MANCHESTER CITY 3, BRIGHTON 1
Manchester City fans bade farewell to legend Yaya Toure on another record-breaking night for the club.
City’s final home game against Brighton saw them establish three Premier League records for the most goals in a season (105), most points (97) and most wins (31).
And the 31 victories also equalled the all-time top-flight record of 31 set by Tottenham in their double-winning season of 1960/61.
It was yet another memorable night as goals from Danilo, Bernardo Silva and Fernandinho earned City another impressive victory.
But it was all about Toure who won three Premier League titles in his seven-trophy haul for the club.
Toure made his 316th and final appearance for City having joined them in 2010. And the midfielder scored a staggering 82 goals for the Blues.
When asked to pick out the most special moment at the end of the game, he selected scoring the winning goal in the 2011 FA Cup against Manchester United at Wembley.
And Toure left with a giant mosaic of his celebrations that followed that goal as well as a lifetime season card and framed shirt denoting his 316 appearances for the club.
City manager Pep Guardiola described it as a “perfect match” for Toure to leave.
“He will always be part of the club and will be loved. His speech afterwards in the changing room was absolutely amazing,” he said.
Guardiola was delighted to secure the records adding the pursuit of them helped them maintain their intensity in the games that followed winning the title.
“We have one more game left to get 100 points and finish an almost perfect season,” he continued.
Guardiola then proceeded to give a history lesson speaking about the great Liverpool side of the 1980s, Manchester United of the 1990s, Chelsea under Jose Mourinho and Arsenal’s Invincibles.
He said: “All these teams deserve to be best, but we have been better than them over one season in terms of statistics and numbers and that is we are the best and we have to be satisfied.
“We need to do it over more years to be alongside United of the 1990s or Liverpool. We have won three titles in six years, but those teams won lots of things.
“Records are there to be broken, but to beat what we have done will have to be really good.”
Guardiola also spoke of creating a legacy, believing this team can improve.
He said: “This team can be better in many, many things. Our standards are high and the club is going on the same path.”
Guardiola handed Toure his first Premier League start of the season and he was handed the captaincy for his swansong.
It was all change as the City manager made eight changes from the side that played out a home goalless draw against Huddersfield Town on Sunday.
Fernandinho, Leroy Sane and Gabriel Jesus were the only three survivors.
It was a lively start bearing in mind it was a match in which nothing was at stake.
Ilkay Gundogan had a couple of early chances for City while a drive from Brighton’s Anthony Knockaert flew narrowly wide.
The breakthrough came in the 16th minute through an unlikely source, right-back Danilo.
The Brazilian burst through on to a slide-rule pass from Sane and stroked home a third of the season and 103rd of the season to equal Chelsea’s Premier League record total.
Brighton levelled four minutes later after an error from recalled keeper Claudio Bravo who was drawn from his goal and failed to make a clearance.
Davy Propper crossed from the right for Leonardo Ulloa to head home from five yards to silence the home fans.
City soon regained the lead through Bernardo Silva who claimed the Premier League 104th goal following a fine, flowing move.
It ended with Sane cutting the ball back from the left for Silva to sweep home a shot from 15 yards low to the left of keeper Matt Ryan, his ninth goal of the campaign.
Brighton almost equalised just short after the hour when Bravo fumbled a shot from Jose Izquierdo before Knockaert blazed over from six yards, a gilt-edged chance to make it 2-2.
City put the game to bed by scoring a third goal and their 105th league goal of the campaign with 18 minutes left when, from a short corner, Sane cut the ball back to Fernandinho who found the net with a low drive from just inside the box. It was his fifth goal of the season and Sane had assisted all three goals.
Benjamin Mendy replaced Oleksandr Zinchenko, City’s first change in the 76th minute.
Toure almost marked his farewell with a late goal after a terrific, trademark forward lung-busting run and playing a return pass with Sane before firing a shot straight at Ryan.
City’s second change saw Jesus make way for young starlet Brahim Diaz then with four minutes left Toure was substituted by Lukas Nmecha as he was embraced by his team-mates before leaving the pitch.
City came within inches of a fourth goal in the 89th minute when Danilo’s well executed free kick struck the crossbar.