Thousands of Manchester City fans took to the streets on Monday to hail their Premier League title-winning heroes.
City sealed their fourth title in five seasons in breathless fashion on Sunday, scoring three goals in five minutes to overturn a 2-0 deficit late in the second half against Aston Villa and break the hearts of Liverpool fans.
The dramatic scenes at a rocking Etihad Stadium came 10 years after Sergio Aguero sealed the title in a similarly nerve-shredding 3-2 final-day win.
Liverpool ended up 3-1 victors against Wolves but the result at Anfield ultimately proved immaterial after substitute Ilkay Gundogan scored either side of Rodri's strike to complete an astonishing turnaround.
“It was an unbelievable day and I am so proud to be a part of this amazing club. The fans deserve it,” said defender Oleksandr Zinchenko on the bus heading round the streets of Manchester.
“At 2-0 down everyone was so disappointed. After scoring one goal we would push and the fans were amazing. We started to believe and we did it.”
Defender John Stones added: “It is hard to control where and when you are playing but to finish at home is incredible, it makes all the difference.
"Everyone was frustrated on 45-50 minutes but to stick by us and get through the game, keep the support and to get through it is incredible. We are all one team, together and it feels like that.”
City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne said from on top of the bus: "It is amazing, to do this for the fourth time. We couldn't really do it last year because of Covid but amazing to see so many people here to celebrate with us.
"10 seconds after the 2-0 [felt we lost it] but we did it, the City way. Now it feels very sweet.
"Thank you to the fans, the last game and atmosphere was amazing. Enjoy the summer and let's go again."
City midfielder Rodri added: "I don't know [how] to say the feelings, so emotional and we deserved to win the title. To come back from 2-0 with 20 minutes to go, we always believed we could do it. We are proud, the boys that play or don't we are a team.
"I love this City, the crowd and is the club of the city. England is unbelievable and Manchester is great."
Pep Guardiola's side finished on 93 points, one ahead of Jurgen Klopp's men as they ended their rivals' hopes of winning an unprecedented quadruple and lifted a ninth major trophy of Guardiola's reign.
City, who for so long lived in the shadow of neighbours Manchester United, are now establishing their own dynasty to match the achievements of previous great United and Liverpool teams.
“In the last five years winning four Premier Leagues, these guys are legends already,” an ecstatic Guardiola said after the match on Sunday.
“I'm sorry, people have to admit it. This group of players are absolutely eternal in this club because what we achieve is so difficult to do.
“Just Sir Alex Ferguson with United has done it years ago two or three times, now I realised again the magnitude of Sir Alex Ferguson and his United.”
