Tough and realistic Manchester City dealt a major blow in the Premier League title race with a 3-1 win at Arsenal Stadium, where they took the lead, this Wednesday in a postponed round 12 encounter.

Thanks to a better goal difference (+36 vs. +26), the defending champions surpassed the Gunners – both teams have 51 points each, although the latter have a game less.

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Belgian Kevin De Bruyne put the defending champions in the lead (24), and English representative Bukayo Saka equalized from the penalty spot before the break (42). Already in the second half, Jack Grealish (72) and the Norwegian Erling Haaland (82) brought victory to the team led by Pep Guardiola.

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The Gunners ended up squandering their advantage in the table at the Emirates in a match in which they had the better of the first half, but they paid dearly for errors in possession against City, who improved in the second half, showing more nose and office for the claimant to succeed him on the winners’ list .

Tomiyasu’s mistake

Aware of the stakes, Arsenal started against City with a point less. But a mistake by Japan’s Takehiro Tomiyasu, who got nervous when he had to pass the ball to his goalkeeper, allowed De Bruyne to finish with the class he should have made it 1-0.

The gunners did not concede the blow and continued to press. They finally got their reward when Edward Nketiah was brought down by Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson, when the striker had already shot the ball, and Dutchman Nathan Aké cleared it on the line.

Saka, who had previously fallen asleep when the spirited choral play was about to end, equalized, fooling the Seleçao international, which did not help him mark the English winger with his hand where he wanted to shoot.

Just before the break, in a game with several rebounds, City’s Spanish midfielder Rodri hit the crossbar.

Rodri rounded off the goal

It was progress in the second half of the bright blue City: First, he was very close to a penalty, after the Brazilian Gabriel caught Haaland. Once signaled, the play went through VAR and was overturned due to millimeter offside of the attacker (56).

City dominated and showed violence in the environment. Dangerous in the air, Rodri failed to hit a good header (68).

But the trademark combination proved to be the winner: on Bernardo Silva’s recovery, the ball went from right to left through Haaland and Ilkay Gundogan until it reached Grealish, who scored with a low shot.

With the Gunners on their knees, it was time for Haaland, who finished off a well-twisted play from his regular partner Kevin De Bruyne.

Arsenal must respond after three defeats and a draw in their last four games if they are to retain their hopes of winning their first Premier League title in 19 years.. (D)