22nd April, 2018
Photo: BBC/Getty Image
Manager Pep Guardiola says Manchester City’s focus is on chasing records after they celebrated being crowned Premier League champions by thrashing Swansea 5-0.
Manchester City were given a guard of honour and there were celebrations at full-time in their first match since their third league title in seven seasons was confirmed.
Thousands of fans invaded the pitch as Guardiola’s side emphatically ended a run of three successive home defeats, BBC reports.
And Guardiola said “looking for records helps to keep the players focused” as his side prepare for their last four games of the season.
This victory took them to 90 points, five shy of the Premier League record set by Chelsea in 2004-05, and they are also chasing the most number of wins and goals scored in a season.
“The league is won, now it’s the records,” said Guardiola. “It’s never unfinished business in football, you have to keep improving.
“If you think ‘OK, we are already champions’, we are done and you cannot play like the way we played. If we are improving it will be good for the new season, finishing in a good way.”
Raheem Sterling’s cut-back set up David Silva’s early opener before the winger poked in from six yards to make it two within 16 minutes.
Kevin de Bruyne scored with a sensational 25-yard drive before Bernardo Silva pounced on the rebound of Gabriel Jesus’ saved penalty.
The Brazilian eventually found the back of the net when he headed in Yaya Toure’s chipped pass.
Swansea are without a win in five league matches and remain four points above the relegation zone with four games to play.
And the Swans must take on fifth-placed Chelsea at the Liberty Stadium next week before hosting relegation-threatened Stoke and Southampton in a tough run-in.
Manchester City can look forward to their final home game of the season against Huddersfield on 6 May, when they will be presented with the Premier League trophy.