Man City took control of the Premier League title race with a 3-0 win over Chelsea, increasing pressure on leaders Arsenal and Blues manager Liam Rosenior.
Arsenal suffered nerves when they lost to Bournemouth on Saturday and opened the door to Pep Guaridola’s side. City, by contrast, switched on in the second half at Stamford Bridge and powered into an eerie position ahead of next Sunday’s top two title showdown, which will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
While one team was overwhelmed by the pressure this weekend, the other team stepped up in key moments.
It’s still in Arsenal’s hands. But it’s also in the City. They are six points behind the Gunners but still have a chance to beat their rivals at the Etihad as well as the game.
“Are you watching Arsenal?” he encouraged the jubilant City fans. They’ve seen teams overhaul the North London side before, but if Guardiola and City pull it off, this could be the most incredible comeback.
Rayan Cherki’s brilliance encapsulates the contrast in the current situation for both teams. Arsenal’s open-play attack lacks inspiration, but City’s number 10 is keeping the defenders apart.
His inviting cross was converted by Nico O’Reilly six minutes into the second half. The teenager, who has a habit of scoring with his head in the win over Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final, was then seen limping off the pitch, which was a negative for City.
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Nico O’Reilly of Manchester City scores a goal against Chelsea in the Premier League.
Six minutes after scoring the opener, Cherki was at it again, dribbling across the Chelsea box and threading the ball to Marc Göch, who finished like a centre-forward.
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Shortly after Nico O’Reilly scored the opening goal, Mark Gehi scored Manchester City’s second goal against Chelsea.
The Frenchman then helped Jeremy Doku collect the ball from Moises Caicedo and add a third goal for the winger. When Cherki won the game and came on as a substitute, it was no surprise that Guardiola gave him a big hug.
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Jeremy Doku seizes the opportunity to score Manchester City’s third goal against Chelsea
City’s victory was made all the more impressive by what this match meant for Chelsea and their challenge for a top-five spot. Rosenior will likely come under scrutiny. His team currently sit four points behind Liverpool in the final spot for the Champions League. They have lost their last three league games.
Chelsea fans even chanted “Oles” to themselves when the home side passed the ball in the final minute. Inevitably, there were boos at Full Time as well.
Chelsea looked threatening in the first half, with Marc Cucurella’s shot ruled out for offside, the lively Pedro Neto testing Gianluigi Donnarumma and Roberto Sanchez saving Bernardo Silva’s warning shot at the other end.
However, when City stepped up a gear in the second half, Chelsea were blown away. The differences between the teams were obvious. The gap between City and Arsenal has now narrowed considerably.
More to come…
