He put up a valiant fight, but Mathew Ryan could do nothing to prevent Manchester City from pipping Liverpool to the English Premier League title with a 4-1 win over Brighton & Hove Albion on Monday morning (AEST).
Liverpool fans around the globe were hoping and praying the Brighton and Caltex Socceroos goalkeeper could thwart Pep Guardiola’s City side when they travelled to Falmer Stadium on the final day of the season.
Ryan had already thwarted an attempt from Raheem Sterling before the Seagulls broke the deadlock via Glen Murray, but City roared back and clinched their fourth Premier League title through Sergio Aguero, Aymeric Laporte, Riyad Mahrez and Ilkay Gungodan.
City’s total of 98 points is the joint-second highest for any team in English top-flight history. Ryan and Brighton finished 17th, and having secured promotion from the Championship in 2016/17 are set to eat at English football’s top table for a third consecutive season.
Meanwhile, Aaron Mooy’s Huddersfield Town bid the Premier League farewell with a 1-1 draw against Southampton. The Terriers were relegated in March, but made their final act in the top-flight a hard-earned point at St. Mary’s after Nathan Redmond’s wonder-strike for the Saints was cancelled out by Alex Pritchard.
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Rogic's Celtic beaten in Old Firm clash
A disappointing end to the Premier League season for Liverpool then, but former captain Steven Gerrard enjoyed a fine day out as his Rangers side beat Tom Rogic’s Celtic 2-0 in the season's final Old Firm derby on Sunday evening (AEST).
Goals from James Tavernier and Scott Arfield were enough for Rangers to clinch back-to-back wins over Celtic for the first time since the 2011/12 season.
Rogic played 71 minutes for Neil Lennon’s side, who had secured their eighth consecutive Scottish Premiership last time out.
Mabil scores from the spot in Midtjylland rout
Awer Mabil and FC Midtjylland warmed up for next Saturday’s Danish Cup Final – and exacted some revenge on FC Copenhagen – by hammering the newly-crowned Danish Superliga champions 4-0 on Monday morning (AEST).
Midtjylland conceded the title to their rivals from the capital last week, but consigned Copenhagen to their first league defeat since September, with Mabil netting a late penalty and Paul Onuacho, Evander and Gustav Wikheim also getting in on the action.
Midtjylland face Brondby in the Danish Cup Final next Saturday (kick-off 1:00am AEST).
Jeggo haunts former employers Sturm Graz
James Jeggo and Austria Wien have UEFA Europa League football in their sights following a 3-1 win over former club Sturm Graz.
Jeggo was an unused substitute for his side’s previous two fixtures but enjoyed a fine day against the side he won the Austrian Cup with little more than a year ago.
It leaves The Violets on course for a UEFA Europa League qualifier – likely to be against Sturm Graz – with two matches of the season remaining.
Title twist for Vukovic
There could be a late twist in the Belgian Pro League title race after Club Brugge scored three goals in 15 second-half minutes against Genk to defeat Danny Vukovic’s side 3-2 on Monday morning (AEST).
A win in the first-versus-second clash for Vukovic would have secured Genk’s first title since 2011, and they looked on course to achieve that feat when Sebastien Dewaest broke the deadlock after three minutes.
But Hans Vanaken, Lois Openda and Krepin Diatta all scored for Brugge before Mbwana Samatta netted a late consolation, ensuring Genk’s rivals trail them by three points with two fixtures remaining.
PSV concede Eredivisie title to Ajax
Ajax are set to be crowned Eredivisie champions after Trent Sainsbury and Aziz Behich’s PSV Eindhoven slipped to a shock 1-0 loss at AZ Alkmaar on Sunday morning (AEST).
Behich was an unused substitute for Mark van Bommel’s side, while Sainsbury was not in the match day squad.
Ajax, who beat Utretch 4-1 on Sunday, enter the final round of fixtures on Thursday morning with a three-point advantage and a goal difference better by 14.
Alex Gersbach’s NAC Breda were relegated after losing 2-1 to Heerenveen. The Caltex Socceroos left back was an unused substitute.
Langerak continues to defy opponents in Japan
Mitch Langerak’s excellent start to the J-League season with Nagoya Grampus continued with a 2-0 win over Andrew Nabbout’s Urawa Red Diamonds on Sunday afternoon (AEST).
First-half goals from Mateus dos Santos Castro and Jo clinched a seventh win of the campaign for Langerak’s side, who are in second and trail leaders FC Tokyo by four points after 11 rounds.
The clean sheet was Langerak’s fifth of the season.
