In the position of the hunter, City is making its effort like an 800m runner in the final stretch. By winning with authority against Arsenal (4-1), under the leadership of a sparkling Kevin de Bruyne, Manchester City may have tipped the race for the English title by returning to two points behind the Gunners , Wednesday, during the 33rd day, with two games behind.
Manchester City now have a hand in retaining their title, even if their schedule is very busy, with 10 matches still to be played in the five and a half weeks remaining in the season, or even 11 if they qualify for the final of the Champions League by leaving Real Madrid in the half.
After conceding three draws in the last three days and seeing their lead dwindle, this match confirmed that Arsenal are no longer the team that, a month ago, knew how to force the decision. Conversely, City, who have taken 28 points out of a possible 30 over the last 10 days, are sprinting towards their fifth title in six years, producing their effort in the home straight with the ease of a regular “money time”. “.
Haaland distributes the caviars
This match will also have been a brilliant demonstration of what Erling Haaland can bring, in addition to goals, to this team, offering solutions in the long game to beat the opposing pressure which City did not necessarily have before.
Long in check in front of Aaron Ramsdale (28th, 42nd, 53rd) or awkward (36th), before closing the mark in added time (4-1, 90 + 5), Haaland above all offered a recital of discounts and openings who notably offered two goals to De Bruyne.
From the 7th minute, with his back to the goal and the duel with Rob Holding, he temporized perfectly before serving “KDB” who played Gabriel to place a devilishly precise shot from 20 meters along the post (1-0) . And in the 54th, facing the game, this time, he again fixed the opposing defense well before ideally shifting the Belgian who scored by hitting between the legs of Holding (3-0).
Meanwhile, on a free kick, the “divine redhead” had dropped the ball on the head of John Stones who had in return dropped it into the opposing side net, even if it took the intervention of the VAR to convince the referee that the defender was indeed a fraction of a millimeter behind the last defender when the ball started (2-0, 45+1).
The good operation of the Reds
Four minutes from the end, while City was preparing for its upcoming deadlines, Holding reduced the score (3-1). But that does not prevent Mikel Arteta from suffering his 7th defeat in as many matches against his former mentor, while Arsenal are in their 12th consecutive defeat in the league against the Citizens who also beat him in the Cup this season.
In the other evening matches, Liverpool made an excellent operation by winning 2-1 at West Ham, despite a quick opener from former Lyonnais Lucas Paqueta. The Reds are 6th on goal difference ahead of Tottenham who host Manchester United on Thursday, the two teams having 53 points and the same number of matches.
Chelsea continue to brood, beaten at home by Brentford (2-0), while Nottingham Forest temporarily extricated themselves from the red zone by beating Brighton (3-1), no doubt worn out by their Cup semi-final of England lost on penalties to Manchester United on Sunday.