Manchester City took control of the Premier League title race with a 3-0 win over Chelsea, putting more pressure on leaders Arsenal and Blues manager Liam Rosenior.
Arsenal suffered a tense defeat at Bournemouth on Saturday, which opened the door for Pep Guaridola’s side. By contrast, City entered the second half at Stamford Bridge in an inauspicious position ahead of the live title clash between the top two sides. sky sports Next Sunday.
One side was overwhelmed by the pressure this weekend, while the other thrived when it mattered.
It’s still in Arsenal’s hands. But it’s also in the City. They trail the Gunners by six points but have a game in hand with a chance to beat their rivals at the Etihad.
“Are you watching Arsenal?” The cheers galvanized the traveling City fans. They’ve seen their side overhaul the north Londoners before, but if Guardiola and City pull it off, this could be the most surprising turnaround.
Rayan Cherki’s brilliance encapsulates the contrast in the positions the two sides currently find themselves in. Arsenal’s open play attack lacks inspiration, while City’s No.10 is tearing the defense apart.
His invited cross was converted by Nico O’Reilly six minutes into the second half. The teenager has a habit of scoring big headed goals after scoring twice in the Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal, but limping off afterwards had a negative impact on City.
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Nico O’Reilly scores in Manchester City’s Premier League match against Chelsea.
Cerky had another try six minutes after the opening, dribbling across the Chelsea box before poking the ball home to Marc Guehi, who finished like the centre-forward.
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Marc Guehi scored Manchester City’s second goal against Chelsea shortly after Nico O’Reilly had revealed the scoresheet.
The Frenchman then assisted the winger to add a third when Jeremy Doku bundled in Moises Caicedo’s ball. It was only natural that Guardiola gave Cherki a big hug when he was sent off after winning the game.
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Jeremy Doku found the gap and scored Manchester City’s third goal against Chelsea.
City’s win was all the more impressive given what it meant for Chelsea and their challenge for a top five place. Expect Rosenior to be scrutinized. His side are currently four points behind Liverpool in the final Champions League qualifiers. They have lost their last three in the league.
Chelsea fans even went so far as to mock themselves as ‘Oles’ when the home team passed the ball at the last minute. Inevitably, there were boos even at full time.
Chelsea looked threatening in the first half, with Mark Cucurella’s strike ruled out for offside, Pedro Neto testing Gianluigi Donnarumma and Robert Sánchez stopping Bernardo Silva’s warning shot at the other end.
But as City advanced in the second half, Chelsea were overwhelmed. The gap between the teams was stark. The gap between City and Arsenal is now much closer.
More to follow…
