Rampant Man City can smell Arsenal’s blood in the title race
Manchester City’s Marc Guehi celebrates scoring their second goal with Antoine Semenyo - Isabel Infantes/Reuters Manchester City have their “free soul” and as this Premier League title race tightens up, Rayan Cherki might just be the liberating difference. Contrast his maverick brilliance, his individual spirit, with just how uptight, inhibited and tense Arsenal feel right now. They certainly have no one like him or – crucially - no one allowed to play like him.
For 45 minutes, this was an undeniably dull and flat performance, lacking in inspiration for City and it would have been a first-half that delighted Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior. And then Cherki turned it on with two superb assists in six minutes – the second was arresting – as City cut the gap at the top, exploiting Arsenal’s home defeat to Bournemouth, to just six points. They have a game in hand and face Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium next Sunday.
What an encounter that promises to be. For the avoidance of any doubt, it is ‘game on’ in the title race and after Jeremy Doku stole the ball away from Chelsea midfielder Moises Caicedo, who shockingly turned into trouble outside his own penalty area, to score City’s third, the chant was clear. “Are you watching Arsenal,” sang the gleeful City fans.
They certainly would have been. As the celebrations continued, a City fan was caught on camera drinking from an Arsenal-branded water bottle. We all get the ‘bottle’ symbolism.
👀🍼 pic. twitter. com/jdd2tGily4 — Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) April 12, 2026 The hunt is on and Arsenal look like increasingly scared prey while City – including that Carabao Cup final win over Arsenal – have now beaten them, Liverpool and Chelsea in their last three games at an aggregate of 9-0.
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