Manchester City 2-1 Arsenal: Pep Guardiola’s side got goals from Rayan Cherki and Erling Haaland, but Kai Havertz’s goal wasn’t enough for the Gunners.
Haaland scores Man City’s winning goal (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Manchester City defeated Arsenal to move within three points of Premier League leaders the Gunners with one game remaining, taking the title into their hands.
Erling Haaland’s second-half strike proved the difference in a fixture that could prove crucial at the end of the season.
City took the lead in the first period with a goal from Rayan Cherki. The Frenchman showed great agility, evading several Arsenal defenders and calmly passing David Raya.
But the Gunners hit back almost immediately when Kai Havertz went close to Gianluigi Donnarumma inside the City goal and blocked a clearance so that the ball looped into the goal in a moment of forgetting about the Italian shot-stopper.
Haaland had the final say and scored from close range, marking a grandstand finish to the Premier League season.
Here are the ratings for both teams at Etihad Airways:
read more: Man City beat Arsenal to close the gap and move into the title race – 6 talking pointsread more: Gabriel spares red card for Erling Haaland’s ‘headbutt’ in Man City v Arsenal match
manchester city
Written by Jeremy Cross
Gianluigi Donnarumma 7
His roar in the first half gave Arsenal a way back into the game. But then he recovered with a world-class save.
Matheus Nunez 6
We did well defensively, but we couldn’t move forward.
Abdukkodir Kusanov 8
He hasn’t missed a beat and is developing into one of the best defenders in the Premier League.
Marc Gehi 8
Another commanding performance from a man whose consistency is remarkable.
Nico O’Reilly 8
He has become one of the most versatile left-footed players in English football.
Bernardo Silva 7
He worked hard, but it was a quiet game by his incredibly high standards.
Rayan Cherki dances through the Arsenal defense (Image: Offside via Getty Images)
Rodri 8
The glue that held his sides together. Calm in the storm.
jeremy doc 7
At times, there is a danger of overturning Aashir’s defense. However, it is not sufficient for the final product.
Rayan Cherki 9 (MOM)
Dynamite from start to finish. He terrorized Arsenal and scored a stunning goal.
Antoine Semenyo 7
I was in and out of games. He slipped at a crucial moment when he was on the verge of scoring an Arsenal goal.
erling haaland 8
He couldn’t do much throughout the game, but out of nowhere he scored the winning goal.
arsenal
Written by John Cross
david raya 6
They gave Arsenal a scare early on, but there wasn’t much they could do with either goal.
Cristian Mosquera 6
I made a reservation. He did a decent job until he got a yellow card, but looked dodgy after that.
william saliba 7
Command display. They calmly held the ball and organized their defense. solid.
gabriel 7
It was a close battle with Erling Haaland, but in the end the City striker won.
Clown Hincapie 7
He made a sensational block to deny Semenyo. The defense is also solid.
Declan Rice 7
He was great because he covered every blade of grass, but he was unlucky to lose.
Martin Zvimendi 6
I couldn’t fault his effort, but he just couldn’t find the decisive pass.
Kai Havertz’s goal wasn’t enough (Image: Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Noni Madueke 5
He was better than he has been the last few weeks, but he got hooked at half-time.
Martin Odegaard 7
It was a big decision to take on the role of captain again. His work rate justified his hiring.
Eberechi Eze 7
He started on the left side of midfield and performed well. I almost got crackers.
Kai Havertz 7
Despite scoring, Arsenal missed a great chance to score late on.
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