Erling Haaland, Manchester City player, during the English Premier League match against Arsenal. (AP photo)
Manchester City took control of the English Premier League title race with a decisive 2-1 win over Arsenal on Sunday, dealing a huge blow to Arsenal’s dwindling title ambitions.As the season entered its decisive phase, Erling Haaland proved the difference, scoring the winning goal in the 65th minute after a tense and error-filled match.
The result leaves Manchester City in first place to reclaim the title, while Arsenal’s long wait for the league title – which dates back to 2004 – looks set to continue.Go beyond boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!Arsenal have been top for months but stumble at the worst possible time. The visitors briefly found hope when Kai Havertz capitalized on a rare error from City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma to cancel out Rayyan Chergui’s opener.
But Haaland’s final touch restored City’s advantage and decided the match in the end.In an exciting end, Arsenal had a golden opportunity to save a point, but Havertz headed home from close range, leaving coach Mikel Arteta on his knees in frustration.The win means that if City beats Burnley in their postponed match, Pep Guardiola’s team will rise to the top, putting them firmly on their way to securing their seventh league title in nine seasons.
But Guardiola called for caution. “Momentum changes in an instant,” he said, warning that the race was not over yet despite City’s superiority.Arteta admitted that his team missed a great opportunity. “We came very close but not enough, we have to accept that we lost a big game,” he said, while insisting that Arsenal still believes they can respond in the remaining matches.
Liverpool The thrilling edge of derby, the brilliance of the villa and the jungle
Elsewhere, Liverpool boosted its bid for a Champions League qualification spot with a thrilling 2-1 win over Everton, scored by Virgil van Dijk with a header in the 100th minute.Mohamed Salah had given Liverpool the lead before Everton responded through Beto, but Van Dijk’s late brilliance secured three crucial points that moved Liverpool seven points clear of sixth-placed Chelsea.Aston Villa also maintained their place in the top four, surviving scares to beat Sunderland 4-3, with Tammy Abraham scoring an injury-time winner after Ollie Watkins had scored twice.At the other end, Nottingham Forest boosted their survival hopes, as Morgan Gibbs-White scored a hat-trick in a 4-1 win over Burnley, piling pressure on struggling Tottenham.