Man City have the title in their own hands.

Securing all three points against Arsenal shouldn't be too difficult a task for Man City, as the "blue half of Manchester" has already beaten the London team in both encounters earlier in the season (winning 3-1 in the first leg of the Premier League and 1-0 in the fourth round of the FA Cup). Before the rematch at the Etihad Stadium, Arsenal had dropped points in three disappointing draws against Liverpool, West Ham, and Southampton, creating unnecessary pressure on themselves ahead of the crucial match of the season against Man City.

Arsenal set a goal of winning but failed to achieve it, being completely overwhelmed and crushed by an opponent superior in every aspect. Before the match, experts mostly talked about Erling Haaland, but the real "nemesis" for Arsenal's defense was Kevin de Bruyne – the author of a brace and an assist. John Stones and Erling Haaland also managed to get their names on the scoresheet, sealing a 4-1 victory for "The Citizens".

Man City excited about the chance to defend their title. Photo: REUTERS

Manchester City extended their unbeaten run across all competitions to 17 matches, including a comfortable 3-0 win against Sheffield United to reach the FA Cup final, a 1-1 draw to eliminate Bayern Munich in the Champions League quarter-finals, and a victory against Arsenal to get back into the Premier League title race – all within the past week. While 17 matches is still a long way from breaking any records for unbeaten streaks, what has impressed experts is City's remarkably consistent performance at a time when most title contenders are showing signs of fatigue.

Man City are still unable to reclaim the top spot, trailing Arsenal by two points, but Pep Guardiola's team have two games in hand. This means that if they perform well in the remaining seven matches, Man City are guaranteed to defend their title, regardless of how Arsenal struggle. Even manager Mikel Arteta acknowledged that Arsenal did not play to their full potential against Man City and deserved to be punished.

Dong Linh

Source: https://nld.com.vn/the-thao/man-city-tu-quyet-ngoi-vo-dich-20230427212905417.htm