Man City midfielder inspires vital win at Chelsea as his side remain firmly in pursuit of Arsenal
Football writer Alex Keble assesses Manchester City’s 3-0 win over Chelsea on Sunday.
After a sleepy first 45 minutes at Stamford Bridge, there was a creeping sense that Arsenal might just get away with losing 2-1 at home to AFC Bournemouth the previous day.
But Rayan Cherki had other ideas.
An outstanding performance from Manchester City’s maverick No 10 set the tone for a supercharged second half that left Chelsea in the dust – and left Arsenal fans a little nervous.
It was the City supporters who were fretting in the first half, but by the time Jeremy Doku made it 3-0 the mood had transformed.
“Are you watching Arsenal?” was the refrain from the away fans as City sent Mikel Arteta’s side a powerful statement before their showdown at the Etihad Stadium next weekend.
There are many reasons why Arsenal fans might fear this rejuvenated City, but, after today’s showing, top of the list is the playmaker who tore Chelsea to shreds.
Maverick Cherki is City’s title-race wildcard
Cherki was sensational. He starred in the game’s two most important moments, crossing for Nico O’Reilly to score the first and passing for Marc Guehi to score the second, which took Cherki’s tally to 10 assists for the season.
Watch: Cherki’s AMAZING dribble and assist
In the 60th minute, shortly after he had assisted his second goal of the half, Cherki performed an impudent skill move – flicking the ball up with one foot, volleying a through-ball with the other – that summed up his art-piece performance.
Cherki is the first player to reach that number in a debut Premier League season since 2015/16.
But it wasn’t just about the assists. Cherki did so much more than that.
Moving freely across the width of the pitch, he grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck after the interval and almost single-handedly turned a turgid and balanced match into a dominant Man City victory.
It was a superb clipped pass down the right wing for Semenyo that earned Man City the corner from which they enjoyed a spell of pressure early in the second half, ultimately ending in Cherki’s cross and the all-important opener.
He continued to dazzle – to jink and dart, to slide passes through the lines – right up until he danced across the edge of the box to assist Guehi.
On this evidence Cherki could be Man City’s wildcard in the title race: the one difference-maker who can turn six-out-of-10 performances into victories; who can light the spark that brings his team the winning streak they surely need to usurp Arsenal at the top.
And Arsenal’s low-energy 2-1 defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday only adds to the feeling Cherki could play a huge role. Do Arsenal have a player as free and expressive as Cherki? As the tension rises, they certainly need one.
Man City’s second-half performance exposes Chelsea’s midfield issues
Cherki wasn’t alone in upping his game after the break.
Within moments of the second half kicking off, O’Reilly was charging down the left. Semenyo, anonymous in the first half, began to assert himself and take on his man. Rodri, surprisingly flat in the opening 45, found his passing range.
In truth, it had always felt as though Man City would win if they could find another gear, such was the timidity of Chelsea’s performance, particularly through central midfield.
Liam Rosenior deserves credit for a conservative tactical setup that restricted Man City to just a few chances in the first half, but there were problems in the middle of the park.
Andrey Santos at times struggled to deputise for Enzo Fernandez, especially having been given a difficult hybrid role that involved occasionally stepping into central defence, leaving gaps in the middle.
That came to a head in the 51st minute when Santos lost his marker and O’Reilly headed Man City into the lead. Moises Caicedo’s error for the third goal compounded the midfield issue on a tough day for Rosenior’s side.
Chelsea are now seven points behind Aston Villa in fifth.
Having lost five of their last six games in all competitions, and lost three consecutive Premier League games to nil for the first time since March 1998, the Blues need a significant upturn in form to qualify for next season’s UEFA Champions League.
Guardiola’s men will now feel they are in the driving seat
There can be no denying this was a huge weekend in the title race.
Man City have closed the gap at the top by three points in emphatic style, their victory at Stamford Bridge as distinctive as Arsenal’s defeat; their performance as fluent and attacking as the leaders’ display was not.
There are now just six points separating the top two sides and the goal-difference gap is only three, meaning that if Man City beat Arsenal next Sunday and then Burnley in their next game on 22 April, they could move into pole position.
And it feels as though Man City – looking free and confident just as Arsenal tense up – have all the momentum.
Ominously, Man City have lost just one of their last 19 Premier League games (W12 D6) and are unbeaten in their last nine (W6 D3), while players seem to be coming into form at just the right time; O’Reilly has scored six goals in his last 10 appearances in all competitions.
And the statistics get even more ominous for Arsenal fans. When playing within their final 10 games across the last five Premier League seasons (since 2021/22), Man City have lost just one of 43 matches, winning 32 times (D10).
“It’s the sun,” was Guardiola’s surprising response when asked why his team always performs so well in April. “I’m not joking. It’s the sun.”
But momentum can turn just as quickly back the other way. The sun could yet shine on Arsenal.
“Everyone is looking at Manchester City, but if you are Arsenal, you can win your first title in 22 years next Sunday,” Gary Neville said on commentary for Sky Sports. “That’s how they should be looking at it.”
Arsenal remain in control. Win next Sunday and Man City would have just six games left to make up a nine-point gap.
Their hugely anticipated meeting is a six-pointer that will almost certainly decide who wins the 2025/26 Premier League title.
Watch: Michael Owen – ‘Man City v Arsenal is the BIGGEST PL match in YEARS’