City on brink of title after Arsenal rocked by Brighton
Manchester City are on the brink of winning the Premier League title after Arsenal crashed to a shock 3-0 defeat against Brighton on Sunday.
1 year ago
Mikel Arteta's side were rocked by second half goals from Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan at the Emirates Stadium. Second placed Arsenal trail City by four points and a defeat for the Gunners at Nottingham Forest on Saturday would hand Pep Guardiola's men their fifth title in six years.
Fired by Ilkay Gundogan's brace and Erling Haaland's latest goal, City's 3-0 win at Everton earlier on Sunday had moved them within touching distance of the title. Arsenal's dismal loss makes the silverware almost certain to remain in Manchester.
Even if Arsenal beat Forest, City will be champions for a third successive season if they defeat Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in their next game on 21st May.
Speaking after City's win at Goodison Park, Guardiola revelled in his team's ability to dominate in the title race while also competing for the Champions League and the FA Cup. City host Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final second leg on Wednesday with the tie level at 1-1 and face Manchester United in the FA Cup final.
"It's a dream come true being here. The only team in Europe to be fighting in all competitions. From minute one we took the game in our hands. It was a brilliant performance at the end of the season," Guardiola said.
"Still it is not over, in the Premier League is it never over. I said to the players try to relax and just do what you have done for the last four or five years."
City have three games to play, with the Chelsea clash followed by trips to Brighton and Brentford, while Arsenal have just a home match against Wolves after their trip to Forest.
While battle-tested City are powering towards the finish line, Arsenal's young team have choked away their bid to win a first title since 2004. Arsenal's recent four-game winless run, including a 4-1 thrashing at City, allowed their rivals to seize top spot, an opportunity they have exploited in ruthless fashion.
"We have a very experienced team and it's not really a new situation to us, competing for the last few games of the season with someone else. The margin for mistakes is very slim, we know that, and that we were able to live these moments already in the past helps us a lot," City midfielder Gundogan said.
Fired by Ilkay Gundogan's brace and Erling Haaland's latest goal, City's 3-0 win at Everton earlier on Sunday had moved them within touching distance of the title. Arsenal's dismal loss makes the silverware almost certain to remain in Manchester.
Even if Arsenal beat Forest, City will be champions for a third successive season if they defeat Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium in their next game on 21st May.
Speaking after City's win at Goodison Park, Guardiola revelled in his team's ability to dominate in the title race while also competing for the Champions League and the FA Cup. City host Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final second leg on Wednesday with the tie level at 1-1 and face Manchester United in the FA Cup final.
"It's a dream come true being here. The only team in Europe to be fighting in all competitions. From minute one we took the game in our hands. It was a brilliant performance at the end of the season," Guardiola said.
"Still it is not over, in the Premier League is it never over. I said to the players try to relax and just do what you have done for the last four or five years."
City have three games to play, with the Chelsea clash followed by trips to Brighton and Brentford, while Arsenal have just a home match against Wolves after their trip to Forest.
While battle-tested City are powering towards the finish line, Arsenal's young team have choked away their bid to win a first title since 2004. Arsenal's recent four-game winless run, including a 4-1 thrashing at City, allowed their rivals to seize top spot, an opportunity they have exploited in ruthless fashion.
"We have a very experienced team and it's not really a new situation to us, competing for the last few games of the season with someone else. The margin for mistakes is very slim, we know that, and that we were able to live these moments already in the past helps us a lot," City midfielder Gundogan said.
Comments