Manchester City gained the upper hand in the Premier League title race with a 2-1 victory over leaders Arsenal on Sunday, moving within three points of the summit while holding a game in hand.
Arsenal remain top of the table on 70 points from 33 matches, while City have 67 from 32 games. A win against Burnley on Wednesday would send Pep Guardiola’s side above Arsenal with five matches left to play.
City struck first in the 16th minute through Rayan Cherki, whose superb solo run and finish gave the hosts an early lead at the Etihad Stadium. Arsenal responded less than two minutes later when goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma hesitated over a clearance, allowing Kai Havertz to force the ball into the net for an equaliser.
After halftime, City controlled possession and increased the pressure as Arsenal retreated. Their dominance was rewarded in the 65th minute when Erling Haaland ended his recent scoring drought with a clinical finish to restore the lead and secure the win.
City created further chances through Antoine Semenyo and Jeremy Doku, while Arsenal struggled to mount a sustained response in the closing stages.
The defeat is another setback for Arsenal, who are chasing a first league title since 2004 and have now lost several key domestic matches in recent weeks. City, by contrast, continued their strong form and now appear favourites as the title race enters its decisive final stretch.
Manchester City beat stumbling Arsenal 2-1 on Sunday to seize control of the Premier League title race as Liverpool strengthened their push for a Champions League place.
Mikel Arteta’s Gunners have been in pole position for months but are wobbling at the worst time as they seek to win the English title for the first time in 22 years.
Erling Haaland was City’s matchwinner, netting in the 65th minute after Rayan Cherki’s superb opener was cancelled out by Kai Havertz, who took advantage of a huge blunder by City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma.
Arteta was on his knees in the closing moments as Havertz headed over the bar when presented with a golden chance to equalise.
Erling Haaland puts the winner past David Raya. Picture: Michael Regan/Getty Images
The result in front of City’s jubilant fans means that if Pep Guardiola’s side were to win their match at lowly Burnley in midweek, they would be top of the table.
City are now in pole position to win their seventh Premier League title in nine seasons, while Arsenal face the agony of finishing second for the fourth straight season.
But Guardiola refused to get carried away, warning that momentum can change quickly.
“They’re in the semi-finals of the Champions League, didn’t lose one game. Momentum shifts in one instant,” he told Sky Sports. “They know it.
“I have a lot of respect but, of course, we want to win. We fought a lot as well.
“For many players today, they fought for the first time for the Premier League and they felt the pressure a little bit.
“Performances were not top but that is normal, it’s the process.”
Gabriel and Erling Haaland were locked in several feuds across the game. Picture: Michael Regan/Getty Images
Just a few weeks ago, Arsenal sitting pretty in four competitions, but their season is unravelling.
They were beaten by City in the League Cup final and were knocked out of the FA Cup by second-tier Southampton, although they are through to a Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid.
The club, who have not won the Premier League since 2004, have suffered just seven defeats in 55 matches this season in all competitions, but four of those have come in their past six games.
“We went very close but not close enough and now we have to accept we lost an opportunity today, a big one, but there are still five games to go,” said Arteta.
“We need to reset and go again because there are a lot of positives to take from the game.” The Spaniard added: “We have full belief that we can do it. Today we showed again the team that we are. It’s in our hands and it’s there for the taking.”
Arsenal are in serious danger of letting the EPL title slip. Picture: Darren Staples/AFP
Earlier, Virgil van Dijk scored a 100th-minute winner in the Merseyside derby. Mohamed Salah had opened the scoring for last season’s champions but Beto levelled early in the second half for Everton.
Just a few weeks ago, the battle for the top five, which guarantees entry into the Champions League, looked as though it might be tight.
But fifth-placed Liverpool’s 2-1 victory in their first match at Everton’s new Hill Dickinson Stadium took them seven points clear of stumbling Chelsea, in sixth spot.
“Today was massive in the situation that we are, in the hunt for the Champions League spots,” van Dijk said.
“That is definitely not Liverpool-worthy, in my opinion, but it is the reality and it was important we got the win.”
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