Manchester City are champions of England for a sixth time, after they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-1 away from home yesterday to finish a point clear of runners-up Liverpool. Pep Guardiola's side offered the challengers a glimmer of hope as Brighton took a 1-0 lead through Glenn Murray in the 27th minute, but City soon moved through the gears and retained their title in style on the south coast. Liverpool's comfortable 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers was enough to see them finish the season on a staggering 97 points, but their wait for the title now stands at 29 years and counting. Elsewhere on the final day Arsenal secured fifth place with a 3-1 win away to Burnley, with 20-times champions Manchester United resigned to sixth after their miserable campaign ended with a 2-0 defeat to Cardiff City at Old Trafford. A Christian Eriksen free-kick gave Champions League finalists Tottenham Hotspur a 2-2 draw with Everton, Chelsea played out a stalemate at Leicester City and Newcastle thrashed relegated Fulham 4-0 at Craven Cottage. There was also a 4-1 win for West Ham over Watford, Crystal Palace beat Bournemouth 5-3 while at St Mary's Southampton drew 1-1 with Huddersfield.
Guardiola's City have become the first side to retain the Premier League title since Manchester United in 2007-8 and 2008-9, and are a, FA Cup final win against Watford away from securing a domestic treble. However in his column this morning, Ken Early suggests their manager will look on this season with a tinge of regret, after his side's failure to progress beyond the quarter-finals of the Champions League. He writes: "There's a sneaking suspicion that when he looks back years from now, the thing that he will remember from this season is not the pleasure of winning a domestic treble, but the frustration of having thrown away the Champions League by losing to a palpably inferior team. The mystery for City is how they can have been so much better in league play and yet have squandered the chance of a unique quadruple with one tentative, inhibited performance at Spurs."
Elsewhere yesterday, Tipperary made a big statement in the opening round of the Munster SHC with a dominant 2-28 to 1-24 win over defending champions Cork at a sun kissed Páirc Uí Chaoimh. And in his column this morning Nicky English has suggested victory shows Liam Sheedy's side could be serious challengers this summer. He writes: "I didn't see Tipperary as All-Ireland champions before this weekend. They might have had a good display in them along the way but the effect would be limited. If Sunday's performance is anything to go by, they'll be a problem for anyone." Walsh Park held its first Championship fixture in 16 years yesterday, but Clare survived a Waterford fight back to spoil the party and win 1-20 to 0-22, while in the Leinster SHC Galway saw off Carlow 1-24 to 1-18. There were also four football matches, with Roscommon easing to a facile 3-17 to 0-12 win over Leitrim in the Connacht SFC. In Ulster Tyrone beat Derry 1-19 to 1-13 while in Leinster Meath beat Offaly 1-13 to 0-14 and Louth beat Wexford 0-22 to 1-14.
As the dust settles on Leinster's 20-10 Champions Cup final defeat to Saracens on Saturday, coach Leo Cullen has insisted the province will come back stronger after they were physically outgunned in a gruelling, scintillating match at Newcastle's St James' Park. He said: "We were up against a very, very good team, heavily resourced. A few seasons ago we didn't have a chance against teams like this. And I do think that we have a chance against teams like this now."
Aidan O'Brien's fine weekend continued yesterday, after Broome led home a 1-2-3 in the Derrinstown trial at Leopardstown - the latest in a string of Epsom Derby trial victories for the trainer, who is now as short as 1-3 to win the race for a record-equalling seventh time next month.
Sweden's Marcus Kinhult birdied the last two holes to land an improbable victory in the British Masters at Southport yesterday - the 22-year-old securing his maiden European Tour win.
And Lewis Hamilton has returned to the top of the Formula One World Championship, after he delivered a dominant performance to finish ahead of Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas in Barcelona.
