Manchester City hammer Brighton 4-1 to retain Premier League title

Sergio Aguero and Riyad Mahrez among the Man City goalscorers as Liverpool come up just short despite 2-0 win against Wolves

Manchester City players celebrate after beating Brighton 4-1 at the Amex Stadium to be crowned Premier League champions. Getty Images

Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero celebrates after beating Brighton 4-1 at the Amex Stadium to be crowned Premier League champions. Getty Images

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola kisses his medal as he celebrates winning the Premier League title. Reuters

Manchester City players celebrate after beating Brighton 4-1 at the Amex Stadium to be crowned Premier League champions. EPA

Manchester City players throw manager Pep Guardiola in the air as they celebrate winning the Premier League title. Getty Images

Manchester City players celebrate after beating Brighton 4-1 at the Amex Stadium to be crowned Premier League champions. Getty Images

Manchester City's Vincent Kompany celebrates with fans after winning the Premier League title. Reuters

Manchester City players celebrate after beating Brighton 4-1 at the Amex Stadium to be crowned Premier League champions. Getty Images

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola celebrates winning the Premier League title. Reuters

Manchester City fan holds up a banner as they celebrate winning the Premier League title. Reuters

Manchester City fan holds up a banner as they celebrate winning the Premier League title. Reuters

Manchester City's Vincent Kompany celebrates winning the Premier League title. Reuters

Manchester City's Bernardo Silva in action with Brighton's Bernardo. Reuters

Brighton's Glenn Murray heads in a corner to give his side the lead against Manchester City. Reuters

Brighton's Glenn Murray heads in a corner to give his side the lead against Manchester City. Reuters

Brighton's Anthony Knockaert celebrates Glenn Murray's opening goal against Manchester City. Reuters

Manchester City's Sergio Aguero during the match. Reuters

Manchester City's Sergio Aguero equalises against Brighton. Reuters

Aymeric Laporte's header gave Manchester City a 2-1 lead. Reuters

Aymeric Laporte's header gave Manchester City a 2-1 lead. Reuters

Aymeric Laporte's header gave Manchester City a 2-1 lead. Reuters

Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola looks on. Reuters

Manchester City's Kyle Walker, Vincent Kompany, Aymeric Laporte, Sergio Aguero and Bernardo Silva form a wall to defend a free kick taken by Brighton's Lewis Dunk. Reuters

Manchester City's Ederson saves a shot from Brighton's Lewis Dunk. Reuters

Manchester City's Bernardo Silva in action with Brighton's Yves Bissouma. Reuters

Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City scores to make it 3-1. EPA

Ilkay Gundogan of Manchester City celebrates after scoring his team's fourth goal. EPA

Manchester City became the first team to successfully defend the Premier League title in 10 years as a 4-1 win at Brighton & Hove Albion ensured the trophy returned to the Etihad Stadium despite Liverpool's win over Wolves.

Not since Alex Ferguson guided Manchester United to back-to-back titles in 2009 has an English team successfully defended the Premier League crown.

City started the day a point ahead of closest challengers Liverpool but their grasp on the title threatened to slip completely as Brighton took a surprise lead at the Amex Stadium while Sadio Mane's first goal at Anfield had put Liverpool briefly on course for a first English title since 1990.

Despite dominating possession, City trailed to a Glenn Murray goal as the Brighton striker nodded in a Pascal Gross corner on 27 minutes.

But City hit back almost immediately.

Lewis Dunk played Sergio Aguero on side as David Silva played a clever little back heel into the Argentine's path for him to slam home his 21st league goal of the campaign.

At that stage the title was heading to Anfield, though, as Mane's 17th-minute goal had Liverpool ahead against Wolves.

Trent Alexander-Arnold worked a one-two with Fabinho down Liverpool's right and his deflected cross was slammed home by the Senegalese. That took Mane to 21 goals in another prolific season, and he would finish it with 22 league strikes after adding a second against Wolves in the second half.

Mane's opener had put Liverpool on 97 points while the 1-1 score at Brighton had City on 96.

The pendulum swung back the champions' way, however, just before half time as Aymeric Laporte ran unopposed on to Riyad Mahrez's inswinging corner to power home a header on 38 minutes.

Mahrez, City's record signing who has endured a difficult first season under at City, then made sure of the result and the final destination of the one of the most thrilling title races in recent memory with a thumping right-foot shot on 63 minutes.

Ilkay Gundogan's exquisite free kick on 72 minutes added extra polish to City's finish to a season that saw them win 14 straight league games to finish on 98 points, one ahead of Liverpool.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed, the club's owner, was quick to praise Guardiola and his squad after they secured a fourth Premier League title in seven years since City Football Group's takeover in 2008.

Ten years ago Pep Guardiola was guiding Barcelona to a treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League. Under his guidance, City on Sunday completed the second of what they hope will be an unprecedented English domestic troika - City face Watford in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday - having already secured the League Cup in February.