Manchester City win Premier League title as Arsenal suffers shock loss

Manchester have secured the 2022-23 Premier League title without playing after closest rivals Arsenal lost 1-0 at Nottingham Forest.

City were set for a potentially decisive home fixture against Chelsea on Sunday, knowing victory would clinch a fifth Premier League crown in six seasons.

But, Arsenal’s slip-up at the City Ground on Saturday proved the decisive result, leaving them four points behind City with just one game left to play.

Taiwo Awoniyi’s 19th-minute goal preserved Forest’s Premier League status for next season, as well as confirming City glory for a third successive season.

City’s squad watched the game together, with pictures posted on the club’s social media account showing the players and Guardiola celebrating after the final whistle.

The new champions can revel in a momentous week at the Etihad after sweeping aside Real Madrid to reach the Champions League final and keep their treble hopes alive.

They face Inter Milan in Istanbul on June 10 for their shot at previously elusive Champions League glory, and will take on Manchester United — whose historic 1999 treble feat they are hoping to match — in the FA Cup final on June 3.

But they will first lift the Premier League trophy after Sunday’s match against Frank Lampard’s side.

When Arsenal — seeking a first title since 2003-04 — won at Tottenham on January 18, they were eight points clear of City, with both having played 18 games.

City went top of the table for the first time since November when they overpowered Arsenal 3-1 at the Emirates in February.

Mikel Arteta’s side had restored an eight-point lead by April 1 with a 4-1 win over Leeds, though City — with Champions League and FA Cup commitments — had a game in hand.