Final Day Social Special: Man City celebrate Centurions, Arsenal & Man United send off legends
The Premier League season is now over. We know the champions (we’ve known for a while) and we know who was relegated. We now know the final placings and evaluations can be made: was it a good season, a bad one, or something in between?
In the end, though, football just carries on. If you’ve had a great season, well pride comes before a fall. If you’ve been relegated, well thankfully you can be back next year!
But there should still be time to savour the emotion.
On Sunday afternoon, despite having won the title at the joint-earliest juncture (with five games to go), despite already having beaten the most points in a season and most goals in a season records, Manchester City were still chasing for records. Thanks to a trademark last-minute winner, they got them. And so a goal with almost the very last kick of the game saw euphoric scenes at St Mary’s where the champions played Southampton.
Player. Team. Club. All the records that tumbled in a remarkable season! ????#CENTURIONS #mancity pic.twitter.com/cN5YhCgJc1
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 13, 2018
On social media, the club celebrated in a similar way to when they were finally confirmed champions a few weeks ago: with a social media video given to players for use on their own personal accounts, and then retweeted by the club.
???? pic.twitter.com/GxUcoMyfcS
— Kevin De Bruyne (@DeBruyneKev) May 13, 2018
#CENTURIONS ????#Record #mancity ✌️????⚽️ pic.twitter.com/FQLcy7k63p
— Sergio Kun Aguero (@aguerosergiokun) May 13, 2018
It was that important to the club, and in a way you can see why: 100 points now allows City to call this special team the Centurions, and just like the Arsenal Invincibles, that’s a tag that will never leave them.
Kevin De Bruyne himself won a newly-created award thanks to Gabriel Jesus’ late finish. The ‘Playmaker’ award for most assists was given to the Belgian after he beat his teammate Leroy Sane into second place after the goal which won the game and sealed 100 points, anointed the Centurions and started the party. You can see what it meant.
WAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!! @gabrieljesus33
???? 0-1 ???? #saintsvcity #mancity pic.twitter.com/19uNpcP2FN
— Manchester City (@ManCity) May 13, 2018
Back in Manchester, where City’s rivals United were playing their final game of the season, a win over Watford sealed victory for the second-placed side and meant a win for the Old Trafford club in their 100th Premier League game.
FT: #MUFC 1 Watford 0.
Our 1000th @PremierLeague game ends in victory thanks to @MarcusRashford's first-half goal! ???? #MUNWAT pic.twitter.com/Z3zDaMAQaW
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 13, 2018
It was also Michael Carrick’s last game for the club as he retires from football to take a job on the United coaching staff.
It was an emotional day as the last of the 2008 Champions League winning starting XI waved goodbye to the Old trafford pitch. It’s the end of an era, but the club gave a club legend the send-off he deserved.
We couldn't let him bow out without a win, could we? #MUFC pic.twitter.com/XwG2kGfFnT
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) May 13, 2018
Arsenal, too, were marking the final day of the season with a send-off for a legend.
Like United, the Gunners were celebrating their 1000th Premier League game (as were all clubs who have been there from the start) and they marked it by waving goodbye to Arsene Wenger. It was another departure which had been coming for a few weeks, but that doesn’t make it any less poignant.
For 22 years, for 1,235 games, for 49, 49 undefeated, for 7 FA Cups, for 3 @PremierLeague titles, for two Doubles, for winning the league at Old Trafford and White Hart Lane, for Wengerball, for the Invincibles, for your total love and devotion, we want to say… #MerciArsène❤️ pic.twitter.com/xkRXjLAid2
— Arsenal FC (@Arsenal) May 13, 2018
Other members of the top six weren’t waving goodbye to old friends, but for Spurs it was to their temporary home.
Wembley has been the venue for half of Tottenham Hotspur’s league fixtures this season and they will move back to the new White Hart Lane in the Autumn. They marked the occasion by conducting interviews with players and the manager whilst they did their lap of honour at the end of a crazy game of football.
We caught up with Mauricio during the lap of appreciation at Wembley to discuss 2017/18 and a crazy game to the end the season! #COYS pic.twitter.com/82uXyo72l0
— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) May 13, 2018
Waving goodbye to the league itself was Swansea City, whose relegation was confirmed on the final day thanks to their defeat at home to Stoke City, whom they’ll meet again in the Championship next season.
It ends in defeat at the Liberty. Our seven-year @premierleague adventure comes to an end… pic.twitter.com/PWpPs81yDA
— Swansea City AFC (@SwansOfficial) May 13, 2018
And it was a disappointing day for Chelsea, too, who missed out on Champions League qualification thanks to Liverpool’s victory at home to Brighton, but also their own defeat away to Newcastle.
It wasn’t the greatest day for the Blues, going down without a fight. But although for most clubs, the season is now over, for Antonio Conte’s side, there’s still one game left. And that’s enough motivation for Chelsea fans to pick themselves up after a difficult end to the season.
#MondayMotivation pic.twitter.com/fh6oHuczPF
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 14, 2018
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