Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guehi and Jeremy Doku were on target as Manchester City sealed a monumental 3-0 win at Chelsea to set alight the title race.
Pep Guardiola’s side closed the gap on leaders Arsenal to six points, after The Gunners were beaten by Bournemouth in a shock home result on Saturday.
City headed into Sunday’s game at Stamford Bridge with two games in hand over Arsenal and nine points behind, knowing a win would significantly cut the gap before they clash at Etihad Stadium next week.
And City have ramped up the pressure on Mikel Arteta’s team with victory in West London, beating a sorry Chelsea side who suffered a fourth defeat in their last five games.
After a tense first half, in which City were relatively poor, Chelsea came the closest to breaking the deadlock when Marc Cucurella put the ball in the back of the net, only for it to be ruled out for offside.
But following the break, City came out with a point to prove, and just like he had in the League Cup final against Arsenal, Nico O’Reilly popped up with a crucial goal, heading City into the lead from close range.
That sparked a relentless spell for City, who quickly doubled their lead when defender Guehi was picked out by the outstanding Rayan Cherki, before slotting home with a striker’s finish.
Doku made sure of the three points when he outmuscled Moises Caicedo in midfield, before breaking into the box and thumping the ball past the helpless Robert Sanchez.
City (64 points) still have a game in hand over Arsenal (70 points), and can cut the gap to three points when they clash next weekend to set up a thrilling finish to the season.
Meanwhile, Chelsea remain in sixth place and four points off the UEFA Champions League spots.
