Manchester Metropolis took management of the Premier League title race as Kevin De Bruyne scored twice in a dominant 4-1 win over leaders Arsenal to shut in on retaining their crown.
Arsenal maintain a two-point lead on the prime of the desk however Metropolis have two video games in hand, which means Pep Guardiola’s males can afford to lose one in all their remaining seven matches and nonetheless declare a fifth title in six seasons.
The Gunners’ problem to win the league for the primary time in 19 years had already come off the rails previous to their journey to the Etihad as Mikel Arteta’s males have now did not win of their final 4 video games.
However for the primary time this season they had been really outclassed as Metropolis flexed their muscle mass.
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Kevin De Bruyne celebrates scoring Manchester Metropolis’s first purpose on the Etihad Stadium.
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The arrival of Erling Haaland has introduced a brand new dimension to a facet that was already the dominant pressure of the English recreation.
Haaland set a brand new document of 33 Premier League targets in a 38-game season deep into stoppage time to take his tally in all competitions for the marketing campaign to 49.
However the Norwegian confirmed there’s extra to his recreation than targets with a chic contact that set De Bruyne away to twist the opening purpose past Aaron Ramsdale after simply seven minutes.
Arsenal by no means recovered from that nightmare begin and had been lucky to not be blown away earlier than half-time.
Ben White’s last-ditch block denied De Bruyne an virtually carbon copy of his first purpose after being let out in behind by Haaland.
Ramsdale then single-handedly saved Arsenal within the recreation and Haaland at bay with a hat-trick of saves from the towering 22-year-old.
However there was no reprieve when John Stones headed in De Bruyne’s free-kick in first-half stoppage time and a VAR overview adjudged the England defender was onside.
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John Stones scoring Manchester Metropolis’s second purpose.
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Ramsdale continued to win his battle with Haaland after the break when the Metropolis striker galloped clear by way of from Ederson’s lengthy ball.
However Arsenal misplaced the battle as Haaland teed up De Bruyne as soon as extra to search out the underside nook by way of a nutmeg on Rob Holding on 54 minutes.
Holding has been the scapegoat for Arsenal’s defensive woes in current weeks as he has struggled to exchange the injured William Saliba.
Arteta’s males have now conceded 10 occasions of their final 4 video games and face an enormous problem to boost themselves within the closing weeks of the marketing campaign to maintain any type of stress on Metropolis.
Arsenal did a minimum of get on the scoresheet 4 minutes from time by way of the unlikely determine of Holding when the centre-back smashed dwelling.
However even when there’s an Arsenal response, Metropolis look imperious as they shut in on not solely a 3rd consecutive Premier League title, however a treble.
A gathering with Actual Madrid within the Champions League semi-finals seems the largest hurdle subsequent month with a FA Cup closing towards native rivals Manchester United to comply with on June 3.
Haaland supplied the ultimate flourish with nearly the final kick of the sport when he lastly obtained the higher of Ramsdale to maneuver previous Mohamed Salah’s earlier document of 32 Premier League targets within the 2017/18 season.
– © AFP 2023
