Erling Haaland admitted it is a “relief” for Manchester City to win the Premier League after spending much of the season chasing Arsenal down.
City were confirmed as champions for the fifth time in six seasons when Arsenal fell to defeat against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, with Pep Guardiola and his player celebrating a day later as they beat Chelsea in their final home match of the season.
Arsenal had an eight-point advantage at the start of April, but a stumbling run of form came just as City clicked into top gear and the title winners have now won their last 12 League matches. The Gunners, meanwhile, have dropped points in six of the eight games they have played since beating Leeds early last month.
Mikel Arteta’s side spent 248 days at the top of the table this season, the most any side has managed without going on to lift the trophy, but a poor run as the campaign entered the final straight has proved incredibly costly.
City are well-fancied to make it a treble-winning season, with FA Cup and Champions League finals to come in June, and Haaland believes the club’s experience at going the distance in titles races has been key.
“I saw a stat of Arsenal being 240 something days top of the table, and we were like 20,” Haaland told Sky Sports.
“We were chasing after something the whole season and then to get hold of it is such a relief and such an amazing feeling.
“With all the experience in this club, they’ve won the Premier League for the fifth time a lot of them. The hard work you do throughout the whole season, it’s what you get in the end.
“Now in the last couple of weeks, that’s when everything gets decided. That’s why it’s even better to win it, it’s a marathon. It’s not just like one game, it’s the whole season, 38 games.”
