Six weeks after feeling he “choked” in the final round of the Masters, Brooks Koepka held his nerve to overcome a spirited challenge from Viktor Hovland to win the US PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

Koepka carded a closing 67 to finish nine under par and claim his third US PGA title, his fifth major overall and the first for a player on the Saudi-funded LIV Golf League.

Hovland traded blows with Koepka until a costly double bogey on the 16th, but a birdie on the 18th deservedly gave the Norwegian a share of second place with Scottie Scheffler on seven under.

Koepka took a one-shot lead over Hovland and Corey Conners into the final round, having enjoyed double that advantage following 54 holes of the Masters in April.

The 33-year-old carded a closing 75 at Augusta National to finish second to Jon Rahm and felt he had choked under pressure, but exorcised those demons at the first opportunity.

The former world number one made a flying start with a hat-trick of birdies from the second and was momentarily four shots clear before Hovland matched his birdie on the fourth.

Hovland also birdied the fifth to close the gap and was within a single stroke when Koepka pushed his drive on the sixth into Allen’s Creek and was unable to save par.

Koepka doubled his lead with a birdie on the 10th, only to then see his approach to the next plug in a greenside bunker.

After blasting out to 12 feet, Koepka saw his par attempt lip out and although he bounced back immediately to birdie the 12th, he could not shake off a resolute Hovland.

The 25-year-old, who was in contention for the third consecutive major, took advantage of the par-five 13th to keep the pressure firmly on and both men birdied the short 14th to effectively turn it into a two-horse race.

However, in a carbon copy of what happened to Conners in round three, Hovland drilled his second shot into the face of a fairway bunker on the 16th to run up a double bogey.

Koepka’s birdie gave him a four-shot lead and he could afford to bogey the 17th and par the last to complete an impressive victory.

Scheffler had got within two of the lead thanks to birdies on the 10th, 13th and 14th, but had to wait until the 18th to pick up another shot and complete a superb 65.

World number one Rahm, commentating for CBS following a closing 71 which left him seven over par, had been full of praise for Koepka after his blistering start.

“He is a player that, when he gets in contention, is like a shark in the water,” Rahm said.

“He smells blood, especially on these types of courses. It suits his mentality of being even keel, plodding along and taking opportunities when they come.

“He came out aggressive and I don’t think people realise how dangerous some of these hole locations are. To be that precise (on the second) to give yourself three feet straight up the hill is incredible.”

Open champion Cameron Smith recorded the joint lowest round of the week to date with a closing 65 and insisted no one should be surprised that he and fellow LIV players like Koepka were able to compete at the highest level.

“I gave up on that narrative about six months ago,” Smith said with a smile. “I think there’s been a few guys that have been trying to kick it along a little bit.

“We’re still out there. We haven’t forgot how to play golf. We’re all great golfers out there, and we know what we can do, and I think that’s what we’re trying to do.”

Rory McIlroy began the day five shots behind Koepka and made the ideal start with a birdie from tap-in distance on the first, but bogeyed two of the next three holes and eventually signed for a third straight 69.

McIlroy at least had the best seat in the house for an extraordinary performance from playing partner Michael Block, the 46-year-old club professional making a hole-in-one on the 15th in a closing 71 that secured a place in the field at Valhalla next year.

Justin Rose was within three of the lead when he birdied the first and chipped in to save par on the second, but had to settle for a closing 71 to finish one under.

Compatriot Tyrrell Hatton was left to rue a nightmare opening round of 77 after subsequent scores of 68, 69 and 67 proved what was possible and left him in a tie for 15th.

Borussia Dortmund are one win away from clinching the Bundesliga title after a 3-0 victory at Augsburg.

Bayern Munich’s loss to Leipzig on Saturday opened the door for Dortmund and they seized their opportunity, moving within three points of ending the Bavarian club’s 10-year reign as German champions.

Sebastian Haller – who missed the first half of the season as he battled cancer – scored twice and Julian Brandt once after Felix Uduokhai had been sent off for Augsburg.

Victory over Mainz on the final day of the campaign next Saturday would see Dortmund clinch their first Bundesliga crown for 11 years, but anything less would open the door for Bayern to win an 11th straight title.

Mainz suffered a 4-1 home defeat to struggling Stuttgart on Saturday despite taking the lead, while Lars Stindl scored a 90th-minute equaliser to earn Borussia Monchengladbach a 2-2 draw with Bayer Leverkusen.

In Spain, Real Madrid’s miserable week was compounded by a 1-0 defeat to lowly Valencia.

Four days after their humbling by Manchester City in the Champions League, Real went down to Diego Lopez’s 33rd-minute goal.

The match was soured by more complaints of racist abuse directed at Vinicius Junior, with the game briefly halted after the Brazilian appeared to point out offenders in the crowd.

He was then shown a straight red card for lashing out at Hugo Duro in stoppage time.

The result eased Valencia’s LaLiga relegation fears while Real dropped to third place in the table behind city rivals Atletico Madrid, who defeated Osasuna 3-0 with goals from Yannick Carrasco, Saul Niguez and Angel Correa.

Espanyol gave themselves a lifeline in the battle at the bottom with a 2-1 victory at Rayo Vallecano while the Seville derby ended in a goalless draw between Sevilla and Real Betis, who had Juan Miranda sent off late on.

In Serie A, Inter Milan were brought back down to earth after reaching the Champions League final, falling to a 3-1 defeat against champions Napoli.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men when Roberto Gagliardini was sent off before half-time and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa put Napoli ahead midway through the second half.

Romelu Lukaku drew the 10 men level with eight minutes to go but Napoli responded emphatically with goals from Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Gianluca Gaetano.

Inter dropped to fourth in the table behind Lazio, who beat Udinese 1-0 thanks to Ciro Immobile’s penalty.

Torino and Fiorentina drew 1-1 while strugglers Lecce and Spezia had to settle for a point each in a 0-0 draw.

Paris St Germain all but wrapped up another Ligue 1 title thanks to an early double from Kylian Mbappe in a 2-1 victory over Auxerre.

The France star scored in the sixth and eighth minutes, with Lassine Sinayoko replying for Auxerre in the second half, to move PSG six points clear of Lens with only two games left and with a far superior goal difference.

Lens ensured it is not yet mathematically over with a 3-1 victory at Lorient. Romain Faivre put the hosts ahead early on but goals from Florian Sotoca and Adrian Thomasson turned the match around before half-time and Seko Fofana made sure of the points late on.

Rennes boosted their European hopes by thumping relegated Ajaccio 5-0. Amine Gouiri scored a hat-trick while Mickael Alphonse was sent off for the Corsican side.

Brest defeated Clermont 2-1 while there were draws between Nice and Toulouse, Reims and Angers and Troyes and Strasbourg.

Boss Dean Smith admits Leicester are ‘in the last chance saloon’ in their bid to ensure Premier League survival.

The Foxes go to Newcastle on Monday three points from safety with two games left.

Everton’s 1-1 draw at Wolves on Saturday means the fight for survival will go to the final day, regardless of the result at St James’ Park.

Victory will take the Foxes out of the drop zone and above the Toffees on goal difference and Smith is aware of the magnitude of the game.

“We are pretty much in the last chance saloon with a game against Newcastle,” he said, with the Foxes hosting West Ham on the last day on Sunday.

“Disappointment and frustration are the two words I’d say I’ve seen. But we are running out of games to put that right and the players know that.

“When I came in here for the last eight games, if someone had said to me ‘If you win at home the last game of the season (to survive), would you take it?’ I probably would have.

“Hopefully we can get there but we have to get a performance and a result against Newcastle.

“There are things we’ve looked at, things we’ve done. When there is no pressure on the ball, you don’t push up like we did for the first goal against Liverpool.

“There’s an awful lot we’ve done in the classroom in terms of video analysis and we’ve done some stuff on the pitch as well.

“I’ve always said to the players that mistakes are going to happen, from both teams. People are going to make mistakes and you need a helping hand from your team-mate once you make that mistake.

“We probably haven’t been in the positions to help each other out as much as we would like.”

The Magpies need a point to wrap up Champions League qualification while Leicester know two wins from their final two games will seal survival, barring a huge goal difference swing in Everton’s favour.

Smith added: “It’s just a big game. We know what’s at the end of it. I don’t think there’s anyone here who’s not aware of that so our focus is to go there and put in as good a performance as we can.”

Aston Villa midfielder John McGinn admits having the chance to qualify for Europe for the first time in more than a decade is something which they did not think was possible six months ago.

Manager Unai Emery took over from Steven Gerrard in late October with the club 15th in the Premier League but after a 1-1 draw at Anfield their destiny remains in their own hands in terms of securing a spot in the Europa Conference League.

McGinn, who said “every day is a school day” under the Spaniard, accepts that possibility seemed remote at the start of winter.

“It’s been the aim since day one. The owners have had a remit to get us back playing European football,” he said.

“If you’d said to us back in November ‘you’d be three points away’ then you’d have laughed. We have got three points to get to get us back.

“This club deserves to be in the top 10, we’ve managed to secure that for the first time in a long, long while.

“Now it’s about building, getting into Europe hopefully and build from there.”

McGinn said the transformation under Emery, who has won 14 and lost just six of his 24 matches in charge, had been remarkable.

And he believed their performance and experience at Anfield against a team desperately trying to attain Champions League qualification would stand them in good stead if they do indeed qualify for Europe.

“It was a test for us, it was a challenge. If we want to play in Europe, we need to come to places like this and get results,” he added.

“We’ve given ourselves a huge opportunity next week (at home to Brighton) and hopefully we take it.

“It’s in our hands now and we know three points will get us European football.

“The manager has touched on it, he has a lot of experience of European football, I’m sure everyone involved in the club will be so focused this week to make sure that’s a reality.

“He will have an obsession this week on how to beat Brighton. I think if you ask any player who has worked with him this year he has been an absolute pleasure.

“He’s made myself better, he’s made other players better. Every day is a school day, I keep saying it.

“I’m not used to his style of football, the Spanish way. I’ve always had British ex-pros who were all brilliant for me, brilliant for my career but he’s certainly showing me a different side of football and one I’m certainly enjoying.

“I feel as if I’ve got so much left to learn but, even at 28, there’s so much more learning to do. Hopefully the progress can continue and myself and others can continue to improve.”

Fulham forward Willian is delighted to have proved detractors wrong in his return to the Premier League this campaign.

The 34-year-old spent seven seasons at Chelsea and joined Arsenal in 2020, where his three-year agreement was cut short by mutual consent after just one season.

Some wondered if that unhappy spell at the Emirates would mark the end of the Brazil international’s time in the English top flight before Marco Silva’s side  snapped him up on a one-year deal set to expire in June.

Willian, who picked up an assist in Fulham’s 2-2 draw with Crystal Palace, said: “When I left Chelsea, Arsenal, it didn’t work, you know, and then I went back to Brazil. I think some people did think I was finished but I proved, not for them but for me, that I can play in the Premier League again.

“I’m proud to be doing what I have been doing this season. I think a lot of people didn’t believe that I can come back to the Premier League and do the same job that I had been doing a lot of years ago, I’m proud of it as well and I just want to keep playing with a smile on my face. ”

The assist brought Willian’s campaign tally to four, having also netted five goals across 26 appearances for the Cottagers. He would have made it six against Palace but for Sam Johnstone’s fingertip save of his skilled effort.

Fulham have one more attempt to match or break their all-time Premier League points tally, 53. That record was set in 2008-09 under Roy Hodgson, who occupied the visitors’ dugout on Saturday.

Willian’s side currently sit 10th with 52 points, and will look to make history against Manchester United on Sunday, the Brazilian vowing “we still have to believe we can break the record, so let’s do it.”

After that, he added: “I have a contract until the end of June, I don’t know what’s going to happen. Of course it’s some place that I feel good here to play (at). I have to speak to the club to see the situation. Let’s see what’s going to happen.”

Eberechi Eze has been one of the brightest sparks for Palace this season with a team-leading 10 goals and four assists, renewing calls for Gareth Southgate to consider him for an England call-up this summer.

The arrival of Hodgson back at Selhurst Park further fuelled the midfielder, who admitted he may be playing the best football of his life.

Asked how much he’s enjoying himself right now, Eze replied: “Loads, loads. I feel like I’ve got the freedom to play, to do my thing and I’m just happy to be playing and enjoying my football.

“I just feel like I’ve been given the freedom. I found it difficult at times, as a team we were going through a tough period so that’s natural, but since the gaffer has come in I feel like we have worked well together.

“I’ve obviously played with him before, so I understand what he wants and where he wants me to be, so I think that’s helped.

“I want to continue to play how I’ve been playing, I want to continue enjoying it, contributing to the game as much as I can and I feel like that is the most important thing.”

Sean Dyche fired a warning to Everton’s relegation rivals and vowed his side are alive and kicking ahead of ‘Survival Sunday’.

The Toffees’ last-gasp 1-1 draw at Wolves on Saturday saw them grab what could be a priceless point, with Yerry Mina equalising seconds from the end of nine minute of stoppage time.

Leeds’ 3-1 defeat at West Ham on Sunday left the Toffees two points clear of the Premier League’s bottom three, although if Leicester beat Newcastle on Monday the Foxes will go above Everton on goal difference.

Everton host Bournemouth in Sunday’s finale but boss Dyche believes their battling point at Molineux proves his side are up for the final fight.

“It sends another message that we’re alive and ready, we’re taking it on,” he said.

“We’ve had a few question marks over ourselves and things that have got away from us, but there’s been a lot of good.

“I’ve reminded the players, there are a lot of good players. They are seeing through the challenges, which I’ve spoken to them at length about.

“See through the noise, forget about that. Look at what’s around us, look at the players we’ve got. I was pleased with them on Saturday, not just for the bigger situation.

“A point doesn’t sound a lot – maybe at this stage it is – but also their performance, the will and demand.

“It’s not always about tactics. It can be, but it’s about the will and demand of a group. That was on show to get something out of a game which looked like it was going away from us.

“The consistency of my message to the players has been very similar. Generally there have been tactical and personnel tweaks but the underlying message has been very consistent. The mentality has got stronger and stronger, particularly away from home.

“I think there’s been an obvious shift, but it means nothing unless we take care of ourselves next week.”

Everton went into stoppage time trailing to Hwang Hee-Chan’s first-half opener, but Mina scored with six seconds left of the initial nine added.

It still means their fate is out of their hands until Leicester finish against Newcastle on Monday and Dyche knows it will be difficult to keep his players away from the distractions this week.

He added: “It’s not very easy nowadays because there’s media everywhere. Everyone’s a journo now, it’s not just you guys (the press).

“Everyone with their phone, everyone who wanders around the Trafford Centre. Everyone has an opinion on something, but it’s part of being a modern footballer, manager or coach. It’s the way it is, you adapt. We all know it’s there.”

Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka is defiant in his belief that Mikel Arteta is the right man to take the club forward.

The Gunners’ Premier League title hopes ended on Saturday when they lost 1-0 at Nottingham Forest, which saw Manchester City crowned champions for a fifth time in six seasons.

They sat on top of the league for 248 days of the season and had an eight-point lead over City in March, but despite their late capitulation Arteta’s side have won acclaim for their progress this season.

When asked whether he thought Arteta was the man to lead the pursuit of City, he said: “You can forget this question – he is more than the right manager for this team.”

The Gunners have faltered badly in their last eight games, winning just twice, but Xhaka says this season has to be the blueprint for progression.

“We don’t need to forget how we work for the last 11 months,” he said.

“Even when we lost now in the last two games, of course the people see what happens now, but don’t forget the 11 months we worked.

“If someone told us before the season that we will be here, I think everyone would sign it. Our goal for sure was to be back in the top four. Now we are second. Of course when you are so close to the title you want to win the title.

“But we are there where we are, deserve to be where we are, and let’s see what happens next season. We have to go and do the next step.”

Forest’s victory meant that they stayed up against the odds in their first season back in the Premier League.

They did it the hard way, having signed 30 new players across the two transfer windows and were on an 11-game winless run up until the end of April.

But 10 points from the last five games has seen them move out of the relegation zone and midfielder Ryan Yates was happy to prove people wrong.

“That’s what it’s all about,” he said. “I have had a lot of that individually, this season is no different. That was always going to come with the amount of players brought in and the amount of money spent.

“During those periods we have had, we have had to show real togetherness and resilience.

“All credit to the manager, because he has really instilled that belief in us that we can still achieve. This is really special, let’s kick on again next season.”

Club professional Michael Block’s fairytale week at the US PGA Championship continued with a hole-in-one in Sunday’s final round at Oak Hill.

Playing alongside four-time major winner Rory McIlroy, Block’s tee shot on the par-three 15th slammed straight into the hole for an eagle to get him back to level par for the day.

The 46-year-old, who is the head professional at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in California, struggled to believe what had just happened, saying: “No, no. No way. Rory did it go in?”

After retrieving his ball Block realised that it had damaged the hole and that there would be a slight delay while that was repaired.

“I will cause that delay every time, I don’t care,” he told his caddie.

Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior has said racism is ‘normal’ in LaLiga after allegedly being subjected to chants during their game at Valencia.

The game was paused after the break as Vinicius pointed out to the referee those who were allegedly abusing him in the stands at the Mestalla.

The 22-year-old was then sent off for violent conduct in added time of Real’s 1-0 defeat following an altercation with striker Hugo Duro.

In a statement on Instagram, Vinicius said: “It wasn’t the first time, not the second and not the third. Racism is normal in LaLiga.

“The competition thinks it’s normal, so does the Federation and the opponents encourage it. I am so sorry.

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A post shared by Vinicius Jr. ⚡️?? (@vinijr)

“The championship that once belonged to Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Cristiano (Ronaldo) and (Lionel) Messi, today belongs to the racists.

“A beautiful nation, which welcomed me and I love, but which accepted to export the image to the world from a racist country.

“Sorry for the Spaniards who do not agree, but today, in Brazil, Spain is known as a country of racists.

“And unfortunately with everything that happens on a weekly basis, I have no way to defend. I agree. But I’m strong and will go to the end against the racists. Even though it’s far from here.”

Valencia released a statement on their club website condemning what happened and confirming they will investigate what happened.

“Valencia CF wishes to publicly condemn any type of insult, attack or disqualification in football,” the statement read.

“The Club, in its commitment to the values ​​of respect and sport, publicly reaffirms its position against physical and verbal violence in stadiums and regrets the events that occurred during the LaLiga matchday 35 match against Real Madrid.

“Although this is an isolated episode, insults to any player from the rival team have no place in football and do not fit in with the values ​​and identity of Valencia CF.

“The Club is investigating what happened and will take the most severe measures. In the same way, Valencia CF condemns any offense and also requests the utmost respect for our fans.

“Apart from these isolated incidents, Valencia CF would like to thank the more than 46,000 fans for their assistance and support for the team in the game this Sunday, May 21.”

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Former England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand took to Instagram in support of Vinicius and questioned player protection.

“Bro you need protecting….who is protecting Vinicius Junior in Spain??” Ferdinand posted.

“He receives a red card after being choked and receiving racial abuse during the game… wtf.

“How many times do we need to see this young man subjected to this s**t?? I see pain, I see disgust, I see him needing help… and the authorities don’t do s**t to help him.

“People need to stand together and demand more from the authorities that run our game.

“No one deserves this, yet you are allowing it. There needs to be a unified approach to this otherwise it will be swept under the carpet AGAIN.”

Diego Lopez got the only goal of the game in the 33rd minute for the home side.

Kylian Mbappe scored twice as Paris Saint-Germain closed in on the Ligue 1 title with a close-fought 2-1 win over Auxerre.

The France captain struck a brace inside the opening eight minutes at Stade de l'Abbe-Deschamps, who responded through Lassine Sinayoko in the second half.

Reigning champions PSG subsequently regain their six-point cushion at the Ligue 1 summit, and require just one point from their final two games to successfully defend their crown.

Meanwhile, 16th-place Auxerre remain just a point above the relegation zone after suffering their first defeat in eight home matches.

Mbappe broke the deadlock in the sixth minute, latching onto Fabian Ruiz’s pass and exquisitely twisting and turning away from his marker before poking a shot into the top corner.

The France captain doubled his side’s advantage two minutes later, bending in a brilliant first-time effort from 20 yards after Hugo Ekitike neatly dummied Lionel Messi's pass.

Messi also went close for the visitors when he shot straight at Ionut Radu, but it was not all one-way traffic as the hosts threatened through Rayan Raveloson, who rattled the crossbar from 25 yards out.

Auxerre pulled a goal back seven minutes after the restart. Nuno da Costa flicked Radu's long goal kick into the path of Sinayoko, who raced away from the defence before drilling past Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Mbappe looked to have found his hat-trick late in injury time, only for VAR to overrule his finish, but PSG side clung on regardless to move closer to another triumph.

Brooks Koepka stumbled after a flying start to set up the prospect of a thrilling finish to the 105th US PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

Koepka took a one-shot lead over Corey Conners and Viktor Hovland into the final round, six weeks after enjoying double that advantage following 54 holes of the Masters.

The four-time major winner carded a closing 75 at Augusta National to finish second to Jon Rahm and felt he had “choked” under pressure, but looked set to exorcise those demons in style when he stormed out of the blocks on Sunday.

Koepka holed from four feet for birdie at both the second and third and completed the hat-trick from double the distance on the par-five fourth.

Hovland also birdied the fourth to remain three behind and picked up another shot on the next to close the gap after Koepka’s own attempt had caught the edge of the hole and stayed out.

Koepka showed a first sign of frailty with a pushed drive into Allen’s Creek on the difficult sixth hole, the resulting bogey allowing Hovland to get within a shot after he saved par from a greenside bunker.

Both players then bogeyed the seventh to bring several players back into contention, with Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau both three off the lead.

World number one Rahm, commentating for CBS following a closing 71 which left him seven over par, had been full of praise for Koepka after his blistering start.

“He is a player that, when he gets in contention, is like a shark in the water,” Rahm said.

“He smells blood, especially on these types of courses. It suits his mentality of being even keel, plodding along and taking opportunities when they come.

“He came out aggressive and I don’t think people realise how dangerous some of these hole locations are. To be that precise (on the second) to give yourself three feet straight up the hill is incredible.”

Open champion Cameron Smith had recorded the lowest round of the week to date with a closing 65 and insisted no-one should be surprised that he and fellow LIV players were able to compete at the highest level.

“I gave up on that narrative about six months ago,” Smith said with a smile. “I think there’s been a few guys that have been trying to kick it along a little bit.

“We’re still out there. We haven’t forgot how to play golf. We’re all great golfers out there, and we know what we can do, and I think that’s what we’re trying to do.”

England’s Tyrrell Hatton was left to rue a nightmare opening round of 77 after subsequent scores of 68, 69 and 67 proved what was possible and left him on course to finish just outside the top 10.

Pep Guardiola insisted Manchester City’s latest Premier League title success should not be demeaned by suggestions Arsenal ‘bottled it’ in the run-in.

Yet the City boss conceded his side would need to go on to win the Champions League to be regarded among the greats.

City were confirmed as English champions for a fifth time in six years and a third season in succession after Arsenal lost to Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

The Gunners had led City by eight points as recently as last month but their form deserted them at a crucial stage.

Guardiola, however, paid tribute to his former assistant Mikel Arteta’s team after City celebrated their triumph with a 1-0 victory over Chelsea on Sunday.

Guardiola said: “There’s a tendency to underestimate. They are winners.

“We pushed Arsenal but they are exceptional. They should be proud of where they have come from. They have to sustain it, that is the reality, but for me they are winners.

“They made me think a lot what I had to do to beat them, and they did it to us. Our relentlessness and not giving up, and having the feeling that we had to win otherwise it would not be possible, helped us a lot.

“With the relationship I have with Mikel – congratulations for what they’ve done. He’s brought them back to what Arsenal was in the past.

“Similar to Liverpool in previous seasons, they took us to our limits.”

City hope the Premier League will prove the first leg of a glorious treble, with the FA Cup and Champions League finals to follow next month.

Guardiola, who won the European competition twice as Barcelona manager, said: “We have the feeling we have done something exceptional in terms of the Premier League, but of course to be considered one of the greatest in Europe we have to win the Champions League.

“Otherwise people will say our time here is not complete.”

City have now won 12 Premier League games in succession in their charge to the title but Guardiola denied that would make their latest title win more special than the others.

He said: “I’d not say it is more important. The Premier Leagues have been so tight, so this is not more special than the others. Every one is.”

Chelsea’s interim manager Frank Lampard, whose side were beaten by an early Julian Alvarez strike, believes his side can learn a lot from the champions.

The Stamford Bridge side’s season has been a huge disappointment, with a top-10 finish beyond them, but Lampard admits a huge amount has to change for them to even get close to their rivals.

“Man City have not won three in a row through trotting out at half-intensity. To get to this level where you are lifting trophies there is a lot of work,” he said.

“Everyone’s personal responsibility is ‘if I want to get to be like (Erling) Haaland and (Kevin) De Bruyne I need to put in the work those boys have put in’.

“It is in their hands. I can’t say that how long it will take, it is down to the players, the direction of the club. To get where Manchester City are a lot of things have to align.

“There is clearly talent in the squad, young talent, maybe a lack of stability and imbalance and they are maybe club issues.”

Manchester City’s stars hailed the club as “unstoppable” and one of the best teams in Premier League history after they clinched their fifth title in six years.

Arsenal’s loss to Nottingham Forest on Saturday ensured City could not be beaten, and they sealed the achievement in style by defeating Chelsea 1-0 for their 12th consecutive league win.

Defender Kyle Walker told Sky Sports: “Obviously every one is a very special moment. I think to not be sitting at the top of the league for as long as we were, I think it was 11 points at one stage, so to then come back just needing a victory out of one of the three games, it’s brilliant.

“This group of lads are second to none. They’re professionals, they’re winners, and I think that’s how we get across the line more times than not. But we’re not finished. We’ve got the FA Cup against our bitter rivals Manchester United and then we’ve got the Champions League final.”

City face United in the FA Cup final on June 3 before meeting Inter Milan a week later as they chase a first Champions League crown.

“It would be fantastic but there’s a lot of football to be played before we can start saying about the treble,” said Walker.

“We’ve got two massive finals. I think, just for this club and this group of lads that I’ve been involved with for six years, to say we’re up there with one of the greatest Premier League teams of all time, I think we have to go and conquer some of that.

“To go and get this, I think we can really stamp our mark on being one of the
greatest teams of all-time in the Premier League.”

Jack Grealish has been a key player in their recent winning run, and he said of his second Premier League title: “Obviously it’s different. For me personally, I feel this year especially I’ve played much more of a part.

“I feel good in myself, I feel confident, back to my normal self and what I knew I could do.”

Asked if City feel invincible, the England forward added: “It’s mad because I spoke to some of the lads not long ago and I said, ‘Imagine if someone would have said to you to win the league you’ve got to go and win 12 games in a row?’

“I’m not saying I didn’t think we could do it but it was going to be difficult. We’ve got so much talent in this squad and I think at the moment we feel unstoppable.”

It was a first title for goal machine Erling Haaland, who said: “(It’s) a dream. I don’t know what to say. It’s just unreal and I’m so happy. These are memories I will remember for the rest of my life. We’ve been fighting so hard.

“Debut season, 36 goals so far, Premier League trophy and two finals left – not a bad start.”

Kevin De Bruyne is now an old hand at winning titles with City, and he added: “I know people expect us to win a lot but we work every day for this and a lot of people sacrifice for us so we’re very grateful.

“I think sometimes it’s more tough mentally than it is physically because you have to go again, again, again, but the team is hungry. I want to win more and keep going while I still can.”

The emotions were a little different for midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who finally made his first Premier League start for the club.

“Obviously it was a great feeling,” he said. “When I came in this morning the manager told me I was playing and I was just happy, to be honest.

“But I was happy because we won the league the night before and I knew there might be a chance I could play. I just went home, relaxed, and I enjoyed every moment out here.

“It’s been unbelievably tough, it’s probably been one of the lowest points in myself, confidence-wise, in my career. But, with the guys around me, the leaders that have kept me going, they told me I’d get my chance and luckily today I did.

“I’m very lucky that I’ve got the guys around me to keep pushing me and working me as hard as possible.”