Manchester City defeated Chelsea 3-0 at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, reducing Arsenal's Premier League lead to six points with a game in hand. Goals from Nico O’Reilly, Marc Guehi and Jeremy Doku came in the second half after an even first period. Pep Guardiola urged fans to respect Arsenal ahead of their upcoming clash.
Manchester City capitalized on Arsenal's 2-1 home loss to Bournemouth the previous day, easing to a 3-0 win over Chelsea. Nico O’Reilly headed in Rayan Cherki’s cross in the 51st minute, Marc Guehi slotted home from another Cherki assist six minutes later, and Jeremy Doku finished after dispossessing Moises Caicedo. O’Reilly later left injured, but City controlled the game as their fans mocked Arsenal's title challenge. Chelsea had an early goal by Marc Cucurella ruled out for offside, and Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Cole Palmer in the first half, which ended goalless despite City's late pressure through Bernardo Silva. Pep Guardiola called on supporters to show respect to Arsenal, who have lost just three of 49 games this season and remain unbeaten in the Champions League. “They have been the best team in this country, in Europe, so far,” Guardiola told Sky Sports. “I would like to say to my fans – respect Arsenal a lot, they are an extraordinary team.” He also praised Cherki as an “extraordinary talent” for his assists. The result marks Chelsea's third straight Premier League defeat under Liam Rosenior, leaving them four points behind Liverpool in the top-five race with tough fixtures ahead. City, who beat Arsenal 2-0 in last month’s EFL Cup final, host the leaders at the Etihad next Sunday and are now favorites in the eyes of many.
