier League safety.

Palace boss Patrick Vieira was confronted by a supporter while walking across the pitch, and appeared to lash out, seemingly aggravated by the fan's behaviour.

Jurgen Klopp offered his congratulations to Pep Guardiola and Manchester City after their comeback victory against Aston Villa sealed the Premier League title on the final day.

City had trailed Villa 2-0 after 70 minutes, only for three goals in a six-minute period to turn things around and secure the league crown.

Liverpool had their own comeback win to pull off, recovering from an early Pedro Neto strike to beat Wolves 3-1 at Anfield, though were ultimately helpless to stop City from winning their fourth title in five years.

The Reds are still on course to win a treble this season, having already claimed the EFL Cup and FA Cup, with the Champions League final against Real Madrid awaiting them on Saturday.

However, they were denied what would have been an unprecedented quadruple by City, who pipped them with 93 points to 92 in a tense title race.

"Congratulations to Man City and Pep Guardiola. Thank you to Aston Villa and Wolverhampton for making a proper game of it," Klopp said to Sky Sports.

"It's not the result we wanted. It was a bit of a rollercoaster. I don't know the results exactly but I know [Villa] were 1-0 up – were they 2-0 up as well? Of course at the moment there's disappointment here as well.

"If it's 5-0 to City after 10 minutes it's just a normal game for us. It wasn't our best game either, but it's all good. 92 points is absolutely incredible. We wanted it all, but now it's OK.

"[Finishing second] is the story of my life. I'm still record holder for not getting promoted in Germany with the highest points tally. You need to get more points than any other teams, but we didn't do that.

"You can't do more than give your absolute best and that's what the boys did again. We chased the best team in the world to the wire, that's absolutely special. We'll build a team again and go again."

There was more bad news for Klopp during the win over Wolves, with Thiago Alcantara being forced off at the end of the first half with an injury, and Klopp believes it unlikely the Spain international will be able to play against Madrid in Paris next week.

"I think he'll be out of the final but I don't know. He's limping, so it's maybe not the best sign."

Jordan Henderson admits Liverpool's failure to win the Premier League title is tough to take after Manchester City produced a stunning second-half comeback against Aston Villa to end the Reds' quadruple hopes.

Liverpool went into the Premier League's final day needing a win – and a slip-up from Pep Guardiola's men – to be crowned champions.

And despite falling behind to Wolves through Pedro Neto's early goal, the Reds were given hope when City went 2-0 down against Steven Gerrard's Villa.

Although Liverpool recovered to seal a 3-1 win through goals from Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, and Andrew Robertson, they ended the season one point behind Guardiola's team after an Ilkay Gundogan double fired City to an incredible 3-2 victory.

Jurgen Klopp's side have finished as runners-up despite amassing 92 points this campaign – the most of any team to miss out on top spot since their own tally of 97 in 2018-19, when they were again second to City by a single point.

At the end of a dramatic final day, Henderson admitted the disappointment of coming second was hard to digest. 

"It was a tough afternoon for us really. We didn't play particularly well, or as well as we can," he told Sky Sports. 

"Going a goal behind is never easy, but we kept going and we found a way to win, which was pleasing. 

"We didn't really know what the score was [at the Etihad Stadium] because there were too many cheers from the Wolves fans and the Liverpool fans. 

"We are disappointed; we have been in this position before, and it is tough. We found a way today to get the three points, but unfortunately, it wasn't enough."

Henderson made his 56th appearance for Liverpool in all competitions this season against Wolves, the most by any player for a Premier League club in 2021-22.

Having won both domestic cups – each via a penalty shoot-out triumph over Chelsea – Liverpool's pursuit of major silverware is not yet over, with a Champions League final against Real Madrid to come in less than a week.

Despite his disappointment on missing out on the title at the end of an absorbing league campaign, Henderson expressed his pride at Liverpool's efforts after they ended the season with a 19-match unbeaten run (16 wins, three draws).

"We gave absolutely everything all season right up until the end," he added.

"We are very proud of the boys, of what they have done this season, but it is not over yet.

"There is still one game left against a really good side, and we are going to have to be at our best [to beat Real Madrid in the Champions League final]."

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."

Sergio Aguero hailed Premier League champions Manchester City after a thrilling comeback against Aston Villa delivered another title for Pep Guardiola's team.

It was Aguero who was the hero when City landed their first Premier League triumph 10 years ago, when he struck deep into stoppage time to earn a 3-2 win over QPR on the final day.

A statue in honour of that moment was unveiled outside the Etihad Stadium earlier this month.

Aguero, who left City last year, is the club's record scorer and was quick to send his congratulations after Ilkay Gundogan's double and Rodri's strike saw the table-toppers roar back from 2-0 behind to beat Villa.

The comeback crushed Liverpool's title hopes, and Aguero wrote on Twitter: "Campeones campeones, I love you @ManCity."

Former City winger Leroy Sane, now at Bayern Munich, proposed City now build a monument in Gundogan's honour, offering an appreciative nod to his fellow Germany international.

Sane tweeted: "Maybe City should give this man a statue, too. Congrats Gundo, Congrats @ManCity."

Manchester City have been crowned Premier League champions for the fourth time in five seasons, seeing off a spirited challenge from Liverpool.

Pep Guardiola's men may not have won as many trophies as they would have liked this season, but they have been exceptional in defence of their league title in the face of stiff competition.

If City were not already intimidating enough, they will be adding one of the best strikers in world football to their ranks next season in the shape of Erling Haaland.

The lethal Norwegian will surely come in and plunder plenty of goals, just as he has in the Bundesliga at Borussia Dortmund before his £51million (€60m) move to the Etihad Stadium.

However, will his arrival realistically improve them all that much, or more to the point, can it?

That may sound like a ridiculous question, but looking at City's output this season, they have left themselves with very little room for improvement such are the levels they have consistently reached.

Stats Perform has broken down the numbers to try to predict just what kind of impact the impressive 21-year-old is likely to make in Manchester next season.

What Man City need

It has been a popular opinion that City have achieved what they have in the league in spite of not having a traditional striker.

Since Sergio Aguero left at the end of last season, Guardiola has mostly gone with any three of Jack Grealish, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Riyad Mahrez and Gabriel Jesus in attack.

They did spend a lot of time ahead of this season trying to lure Harry Kane from Tottenham, but failing to do so has arguably allowed them to find another way to break down opposition teams. 

Playing without a striker, City have still clinched the league title while collecting 93 points, the third-biggest total they have ever achieved, and scored 99 goals.

By not having an obvious focal point, it has been tricky for the opposition to know who is supposed to be on the end of attacks, and given none of those mentioned has scored more than 11 non-penalty goals in the league, that seems to have been the plan all along.

The perception might be that Guardiola's team have become less direct without a striker, and while that was true last season when Aguero played just 12 league games (seven starts) and they averaged a shot every 42.82 passes, and a goal every 309.05 passes, that came down to a shot every 36.63 passes this season, and a goal every 263.85.

Given Aguero's injury issues in his final campaign at City, you could argue the last time they regularly played with a striker was the 2019-20 season, which was the last time they did not win the league and collected only 81 points.

Since Guardiola arrived at the Etihad until the end of that season, his team averaged a shot every 38.10 passes, and a goal every 271.16, so they have possibly become more direct this term than they were with Aguero in the team.

By comparison, you may assume Haaland has been playing for a more direct team in Marco Rose's Dortmund, and this season in the Bundesliga, BVB scored once every 230.95 passes.

However, they actually only took a shot at goal once every 43.34 passes, so if anything it seems City are more direct than Dortmund, or maybe German teams are simply better organised defensively to stop shots.

What Haaland can bring

When you think of Haaland, you think of those direct and explosive runs into the penalty area, usually followed by emphatic finishes. When you think of City, you, erm, don't.

His addition could mean a change in style for the English champions, and the thought of Haaland getting on the end of the ridiculous range of passing from Kevin De Bruyne does indeed make the mouth water.

Do City as a team generally produce more with an orthodox striker, though?

Their record with and without Aguero makes for interesting reading. In the Premier League, the Argentine made 125 appearances under Guardiola, while City played 65 games without him.

In that time, they actually had a win percentage of 72.0 with him and 76.9 without, and even had a slightly better goal average (2.4 goals per game with, 2.5 without).

It is almost just as interesting to see Dortmund's record with and without Haaland. Since signing for the German club in January 2020, he has played 67 games, with Dortmund winning 65.7 per cent and averaging 2.4 goals for. Without him, they won just 61.1 per cent, though averaging only a slightly fewer 2.2 goals for.

It is questionable therefore whether the addition of Haaland will actually generate many if any more wins than they currently enjoy, but will he suit the way City play and can he add to their already impressive haul of goals?

Despite scoring more than any other team in the Premier League this season, no side missed more big chances (a chance from which a goal would normally be expected) than City's 65, though only Liverpool (97) created more than their 87.

City finished fifth in the league for big chance conversion (46.72), and so they will be hoping that part of what Haaland will bring them is putting more of those opportunities away.

In terms of finishing off big chances in the Bundesliga, nobody who scored at least five goals could match Haaland's incredible rate of 78.26 per cent, with even Bayern Munich great Robert Lewandowski only managing 46.67 per cent.

It must be noted though that Haaland's big chance conversion went down to 42.86 per cent in the Champions League, which is probably where City will hope he can make the biggest difference.

The league has not been their issue this season, though, rather the big games in cup competitions.

Their defeat to Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley was relatively convincing, despite the 3-2 scoreline. With an xG (expected goals) of 1.75, it was more their leakiness at the other end that was their undoing, going in 3-0 down at half-time.

However, it is the Champions League where their biggest letdown occurred, despite what City fans will tell you about their apparent disdain for the competition.

Heading into injury time at the Santiago Bernabeu, City were 5-3 up on aggregate, only to somehow concede twice in two minutes, before a Karim Benzema penalty put them out at the semi-final stage.

Perhaps Haaland could have made a difference, particularly in that second leg where City slightly underperformed their xG of 1.37, though they did score four in the first leg off an xG of 2.70.

Again, you could argue it was more the defence that let them down, somehow conceding six goals despite largely dominating both legs, but in those key moments where City missed golden opportunities, you would think Haaland would have had more ice in his veins.

Match made in heaven?

How could one of the deadliest strikers in Europe not be a good signing? Haaland will almost certainly be a fan favourite and score plenty of goals in the sky blue of his father's former team.

In the league, it seems likelier he will more or less replace the goals of others rather than add to what they are already producing. It would be surprising to see the likes of Sterling, Mahrez, Foden and even De Bruyne score as many as they have this season if Haaland is already banging them in.

However, those fine margins in the cups could well be where he comes into his own, with Haaland either scoring important goals himself, or distracting defenders so that others can do the honours.

It will be interesting to see how City play with a striker, as it of course will mean they line up with one fewer attacking midfielder and will they therefore be able to dominate quite as much as they currently do?

Either way, it is difficult to see how they can do anything other than continue to be dominant with the big Norwegian around as Premier League defenders await what promises to be a busy season from August onwards.

Manchester City are Premier League champions for a fourth time in five seasons, and a sixth time overall, after beating Aston Villa 3-2 in remarkable fashion on Sunday to hold off Liverpool.

City are now in front of Chelsea (five titles) as the competition's outright second most successful side and behind only Manchester United, who have lifted the title 13 times.

Indeed, only United (20), Liverpool (19), Arsenal (13) and Everton (nine) have won more titles in the history of the English top flight, dating back to 1888, than eight-time winners City.

The Citizens' latest title triumph was built on a solid defence and a potent attack, with no team in the division scoring more goals (99) or conceding fewer (26).

With the aid of Opta, Stats Perform looks at some of the other numbers behind City's successful title defence.

PEP PREVAILS ONCE MORE

City have won four of the past five Premier League titles, which is a level of dominance not seen in the competition since United lifted the trophy in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011.

Pep Guardiola has been at the helm for those four most recent triumphs, making him the fourth coach in English top-flight history to win four titles over a five-season period.

He is in quite some company, too, with Alex Ferguson (United), Bob Paisley (Liverpool) and George Ramsey (Villa) the other names on that list. 

The Catalan is only the eighth man to win as many as four English top-flight titles, while only Ferguson (13) has ever lifted the Premier League more times.

Following equally successful stints with Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Guardiola has now won the title in 10 of his 13 seasons as a top-flight manager.

To put that into some context, Massimiliano Allegri (6) is the sole other coach to have won more than five league crowns in that period across Europe's top five leagues.

CATCH US IF YOU CAN

City may have been pushed all the way in the end, but they spent 168 days at the summit – 98 more than any other team, and 157 more than valiant runners-up Liverpool.

The 2021-22 campaign did not get off to the best of starts for City, though, as they lost 1-0 at Tottenham on the opening weekend, with that one of only three losses all season.

That makes the Citizens only the fourth side in the Premier League era to lose their opening match yet still go on to win the title, and the 15th overall in English top-flight history.

CITY FALL JUST SHORT OF OWN RECORD

City had to do it the hard way. They were 2-0 down to Villa and matters looked bleak, but Ilkay Gundogan inspired a comeback for the ages.

It means City end the season with a positive goal difference of 73.

That is the second-highest goal difference in Premier League history, behind only their own mark of +79 in 2017-18 when scoring a record 106 goals and conceding 27.

The 26 goals conceded by City this term is an impressive return, though it is well short of the 15 let in by Chelsea in 2004-05.

GOALS GALORE

City may not have had a player who seriously challenged for the Golden Boot award, but the workload was shared with 16 different players registering a goal.

Set-pieces proved an important source of goals for the champions, who netted 22 times from corners and free-kicks, while conceding just once in this manner.

Their positive differential of 21 goals between set-piece goals scored and conceded is the largest on record in the Premier League since such data was first collected in 2008-09.