(Credit: Imago, Match of the Day)

Evan Shaw

Mon 13 April 2026 8:45, UK

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Manchester City have been hailed in somewhat unfamiliar circumstances after their 3-0 win away at Chelsea on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola’s side brushed the Blues aside to cruise to victory at Stamford Bridge, as they turned up the heat even further on Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.

Nico O’Reilly’s header set the visitors on their way in the 51st minute, before goals from Marc Guehi and Jeremy Doku secured the three points in comfortable fashion.

City are now just six points behind the Gunners in the race for top spot, and could go level on points with their rivals if they beat them next weekend and also take maximum points from their game in hand.

We have become used to seeing Guardiola’s men praised for their silky build-up play in possession, but it was something much more uncharacteristic that has earned them praise in the aftermath of City’s latest victory.

Ben Foster in love with Manchester City press

City turned in a typically confident display on Sunday, as they raced to another victory without conceding a goal.

Guardiola’s men have kept clean sheets in each of their last three games, which includes the Carabao Cup final victory over Arsenal, alongside drubbings of Liverpool and Chelsea in the FA Cup and league respectively.

The Citizens are often associated with their work on the ball rather than their energy without it, but that wasn’t the case on Sunday, as Ben Foster was keen to point out the relentlessness of their press.

City’s energy caught Chelsea out on several occasions during the 90 minutes, not least in the build-up to Doku’s goal, when three players converged on Moises Caicedo after he had received the ball from goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.

The Ecuadorian had his pocket picked by Doku, and within two touches, the ball was in the back of the net.

It was a moment that Foster couldn’t praise highly enough during his analysis on Match of the Day.

“Sanchez here is trying to do it quickly,” the 43-year-old said.

“I don’t blame the goalkeeper here, it’s a good ball. If he (Caicedo) can take it on the half turn and run away with it, then it’s fine. But look at City, they sniff it out, and it’s an absolute green light, go, go, go, and it’s a lovely finish into the corner from Doku.”

City’s title chances take huge boost at the weekend

City’s title chances increased drastically after Arsenal’s defeat at home to Bournemouth on Saturday lunchtime, and they are now breathing down the necks of Mikel Arteta’s men.

Opta’s supercomputer shifted their chances of lifting the league title up by over four per cent from the Gunners’ defeat alone, and that has now been boosted dramatically after the win over Chelsea.

The stats specialists are now giving Guardiola’s men a 13.02 per cent chance of pipping Arsenal to glory, meaning their hopes have increased by over 10 per cent in the space of one gameweek.

City are experts when it comes to making the most out of their April fixtures, and Arsenal could be found bemoaning the rampant form of their title rivals yet again at the end of the campaign.