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Manchester City have clinched their third straight Premier League title with three matches to spare after Arsenal's 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday. It's City's fifth title in the past six seasons and Pep Guardiola's 11th league title between Barcelona, Bayern Munich, and Manchester City. And on Sunday it was time to lift the trophy. The ceremony commenced after a routine 1-0 victory over Chelsea. Julian Alvarez scored City's eventual winner as most of the starters like Haaland and Kevin de Bruyne entered from the bench following the 60th minute to rapturous applause from the home support.

For Guardiola this is impressive territory as this is the third time that he has won three consecutive league titles and the third team that he has done it with.  He accomplished the feat first with Barcelona between 2008-11 before leading Bayern to three titles between 2013-16 and now taking City to the promised land between 2020-23. Next season he can become the first manager to win four consecutive titles in English top flight history if he can pull off the feat again. But before we can get to that, Manchester City have a guard of honor and a trophy to receive at the Etihad on Sunday, as well as a treble to chase as they're in the Champions League and FA Cup final. On Sunday, the team got to celebrate lifting the league trophy and defeating Chelsea 1-0 while Guardiola rewarded the squad for an excellent season.

This was actually City's second guard of honor of the season after striker Erling Haaland broke the Premier League record for goals in a season against West Ham United. It was held by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole who had 34 goals and Haaland is currently on 36 and could add more before the season is out. Prior to the match, City were honored with a guard of honor from Chelsea.

Getting to finish off their final home game of the season by not only lifting the Premier League trophy but doing it against a team that was supposed to contend for the title in Chelsea is special stuff indeed. Following the match, fans rushed the pitch in jubilation and had to return to their seats to watch the trophy lift.

But while this has been an impressive season for City, it's important to note that City were not always in the driver's seat for the title as Arsenal led the league for 278 days this season. But it's not about who led for most of the season, it's about who leads on the final day and that was Manchester City.

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When asked about what the turning point was for City this season by NBC Sports, right back Kyle Walker -- who has been at the club for all five of Guardiola's titles -- quickly pointed to defeating Liverpool in the league.

"We ground out that result against Liverpool which was as you know a top team. So, I think from then on, we always believed that we could do it,"  Walker said amid the celebrations. "Obviously, we went to Leeds then which was a tough place, and ground out a result there and it's just kind of carried on from then."

City lift the trophy

After a short delay thanks to a celebratory pitch invasion City received their winners medals in a ceremony on the field. Debuting their 2023/24 home kits with Champions 23 on the back, the Manchester City squad came out to lift the Premier League trophy and receive their winner's medals. The first team management crew were honored before Guardiola emerged from the tunnel to applause from around the stadium followed by the full City squad beaming from ear to ear.

Captian Ilkay Gundogan led the celebrations as he has been a critical piece in City's charge back to the top for the league with four goals and two assists in his last two Premier League starts. His contract situation is something that City will need to sort out during the summer but after celebrating, next up is the treble charge.

Haaland then raised the trophy while being doused by the team with cheers from the fans. All while Guardiola beamed and danced with the club staff on the pitch. Just an excellent moment as the players got their moment with the trophy as even with this being City's third consecutive title, lifting the Premier League trophy isn't something that gets old.