Key Takeaways
- Manchester City beat Arsenal 2-1 to close the gap at the top to three points.
- Pep Guardiola tells his squad to ignore hype with six fixtures still to play.
- Erling Haaland scored the winner after a duel with defender Gabriel.
Pep Guardiola has told Manchester City to keep their heads down after Sunday’s 2-1 home win over Arsenal threw the Premier League title race wide open.
City are now only three points behind the leaders and have an extra match in hand. Guardiola praised his players, then quickly warned them the job is far from done. “Enjoy tonight, but the next weeks will feel very long,” he said. “One slip and everything can change.”
The match turned on a tight second-half moment when Erling Haaland darted in front of Gabriel to tap City’s second goal. The Norwegian laughed when asked about his private duel with the Brazilian. “I got him that time,” he smiled. “People can argue about the rest.”
Arsenal arrived looking to land a knockout blow, yet found themselves chasing after a sloppy start. Kai Havertz levelled from a charged-down clearance, but City always carried the sharper edge. Guardiola singled out Bernardo Silva for a last-ditch header that stopped a certain Arsenal equaliser. “I called him Cannavaro,” Haaland joked.
Mikel Arteta cut a frustrated figure on the touchline. “We came to win, we played to win, but we lost the big moments,” the Arsenal boss admitted. “The players are upset, yet they still believe. Five cup finals left for us.”
Rodri limped off late with a groin issue and will be checked before Wednesday’s trip to Burnley. City could edge ahead of Arsenal on goal difference if they win at Turf Moor, while the Gunners host Newcastle on Saturday.