EPL: Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola targets 100 points finish

Yaya Toure (second from left) embraces teammate Leroy Sane after he is subbed in his final home appearance as a Man City player during an EPL match against Brighton on Wednesday. Pic/Getty Images

Pep Guardiola is targeting 100 points to cap an almost perfect season after champions Manchester City set a hat-trick of EPL records and home fans said farewell to veteran midfielder Yaya Toure.

City's 3-1 win against Brighton on Wednesday took them to 97 points and 105 goals for the season as they registered their 31st win of the campaign - all three are new records. On his final home appearance as a City player, Toure, who is leaving the club at the end of the season after eight years, captained the side. His name was chanted throughout the contest, there was a huge cheer when he was substituted late on.

Pep Guardiola

City boss Guardiola said: "97 points, a lot of goals, a lot of wins - that's a consequence of the season we have done. It's good. Now it's one more game [away against Southampton on Sunday]. We're going to try for 100 points and finish this almost perfect season in the Premier League. "It's fantastic because we did that [break the records] in the day we always will remember - the day for Yaya."

'Need to win more titles'
Guardiola said he agreed with those who argue that City need to win more titles to be considered the equals of the great sides of the past, including Liverpool and Manchester United. "In the end, we have won one Premier League - three in six years, but in this moment just one. They won a lot of things," he said.

"But in terms of statistics and numbers, this season we were the best, and that's why we are so satisfied. Once, a team will arrive and do better than us but they will have to do really good."

Spurs rise, Chelsea fall
Meanwhile, Harry Kane fired Tottenham Hotspur into next season's Champions League as Chelsea faltered in a 1-1 draw at home to Huddersfield. A point for Huddersfield also ensured their EPL status while Swansea will join West Brom and Stoke in being relegated to the Championship. At the other end of the table, only defeat for Champions League finalists Liverpool at home to Brighton at the weekend will give Chelsea any chance of a top-four finish as their late season charge came undone at Stamford Bridge.

Spurs capitalised on Chelsea's slip-up to ensure they will have Champions League football for a third consecutive campaign. Earlier, Jamie Vardy returned to haunt Arsene Wenger on his farewell tour as Leicester cruised past 10-man Arsenal 3-1. The Gunners could still end the season pointless away from home in 2018 after Vardy netted his sixth goal in six games against Wenger to help condemn them to defeat.

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