EPL: Man City thrash Chelsea to close gap on Arsenal in title race

Manchester City reignited their Premier League title race with a commanding 3-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, cutting the gap to leaders Arsenal.

Pep Guardiola’s side turned the game decisively in a devastating spell after half-time, with Nico O’Reilly and Marc Guehi scoring within six minutes of each other.

Jeremy Doku added a third to seal an emphatic win, ensuring City capitalised on Arsenal’s shock 2-1 home defeat to Bournemouth a day earlier.

Second-placed City are now just six points behind Arsenal with a game in hand, setting up a potentially decisive showdown at the Etihad Stadium on April 19.

Having already beaten Arsenal in the League Cup final and thrashed Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals, City appear to be peaking at a crucial stage of the season.

Their title push had shown signs of stalling after successive draws against West Ham and Nottingham Forest, and a disjointed first half against Chelsea suggested another missed opportunity.

However, Guardiola’s half-time intervention proved pivotal, as City returned with greater intensity and control to dominate the second period.

Victory next weekend against Mikel Arteta’s side would cut Arsenal’s lead to just three points, further tightening a race that has slipped from the Gunners’ grasp in recent seasons.

Arteta described Arsenal’s defeat to Bournemouth as a “punch in the face,” and City’s ruthless display in west London compounds the pressure on the league leaders.

City’s formidable record in April, winning 29 of their last 32 league games in the month, underlines their reputation for surging during the title run-in.

For Chelsea, the defeat deepens a worrying slump under Liam Rosenior. After an initial bounce following his arrival, the Blues have now won just once in their last seven league matches, losing three consecutively.

Chelsea were once again without Enzo Fernandez, who remains sidelined following disciplinary action after comments about his future at the club.