Manchester City capitalised on Liverpool’s blunders in the Premier League title race to bring the title closer to the reigning champions with a 5-0 win over Newcastle on Sunday. Elsewhere in a dramatic day at both ends of the table, Arsenal beat relegation-threatened Leeds United 2-1 to boost their bid for a top-four finish. Guardiola’s side took control at the Etihad Stadium just before half-time thanks to goals from Raheem Sterling and Aymeric Laporte. Rodri scored City’s third goal after the break, before Phil Foden and Sterling struck in stoppage time as they stormed back to the top of the table.
Liverpool knocked the champions out of pole position despite dropping two points in Saturday’s 1-1 draw with Tottenham.
But City are now three points clear of Liverpool with three games remaining. Guardiola’s side have a goal difference four points higher than the Reds.
Liverpool, who have won four in a row, play Aston Villa on Tuesday, while Manchester City travel to Wolves 24 hours later.
Manchester City’s game against Newcastle was the ideal way to recover from Wednesday’s painful Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid.
Real Madrid’s brace in the closing seconds of normal time before the extra-time win left Guardiola lamenting that “no words can help” his players to overcome the defeat.
But City can exorcise those demons by winning a fourth England title in five seasons, a step in the right direction.
Guardiola said: “We’ve been doing this every three days for five years. If anyone doubts us, they don’t know this team. It’s one of the best teams I’ve trained in my life.”
“Perfect afternoon. Threes, nines, four points on goal difference. Another final on Wednesday.”
City’s only concern was after Guardiola revealed after the game that key defenders John Stones, Ruben Dias and Kyle Walker would miss the rest of the season with injury.
“Reuben, Kyle and John have to wait until the end of the season,” he said.
In the 19th minute, Joao Cancelo headed the goal, Ilkay Gundogan made a cross, and Sterling headed the goal from close range.
City doubled their lead 38 minutes later when Newcastle goalkeeper Martin Dubravka was unable to catch Gundogan’s volley and Laporte scrambled home.
Rodri scored with a header from Kevin De Bruyne’s corner in the 61st minute before Foden turned Alexander Zinchenko’s shot over the net in the 90th minute.
Sterling ended the rout in stoppage time with a cool pass from Jack Grealish.
Former Leeds loanee Eddie Nketiah scored twice in the first 10 minutes at the Emirates as Mikel Arteta’s side won for a fourth consecutive time.
Leeds United captain Luke Ayling was sent off, though Diego Llorente pulled one back in the 66th minute, but it was too little, too late for Jesse Marsh’s strugglers .
Fourth-placed Arsenal are four points clear of fifth-placed Tottenham with three games remaining to qualify for next season’s Champions League through a top-four finish.
– Everton fell out of the bottom three –
Arsenal will visit Tottenham on Thursday knowing that a win in the north London derby will guarantee their first Champions League appearance since the 2016-17 season.
“We will go into that game with the same enthusiasm as always, but we know it could be a defining moment,” Arteta said.
Leeds fell into the relegation zone, finishing third from last due to a goal difference worse than Burnley.
“Our backs are against the wall. We are in the relegation zone, but we have to fight for our lives,” Marsch said.
Everton made the most of Leeds United’s error to smash the bottom three with a 2-1 win over Leicester City, their first away win in the league since August.
Ukrainian left-back Vitali Mikorenko opened the scoring for Everton in the sixth minute.
Paterson Daka equalised for Leicester but Mason Holgate won with a shot from close range in the 30th minute.
Everton are looking to avoid falling into the second tier for the first time since 1954, but are one point above the relegation zone as the game draws closer.
promotion
“We’re still in the relegation battle. We have to come together as a club if we want to get out of the way. We’ve seen that in recent weeks,” Everton boss Frank Lampard said.
West Ham beat relegated Norwich 4-0 at Carrow Road on Thursday to ease their Europa League semi-final loss to Eintracht Frankfurt.
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