The three-way race for the English Premier League title looks likely to go down to the wire after wins for Arsenal and Manchester City made it even tighter at the top.
Arsenal on Wednesday moved back to the summit by beating Luton Town 2-0, while City routed Aston Villa 4-1 to go level on points with second-placed Liverpool.
Just one point separates the top three teams in what is shaping up to be the most compelling title fight in recent history, but it is three-time defending champions City who have the pedigree.
Photo: AFP
“If we are in and around it with 10 games to go then we know we are capable,” said City forward Phil Foden, who scored a hat-trick against Villa. “We are in and around it again now, so it is still possible. We have to keep believing. That was what the manager was big on today, believe and fight until the end.”
Liverpool had taken advantage of their two rivals drawing 0-0 on Sunday and moved two points clear at the top, but by the end of Wednesday’s games, Juergen Klopp’s team were playing catch-up to Arsenal again and were ahead of City only on goal-difference — even if they had a game in hand on both at home to last-placed Sheffield United yesterday.
The question for Arsenal is whether they can go the distance after falling away so badly at the end of last season.
Photo: Reuters
The Gunners led the table for 248 days before eventually being overtaken by a City team that won their third title in a row and completed a treble of trophies which also included the UEFA Champions League and the FA Cup.
Mikel Arteta’s players have already improved head-to-head against City — winning and drawing against the defending champions — but it remains to be seen how they handle the pressure with just eight league games to go.
While Arsenal were expected to beat relegation-threatened Luton at home, there was always the potential for a slip.
Photo: Reuters
That never looked likely after Martin Odegaard opened the scoring in the 24th minute and an own-goal from Daiki Hashioka in the 44th made it 2-0 by halftime.
A fuss-free three points without Bukayo Saka and with Declan Rice named as a substitute was just the type of performance that suggests Arteta’s side are better prepared to complete the job this time around.
Arteta, though, is taking it one step at a time.
“It is a busy month, we have started well again after an international break and next is Brighton [& Hove Albion],” he said.
No Erling Haaland, no problem.
Foden justified Guardiola’s decision to leave his leading scorer on the bench by netting a stunning hat-trick as City powered to a 4-1 win against Villa.
Guardiola had described Haaland as the best striker in the world after he had been criticized by former Manchester United captain and TV analyst Roy Keane. So it was a surprise to see the league’s top scorer left out of City’s starting lineup in a game of such importance, but in his absence, Foden provided the goals with three supremely-taken strikes.
“His work ethic is amazing,” Guardiola said.
“He plays in central positions and has an incredible sense of goal — he has goals in his veins and we have to use him,” he said.
With the score at 1-1 in first-half stoppage-time, the England forward curled a low free-kick into the bottom corner from the edge of the penalty area.
He rolled in his second with another exquisite finish in the 62nd minute and rifled a third into the top corner seven minutes later.
City’s win extended their unbeaten run to 24 games in all competitions.
Brentford’s winless run extended to eight games after a 0-0 draw against Brighton.
The Bees have only won two of their past 19 games in all competitions, but still moved a point further away from the relegation zone after Luton’s loss at Arsenal.
Brentford in 15th are six points ahead of the relegation zone.
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