Premier League: Manchester Cit

(FILES) In this file photo taken on April 07, 2018 Manchester City fans hold up placards showing the faces of Manchester City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola (R) and Manchester United’s Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho (L) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on April 7, 2018.
Manchester City were crowned Premier League champions on April 15, 2018 as Manchester United crashed to a shock 1-0 defeat against West Bromwich Albion. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALL / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. /

Premier League: Manchester City are champions after United lose to West Brom

Manchester City have won the Premier League title with five games left – and they don’t have to win a single one of them – after their neighbours Manchester United crashed to an unlikely defeat to West Brom.

Premier League: Manchester Cit

(FILES) In this file photo taken on April 07, 2018 Manchester City fans hold up placards showing the faces of Manchester City’s Spanish manager Pep Guardiola (R) and Manchester United’s Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho (L) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on April 7, 2018.
Manchester City were crowned Premier League champions on April 15, 2018 as Manchester United crashed to a shock 1-0 defeat against West Bromwich Albion. / AFP PHOTO / Ben STANSALL / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. /

Manchester United lost 0-1 to West Brom at Old Trafford on Sunday, handing neighbours Manchester City the title on a silver platter.

Read: Premier League: EPL results and latest table, 14-15 April

Jay Rodriguez’s strike in the 73rd minute was the only thing that separated the two teams.

Just once have United lost at home to a team that started the day at the bottom of the table. West Brom had won just one game since August, but pulled off one of the most remarkable heists of the season.

City had moved within touching distance of the title with a 3-1 win at Tottenham on Saturday.

United had denied City the chance to wrap up the title last weekend when they came from two goals down to beat their bitter rivals 3-2 at the Etihad Stadium.

But Jose Mourinho’s men still ended up handing the trophy to City with a lacklustre display against bottom of the table Albion, who had won only three times in the league this season before this weekend.

City are 16 points clear of second placed United, who can only take a maximum of 15 points from their remaining five games.

Winning the title with five matches to go makes City the joint earliest champions in the Premier League era – matching the achievement of the 2000-01 Manchester United team.

City boss Pep Guardiola had planned a day of golf with his son Marius on Sunday, so the Spaniard might have learned of his first Premier League while on the course.

Speaking after the win over Tottenham, Guardiola admitted winning the title in England would be one of the greatest achievements of his glittering career.

He won three league titles with Barcelona and twice lifted the Champions League trophy during his Camp Nou reign.

With additional reporting from AFP.