Manchester City

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola, speaking to BBC Match of the Day about the title race: "Yeah, of course. Yeah. Still we hope. But the truth is that we had a horrible calendar, and we are not top of the league. So far they are the best team in England, but we extend the chance to fight until the end."

On the best bit of today's performance: "That we won against that team. So competitive, so incredible. We had momentum, they had momentum. Today we go away with three."

On whether City have better momentum than Arsenal now: "I don't know, I didn't think Arsenal were in bad momentum. In the Carabao Cup we were better. Today we were really good. They came here after the defeat with hunger and we won. They are so competitive, we know that. But at the same time, we are too.

"The table speaks for itself. They have been the best. Congratulations to the guys, but don't lose the focus. Wednesday is our game in hand, and we can be there if we win.

"That's what we have to do. Doing it will be so difficult because Everton or Brentford, or Aston Villa, Crystal Palace. The games that we have. Bournemouth away. Last week they won in the Emirates and Newcastle. It will be more difficult."

Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "Look at the battles, look at the energy we used, look at the atmosphere. It was amazing. Everyone knows how much I enjoyed that. A good win."

On staying focused: "You need to stay focused, know what you want to do. We have a plan, you need to execute and do what you can do to win the game."

On expectations before the game: "I expected us to have a lot of the ball, I expected them to press us high, they are really good at this."

On what the City dressing room was like before the game: "We played them a few weeks ago, so we knew a bit about what you're going into it. It's at our home and we kind of knew what was going to happen.

"Everyone knew if we lost this game or didn't win this game, it would kind of be over, so we are still in the race.

"The locker room before was calm because we knew what we had to do because of the Carabao Cup final and the Chelsea game. We still need to keep building and take it step by step because it's another game on Wednesday."

On whether his mum was watching: "Mum will be watching. I hope she's proud, I am proud of her."

Did you know?

• Manchester City are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League games (W7 D3), their longest run without a league defeat of the season.

• Manchester City's Rayan Cherki has been directly involved in 12 goals in just 16 Premier League starts, scoring three goals and providing nine assists.

Shamoon Hafez
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manchester City secured the victory that maintains their growing momentum and applied further pressure on Arsenal through the familiar route of a Erling Haaland winner.

This was a triumph, however, in which City had to demonstrate all their qualities before wild celebrations greeted the final whistle and three priceless points.

Rayan Cherki's goal was the result of a touch of genius and sleight of foot to bamboozle Arsenal's Gabriel and Piero Hincapie before sliding in a perfect finish.

After Gianluigi Donnarumma's error swiftly gifted Arsenal a way back into the game, City had to dig deep to show reserves of resilience before Haaland was once more the match-winner.

City rode their luck in moments, but they are once more looking like an unstoppable force as they move to the shoulders of Arsenal, who have controlled the title race for so long.

At the heart of it all was Bernardo Silva, who has announced he is leaving City at the end of this season, probing in his usual fashion but also showing his fierce competitive streak as he raced back 50 yards as the last man to halt a dangerous Arsenal attack.

He was rewarded with a bearhug from manager Pep Guardiola after the final whistle as he pointed to the Portuguese and urged City's fans to join him in praise.

The celebrations that swept around Etihad Stadium at the end reflected the growing sense that City are poised to strike, with a game in hand at doomed Burnley to come.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on City's performance

What did you make of Arsenal's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola seems to have settled on a starting XI for the run-in, naming the same side that beat Chelsea last Sunday.

It means full-back Nico O'Reilly is fit to start after hobbling off at Stamford Bridge with an apparent hamstring issue.

There is a return to the squad for John Stones, who has not featured since 7 March in the FA Cup win over Salford.

Man City XI: Donnarumma, Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O'Reilly, Silva, Rodri, Doku, Cherki, Semenyo, Haaland.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta makes two changes for this monumental encounter.

Captain Martin Odegaard returns to the starting line-up in place of Gabriel Martinelli, while Kai Havertz starts up front by replacing Viktor Gyokeres.

As mentioned, both Riccardo Califiori and Jurrien Timber miss out for the Gunners.

Arsenal XI: Raya, Mosquera, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Odegaard, Eze, Zubimendi, Rice, Madueke, Havertz.

I covered Arsenal's draw with Sporting on Wednesday for 5 Live. The Gunners are good defensively, and got through the tie pretty comfortably, but their problem is they don't look like they are going to score.

There are still a lot of things that are good about Mikel Arteta's side with the way they press and how organised they are, but they are struggling to break teams down.

They are lacking that bit of flair in the final third, which is where you fancy City really, but then Arsenal don't need to win this game either.

A draw is a good result for them so Arteta's side are not going to approach it with all guns blazing - they will play with balance and, if they get the job done with a boring 0-0, they will be a step closer to winning the title.

As for City, I am often wrong but I am not as convinced by their recent form as some people are.

Even so, I do think they will edge this. The nature of this game means it is going to be tight and very stop-start but, whether it is Jeremy Doku or Antoine Semenyo, they have the players capable of producing the bit of magic they will need to win it.

Sutton's prediction: 1-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

There are four games in the Premier League on Sunday and BBC Sport will bring you every moment.

• Aston Villa v Sunderland

• Everton v Liverpool

• Nottingham Forest v Burnley

• Man City v Arsenal (16:30 BST)

Kick-off times 14:00 BST unless stated

Follow all of the action and reaction to the early games here and the late match here

You can also listen to today's 5 Live Premier League commentaries on most smart speakers. Just say "ask BBC Sounds to play Everton v Liverpool" or "ask BBC Sounds to play Man City v Arsenal", for instance.

Find out more about how to listen to Premier League football on BBC Sounds

A victory for Manchester City over Arsenal in their eagerly anticipated top-of-the-table clash on Sunday (16:30 BST) would trim the gap on Mikel Arteta's side to a mere three points with a game in hand. BBC Sport looks at the key themes ahead of the match.

City blossoming in spring once again

Manchester City carry all the momentum going into their blockbuster title clash against a faltering Arsenal side that has seen their healthy lead at the top start to slip away.

Unrelenting City come into their own at this time of year and their record under Pep Guardiola in the spring is frightening. Since he took charge, they average 2.51 points-per-game in the month of April with a win rate of 79.5%.

City have only lost one of their last 19 league games (W12, D6) and are unbeaten in 14 at home since August, scoring at least twice in 12 of those matches.

They have a host of players hitting top form, particularly Nico O'Reilly, who was the scourge of the Gunners with a brace in the League Cup final. While the mercurial Rayan Cherki has become the first player to register 10 or more assists in their debut Premier League season since Dimitri Payet registered 12 for West Ham in 2015-16.

This is the latest into a season that City are facing the league leaders since April 2012, when they beat Manchester United 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium en route to securing what was a famous first ever Premier League title.

Arsenal looking to get back on track

A fragile and wounded Arsenal head to the Etihad having lost their last three domestic matches in three different competitions: Man City in the EFL Cup final, Southampton in the FA Cup, and Bournemouth in the Premier League.

Incredibly, the last time they lost four in a row domestically was in March 2018 and that included defeats to Manchester City in the EFL Cup final and also in the Premier League.

After only suffering three defeats in their opening 49 matches of this season in all competitions (W37, D9), Arsenal have since lost three of their last five while their last top-flight victory came more than a month ago.

While City flourish in April, it is statistically Arsenal's worst month under Mikel Arteta - earning only 1.54 points per game and a 42.3% win rate.

Despite the air of anxiety surrounding the Gunners, they have booked a place in successive Champions League semi-finals for the first time in their history.

Neither of the legs versus Sporting Lisbon were pretty, but Mikel Arteta has urged perspective amidst the maelstrom currently surrounding the club: "It's a massive moment," he says. "To be part of those four teams is great work. We are making steps that haven't been done at this club for 140 years. You have to earn it. You have to go through a lot of work."

At least they can fall back on a much-improved recent record against Manchester City in the league. Having lost 12 top-flight matches in a row against them they are unbeaten in their last five.

However, a victory at the Etihad is still proving elusive, they have failed to win on any of their last 10 visits there dating back to 2015.

It's official, Bernardo Silva will leave Manchester City in the summer.

A good job then that the Portuguese workhorse sat down with the BBC for The Football Interview in recent months.

You can hear him discuss his success at City and fulfilling his childhood dream of winning the Premier League.

Get to know him that bit more by tuning in here

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Guillem Balague
BBC Sport Columnist

Image source, Getty Images

Former colleagues. Master and apprentice. Title rivals.

Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta's relationship has cut across a range of strands over the years and evolved along with their managerial styles.

The pair go head to head at Etihad Stadium on Sunday in a match many have billed as a Premier League title decider. A win for Guardiola and second-placed Manchester City would cut the lead of Arteta's Arsenal side to just three points, with a game in hand.

The Spaniards' relationship started in 1997 when Arteta joined Barcelona's academy - meeting his idol, Barca skipper and fellow midfielder Guardiola. Their time as team-mates was brief, but a friendship was forged.

Communication between the two managers cooled significantly when Arteta gave up his role as Guardiola's assistant in Manchester back in 2019 to take charge of Arsenal.

While the City boss's other former assistants maintained closer contact, Arteta stepped away - and that distance created silence.

While Arsenal learned to compete at the highest level, Guardiola continued to evolve.

That tension - between adapting and remaining faithful to an idea - defines the 55-year-old's career.

"He starts incorporating new concepts," said Pep Segura, former director of football at Barcelona. "Above all defensive transition, that's where he evolves enormously.

"Arteta incorporated more physical profiles than Pep. Pep seeks more technical players… Arteta looks for strength, speed, power."

But there are still plenty of points of convergence.

"Both have looked for pieces to improve the offensive transition," added Segura. "City with [Erling] Haaland… Arteta with [Viktor] Gyokeres."

There is an element where the comparison becomes most revealing. In elite football, what defines coaches is how they respond to difficulty.

Arteta is in that moment now. He has built a team capable of competing with the best. But the final step - winning consistently at the very top - is where he wants to get to.

Read more on Arteta and Guardiola

Scarlet Katz Roberts
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

I don't think there is an adequate word to describe how nervous I feel for Arsenal's trip to the Etihad. A sports psychologist would probably have a field day and say something about reframing my thinking. After all, this is an opportunity to effectively end the title race. But the only thing I can think of doing is scheduling an anaesthetic to kick in on Sunday, lasting until 27 May.

The strangest thing about this game is that it won't decide the title. Unless Arsenal win it of course. But if City win, then it's still in both team's hands to win the league. Part of the challenge for us will be handling the shift in momentum if the worst happens at the Etihad.

There are three things I admire about City (and despise in equal measure). One is a 6ft 5in Norwegian robot, the other two are Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku. The unpredictability and vibrancy with which they can create has no analogue in this current Arsenal side. Their talent is appallingly, terrifyingly good. In those three players, City always have the capacity to end things quickly and without warning.

That's the cruelty of defending against great players. You can have a brilliant 89 minutes, but they only have to beat you once and Arsenal limp to the Etihad without their first choice backline (yawn). Sure, when Bukayo Saka is at full tilt he has a claim to be one of the best attackers in the league. But a combination of injuries and poor form leaves us staring down the barrel of a Hail Mary start for a 16-year-old in our most important match of the season.

I'm sorry to say this - I really am - but in my current headspace, I can only see one outcome and it sickens me. We all know what this game is going to look like. Arsenal don't need to chase the win, City do.

My rallying cry to my embattled team would be, remember who you are. Please, remember you have been the best team in the country for eight months and if Erling Haaland wheels away celebrating an early goal from a Gabriel shanked clearance, it's not the end.

If we can escape with a point, I'll be mighty relieved.

Find more from Scarlet Katz Roberts at the Goal Difference podcast, external

Emily Brobyn
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

I'm not too nervous for Arsenal's visit at the moment but ask me again when I'm getting ready to head to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

I'd almost reluctantly accepted the fact that it was Arsenal's title when they could've gone 12 points ahead. Now the gap has been cut to six, it feels like an opportunity too good to miss for City, especially with the momentum in our favour.

It feels like it means the absolute world to Arsenal. It's been a long 22-year wait for them to bring the Premier League title home – that trophy has never even seen the Emirates Stadium! Mikel Arteta is being judged on one trophy in seven years too; this is the one where they've fallen short and this has to be the season for triumph. If it isn't, it could cost him his job. Will this game decide the title? It feels more like a must-not-lose for City when it comes to the title race.

In terms of the match itself, you can't look past set-pieces when it comes to Arsenal. That's their gameplan. They've mastered the art and, while it may be divisive, it has worked for them – so far. Will it be prove to be enough though?

City have generally been hopeless at corners, so we could learn a trick or two from them in that department. Victor Gyokeres has settled into Premier League life well too – he's a constant threat. They'll be desperate to get the job done on Sunday – a win would do it. A draw could even seal it.

But the question is - will Arsenal come to east Manchester and be brave? Will they play without fear? It may help not playing in front of the expectant Emirates crowd, but the Etihad will be a cauldron of atmosphere and it's about how they handle that.

At this point, it's about the ability to handle the pressure as much as what you can produce on the pitch. City are flying right now – they have their tails up and they'll smell blood. The attack of Jeremy Doku, Antoine Semenyo, Erling Haaland and Rayan Cherki has been lethal of late. Plus, we've recently triumphed over Arsenal at Wembley in the League Cup final.

Emily Brobyn is regularly on BBC Radio Manchester - find all their Man City audio here

Marissa Thomas
BBC Sport journalist

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has been speaking to the media before Sunday's Premier League game against Arsenal at Etihad Stadium (kick-off 16:30 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Team news on defenders Ruben Dias and Nico O'Reilly: "Ruben is not ready and Nico is fine. I prefer it to be everybody but during the season players get injured."

• On if it would be one of his greatest achievements to win the title this season: "No. It's really, really good to be in the title race but it would not be one of the greatest achievements."

• On Mikel Arteta: "Every year they are getting better and better. Last season Liverpool were incredible but the previous one and this season, Arsenal have been the biggest contender."

• Is the Arsenal match a final? "Obviously, if we lose it's over. But the other two results, Arsenal didn't beat Bournemouth and there is still games to play. Six games is a lot in our calendar especially. Still many things to do. The reality is there are seven games left for us in the Premier League and that is the decisive moment."

• Are Man City underdogs? "They [Arsenal] are not at their best, Mikel said after their Champions League game, they are unbeaten in the Champions League. They have been the best so far and we want to challenge them. It's just a football game so we have to approach it like a football game. The target is to perform well and all the aspects required to challenge Arsenal."

• Guardiola said he likes watching Arsenal play and that "people are so demanding, the media, the supporters, everyone" but he learns a lot from watching the Gunners. "They have not won the Premier League for 22 years so we cannot fight against that and we have to focus on the way we play."

• He said: "Six points is not a short distance but you have the chance to do it, the team will be ready, our fans have sold out [the Etihad], everything perfect to try to play a game."

• On what he expects from Arsenal: "The duels, the physicality, you allow them to make a good build-up, David Raya's incredible long balls and second balls. They are so aggressive in the frontal balls. They have been leaders in the Premier League all season and I am proud to still be challenging them. We have to be top, top level to beat these rivals."

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Unsurprisingly, tributes to Bernado Silva have been flying in from Manchester City fans after the Portugal international confirmed on Thursday that he will leave the club at the end of the season.

The 31-year-old has racked up a haul of 15 major trophies across his decade with the club and says he leaves as "a Man City supporter for life".

City fan Andrew said: "End of an era. It feels like we're losing the heartbeat of the team - that player who always gives 100% every time he plays.

"He's the sort of player who can take a game by the scruff of the neck and give us that energy when we need it. He's been Pep's favourite for nine years - a consistent player who never has a bad game."

Fellow City fan Scott added: "He's been fantastic. He's played everywhere and is always consistent. He's a proper team player, he doesn't go missing in big games. It doesn't matter the number of goals he's scored, it matters that the team scores important goals while he is on the pitch.

"He's a brilliant footballer, a nice guy, and the type of player you love when he's playing for you and hate when he isn't."

Listen to more tributes below or on BBC Sounds

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