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Manchester City Players Celebrate in Style at the Etihad After Premier League Title Defence

​Manchester City earned their second Premier League title victory under Pep Guardiola with Sunday's 4-1 defeat of Brighton at the Amex Stadium. 

That victory took the Citizens to 98 points, pipping rivals Liverpool to the crown by just one point after Jurgen Klopp's side beat Wolves 2-0 at Anfield. And, despite lifting the trophy on the South Coast, the team were quickly taken back to Manchester on Sunday night so they could celebrate with fans at the Etihad Stadium.

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According to the ​Daily Mail, City's players and staff took three planes to make the journey back to the Etihad, arriving at roughly 10pm, where they were greeted by their joyous supporters. 

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After reproducing the trophy-lift in front of their own fans (with a bit more vigour), the festivities moved to the stadium's premier hospitality suite, the Tunnel Club, where they continued long into the night.

Speaking on this triumph, captain ​Vincent Kompany explained: "This was by far the hardest and most draining. The first one (2012) happened in the last minute but this was constantly knowing you have to win and perform. We defeated one of the all-time great teams in England."

However, he was not surprised, noting: "I knew we could win back-to-back titles straight away. The first meeting of the season it was all about how we tried to get back to back. 

"Pep's done it before and I felt we could do it from the first moment. I felt the desire. The manager starts everything. He sets the standards."

Josep Guardiola

And manager Pep Guardiola himself was no less impressed by his team's efforts, relaying the Belgian's message by declaring: 

"It was the most difficult one. The most difficult one because of the quality of Liverpool. We made 100 points last season and had to make 98 this season." 

However, he refused to concede that his side contained no weaknesses, referring to their aerial vulnerability as an area that clearly requires work. Laughing, he exclaimed: "I am the tallest guy - in the set pieces it is go to the church to pray. It is a drama. We did it well in Burnley, we didn't concede one and that is the target."

The celebrations had begun in the visitors' dressing room at Brighton, with Noel Gallagher, who was in and amongst it in the away end at the Amex, joining the players for a spirited rendition of 'Wonderwall'. 

Recitals of 'Allez, Allez, Allez' were also heard, in a nod to their title competitors, and one man who knows a thing or two about the Reds is ​Raheem Sterling, who revealed: "The manager is about mentality and it's about winning no matter what.

"How we can win every game, it's a credit to him and how he sets us up. I'm just happy to be under his wing. This is exactly what I came here for to win these trophies and I'm happy to get a second medal.

"It's about having multiple players in every position and having them challenge. No one is comfortable and everyone gets their chance. Riyad [Mahrez] gets his chance here and I knew he would score."


Source : 90min