Manchester City clinched the Premier League crown with a 4-1 thrashing of Brighton to conclude an epic title race with Liverpool. Their success is a story of mental toughness as well as technical brilliance… Three and a half months ago, on the evening of January 29, it appeared Manchester City’s title hopes might already be over. Pep Guardiola’s side had just lost 2-1 to Newcastle at St James’ Park. The next day, Liverpool would have the chance to pull seven points clear against Leicester.City retain title in style at BrightonMane stars but Liverpool win in vainA seven-point gap would have felt unassailable in a race of such extraordinarily high standards, but fatefully, Liverpool missed their opportunity, their 1-1 draw at Anfield handing City a reprieve. It will be remembered as a turning point, the moment the momentum tilted in City’s favour, but Guardiola’s men have made their own luck since then. City’s next three games pitted them against Arsenal, Everton, and Chelsea. They won all three, scoring 11 goals and only conceding one, while Liverpool dropped more points against West Ham and Manchester United. Fast forward to the present day, and City are champions – their 14-game winning run the…