Home ›› 28 Apr 2023 ›› Sport
Manchester City took control of the Premier League title race as Kevin De Bruyne scored twice in a dominant 4-1 win over leaders Arsenal to close in on retaining their crown as English champions on Wednesday.
Arsenal hold a two-point lead at the top of the table but City have two games in hand, meaning Pep Guardiola’s men can afford to lose one of their remaining seven matches and still claim a fifth title in six seasons.
“It’s not decisive but it’s really important to beat our rival,” said Guardiola. “The most important thing is the destiny is in our hands.”
The Gunners’ challenge to win the league for the first time in 19 years had already come off the rails prior to their trip to the Etihad as Mikel Arteta’s men have now failed to win in their last four games.
But for the first time this season they were truly outclassed as City flexed their muscles.
“The analysis is clear, the better team won the game,” said Arteta. “They were at their best, especially in the first half, and we were nowhere near our level.
“When that happens the gap becomes too big. We got punished and we could’ve been punished even more.”
The arrival of Erling Haaland has brought a new dimension to a City side that was already the dominant force of the English game.
Haaland set a new record of 33 Premier League goals in a 38-game season deep into stoppage time to take his tally in all competitions for the campaign to 49.
