Man City shrugged away the disappointment of the Champions League semifinal exit against Real Madrid to start the Premier League match at Etihad in style.
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The Premier League witnessed some major developments at the top end of the table this weekend. After this week’s results, the top four positions have begun to take shape, with those chasing the pack falling behind in the race. Manchester City have Tottenham Hotspur to praise for in the top of the table battle. Antonio Conte’s side held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw at Anfield on Saturday night. City capitalised on their rival’s slip by thrashing Newcastle United 5-0 on Sunday to gain a foothold in the title race. Pep Guardiola’s side have not only increased their lead at the top to three points but have also improved their goal difference over Liverpool. At this point, Manchester City have a goal difference of 68 compared to the Reds’ 64.
The other team to benefit from the match at Anfield was Arsenal. Mikel Arteta’s side were already leading the pack in the top four race. Hence, fifth-placed Tottenham had to win against Liverpool to stay in the hunt for Champions League football next season. As good as Spurs played, they were only able to get a draw. A point at Anfield is no easy feat, nonetheless, in the grand scheme of things, the result will not do them much favour. Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Leeds United on Sunday means the Gunners now have a four-point cushion over their London rivals. Besides, the Gunners are only one point behind third-placed Chelsea. Arteta’s side have very much come to life in the second half of the campaign.
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Coming into the match, Manchester City knew they have a great chance to extend the lead at the top, thanks to Tottenham’s draw at Liverpool on Saturday night. City shrugged away the disappointment of the heart-breaking Champions League semifinal exit against Real Madrid to start the Premier League match at Etihad in style. An explosive start to the game saw Raheem Sterling and Aymeric Laporte putting the home side 2-0 up in the first half.
At the hour mark, Rodri scored the third which more or less sealed the victory. But Manchester City were in no mood to relax, as Pep’s side added further misery to Newcastle by scoring late goals from Phil Foden and Sterling. The defending champions have now increased the lead and the goal difference over Liverpool. They are now within seven points of reclaiming the league crown. The Manchester Blues are now the heavy favourites for the title. If they manage to win the league, it would signal an end to Liverpool’s quadruple bid.
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The result at Anfield on Saturday night also helped Arsenal big time. They capitalised on Tottenham Hotspur dropping points at Liverpool by just about beating 10-man Leeds United 2-1 on Sunday. Mikel Arteta’s side had a fast start to the match. Eddie Nketiah scored a quickfire brace to get the Emirates Stadium bouncing. Things got even better for the home side when Leeds were reduced to 10 men. Luke Ayling, who fouled Gabriel Martinelli with a two-footed challenge, was sent off following VAR intervention. Diego Llorente pulled one back in the second half for the visitors but the Gunners held on to secure all three points. Arsenal now enjoy a healthy four-point lead over Tottenham, with only three games left to play.
Manchester City vs Liverpool: Talking points from the action-packed draw
