“When I was a kid, it was ridiculous. Now my children witness big occasions like this’: Exultation as Manchester City win fourth consecutive Premier League title

Manchester might be quiet tomorrow, I think as I interview group after group of City fans. There is still about an hour before kick-off, the sun is beating down and the beer is flowing.

Most of these City fans have had the foresight to take Monday off work and with good reason – they’re expecting a party tonight. We’re just minutes away from the game that could see the Blues of Manchester win an unprecedented fourth successive Premier League title, and nobody here intends to see that achievement go quietly.

Pep Guardiola’s side came into the game favorites to win the title after a tight race with north London rivals Arsenal. It all came down to the final day, and for City, one simple truth – win the game, win the league. And they won.

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Speaking to the Manchester Evening News ahead of the game, City fans are nervous. Outside the Etihad, Paul Chapman – who has been in blue since 1968 – says he feels nervous but believes they will “scratch it” today.

“I’m never confident,” he added. “We should beat them, but football isn’t always like that.”

Lifelong Blue Jane Nelson came to the game with her son Alex and says she feels “terrified” before kick-off. “I think we’re going to win, but I won’t believe it until we’re 3-0 up with a minute to go,” she says.

Across town at the Waldorf, another fan says it’s “nervous”. “What if we tear them all down?” he asks.

But his fears are quickly put to rest as Stockport’s Phil Foden heads home within seconds, setting the Blues up for a top flight. After only a few minutes, Foden makes it 2-0 and I end up with water all over me. You could say there was some excitement.

“Come on town,” the fans chant on the television – a scene I’m sure is being replicated in pubs across the region. The energy shifts up and down at times, but the fans are focused to see it.

The first half ends on a quiet note with the fans after West Ham pull a goal back – but it doesn’t take long for the chants to return. We have several renditions of Blue Moon, each stronger than the last. The fans are giddy.

“City are champions again,” they hear, and with West Ham disallowed for a second goal for handball, it looks increasingly likely to be true.

For the last few minutes, the noise is ripping and relentless, and the pub is buzzing with energy. “Shit, I did it,” the man next to me sighed with relief just seconds before the final whistle.

As the final whistle blows, the pub is buzzing with energy. “City, City, City, City,” the fans chant – no other words needed.

Taking to the streets, fans talk about how much winning the record means to them. “I’ve been a City fan all my life and when we’re going out now and breaking those records that I was told we’d never do as a kid, it’s amazing,” says a fan called Callum.

“It means the world to me.” He says he forgot to take the day off work on Monday, but that’s tomorrow’s problem. Tonight is a celebration!

His words are echoed by none other than Ste Ryan, uncle of Manchester comedian Jason Manford. Speaking outside the Etihad, he told MEN: “When I was growing up it was ridiculous. Now my children witness important occasions like this.”

Others have incredibly special reasons why the title means so much to them. Tracy and Becky traveled from Doncaster today to honor Tracy’s son and brother Ryan who passed away a few years ago and was a huge City fan.

“It’s so special to us, it means a lot – we live for Ryan,” they said. Tonight, they will celebrate and remember their beloved boy.

If Manchester is quiet tomorrow, we know why – it’s going to be noisy tonight. Manchester is blue tonight.