Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola was delighted after they defeated table toppers Arsenal by 4-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday night. The Cityzens dominated the contest from the word go and they took an early lead as Kevin de Bruyne scored on the counterattack after an assist from Erling Haaland.
The home team kept threatening the opposition’s goal in the first half and they were finally rewarded when John Stones scored in the stoppage time before the half-time break. Kevin de Bruyne scored his second of the night in the 54th minute to make it 3-0.
Rob Holding got a consolation goal for Arsenal but Erling Haaland scored the fourth goal for Manchester City to complete their comprehensive win.
Arsenal are still at the top of the Premier League standings with 75 points after 33 matches. Manchester City have 73 points in their bag but they have two more matches in hand. Thus, if the Sky Blues go on to win their next two matches, they can build a four-point lead over the Gunners.
“Absolutely my position now (is what I prefer over Arsenal’s),” Pep Guardiola said as quoted by Reuters. “It’s in our hands. I’d love to have six points from these two games (in hand), but we have to win them.”
“We have two games at home (following Sunday, versus West Ham and Leeds United), and I don’t want to anticipate because it’s not healthy, but this season at home, we feel comfortable with the people, the crowd,” Guardiola said of the Etihad Stadium.
“I think the next three games will be really, really important. But the most important thing is our destiny is in our hands. And when you arrive at the end of the season, whatever happened, it doesn’t matter. It’s our performance, to win the (remaining) games, it depends on us. This is the best way to approach the last seven games we still have.”
Meanwhile, Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland were brilliant for Manchester City throughout the match and kept threatening Arsenal.
“The threat, Kevin-Erling, Erling-Kevin is so, so important,” Guardiola said. “Being together, when teams press so high and we regain balls with the space behind, they’re so dangerous, and we use it.”
Manchester City will next face Fulham on Sunday at the Craven Cottage.
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