Man City just two wins from another EPL title. Burnley becomes the second team relegated
Two more wins.
That’s all that separates Manchester City from becoming English champion for an unprecedented fourth straight year.
The game is up, though, for Burnley, whose relegation from the Premier League was confirmed on Saturday with a game to spare.
On a significant day at both ends of the standings, City racked up another big victory by routing Fulham 4-0 to climb above Arsenal into a two-point lead. The top two each have two games left, and Arsenal faces Manchester United next on Sunday.
However Arsenal finishes the season, the title will be City’s if Pep Guardiola’s team beats both Tottenham away on Tuesday and West Ham at home in the final round on May 19.
“My players like to play with pressure. They are used to it,” Guardiola said. “The players enjoy this feeling.
“This season is the same — don’t think about anything other than the next game. Focus on winning the next game and then we will see what happens.”
No team in the 136-year history of English soccer has won the top division for four successive years. It’s the latest record in touching distance of Guardiola’s City, which has also reached the FA Cup final against Man United on May 25.
Burnley needed to beat Tottenham to stand a chance of a second straight season in the league but lost 2-1 to join already-relegated Sheffield United in returning to the Championship.
Luton looks sure to be the third team relegated after losing at West Ham 3-1 and staying three points behind Nottingham Forest, which is in fourth-to-last place and has a far superior goal difference. Forest hosts Chelsea later and needs a point to guarantee survival.
Tottenham kept alive its Champions League qualification hopes with the win. Spurs trimmed the gap to fourth-placed Aston Villa to four points, with both teams having two games left.
In the fight to qualify for the minor European competitions, Newcastle stayed in sixth place by drawing at home with Brighton 1-1.
Brentford won at Bournemouth 2-1, Crystal Palace beat Wolverhampton 3-1, and Everton defeated Sheffield United 1-0.
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Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer