Arsenal flu and City gets one win away from the Premier League

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"Two more!" shouted Pep Guardiola to Manchester City fans who had travelled to Goodison Park to watch a placid win (0-3) against Everton. Two more wins in three days and they would celebrate the Premier League title again. But before the end of the afternoon they barely had one: Arsenal stumbled at the Emirates against the unpredictable Brighton (0-3). In reality, Guardiola could shout now that he is "four more" away from a historic treble in the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup, a milestone that has only one precedent in England, that of the memorable Manchester United of 1999.

EVEEverton

0

Jordan Pickford, Yerry Mina, Mason Holgate (Coady, min. 55), Patterson, James Tarkowski, Doucouré, Alex Iwobi, James Garner (Gray, min. 75), Dwight McNeil, Idrissa Gueye (Amadou Onana, min. 55) and Calvert-Lewin (Neal Maupay, min. 45)

MNC M. City

3

Ederson Moraes, Laporte, Rúben Dias (Sergio Gómez, min. 91), Manuel Akanji, Walker, Foden, Rodrigo (Kalvin Phillips, min. 88), Gündogan (Bernardo Silva, min. 77), Julián Álvarez, Mahrez and Erling Braut Haaland (Grealish, min. 78)

Goals 0-1 min. 36: Gündogan. 0-2 min. 38: Erling Braut Haaland. 0-3 min. 50: Gündogan.

Arbitrator Anthony Taylor

Yellow cards James Garner (min. 48)

City sat in the dentist's chair against Everton. "They are, by far, the best team in the Premier League in transitions," explained Guardiola at the end, when he wanted to give value to a victory built during a first half hour of pick and shovel against an opponent folded around a 5-4-1 and attentive not only to the cons but to exploit their strength in the actions to set pieces. Thus, he was able to score the side Holgate after a spontaneous melee in the area of Ederson. Until Gündogan appeared, a habitual unblocker. Guardiola had kept De Bruyne, Stones, Bernardo Silva and Grealish. The last two barely played the last quarter of an hour. The Belgian talent, between cottons in recent weeks, was reserved with a view to the match against Real Madrid next Wednesday.

The level of the substitutes was not to despair either. Foden and Mahrez occupied the flanks, Julian Alvarez hooked near Haaland and Laporte operated on Stones, in aid of the core. But who decided the party with his rubric was Gündogan. Decisive a year ago with two goals in the comeback against Aston Villa in the last game of the championship, the German midfielder now has four goals and an assist in the last two days. And he's about to finish his contract. "Maybe in the end he will stay with us... Hopefully!" exclaimed Guardiola in the final summary of his visit to Liverpool.

Gündogan, playing his 300th game for Manchester City, unblocked the game in two minutes. He scored the goal that opened the scoring after controlling the ball with a thigh and finishing with his back to the goal. Soon after, a center of his sent him to the Haaland network. The pass seemed a little high, but the Norwegian rose like a titan to reach it with his head and into the net. The process ended there. Gündogan scored again at the start of the second half and City was able to dose efforts and look towards the European duel with a ticket at stake for the Champions League final.

Then, at the weekend, the team will be Premier League champions if Arsenal go down on their visit to Nottingham on Saturday or, if not, if they manage a win at the Etihad against the downgraded Chelsea. If there are unforeseen events, City would have two final exits to Brighton and Brentford because they have to play one more game than Arsenal, who will finish the campaign at home against Wolves.

The 'citizen' growth spurt

Manchester City arrives at the gates of its fifth Premier League in six years after stringing together 11 wins in a row. Their last stumble dates back to February 18, a draw in Nottingham. Too much acceleration for the courageous Arsenal, winners in two of the last seven matches. But the team's excellent season brings him back to the great European showcase. Arsenal's last game in the Champions League was in March 2017. And coach Arteta warns that he is training a team with a lot of room for improvement. Against Brighton he got stuck, first they took the ball away from him and then they hit him against, a facet in which Mitoma and Estupiñán were two daggers. Together they manufactured Enciso's goal, on the return after the break. Brighton, who are sixth in the standings ahead of Tottenham and Aston Villa, consolidated their European aspirations with the final goals from Undav and Estupinan.

Premier League matchday 36

Arsenal

0 3

Finalized

Brighton

Julio Enciso 50'Deniz Undav 85'Estupiñán 95'

The great referents of Arsenal have reached the end of the season with the deposit in the reserve. Odegaard didn't finish the game and Thomas, exuberant for months, lost the starting job in recent weeks. In the center of the back Saliba, the team's defensive leader, has been absent due to injury for two months. Martinelli left this Sunday injured before the halfway point of the first half... Too many setbacks to stand up to the great dominator of the Premier League, the great opponent of a European dream from which Real Madrid separates him for now.

Guardiola: "We are the only European team that is fighting for everything"

The Premier League on target, the Cup final against Manchester United on the horizon and, first of all, a return of the Champions League semifinal against Real Madrid in which it starts in equality at home after a draw at the Bernabéu (1-1). "I know we haven't won anything yet, but it's a dream come true to be where we are. We are the only European team that is fighting in all competitions", summarizes proudly Pep Guardiola, citizen coach, who catalogs the situation as "an extraordinary achievement". The Catalan coach has his eleventh win in the fourteen leagues he has played since taking charge of Barcelona in 2008.

But Manchester City's ambition is fueled by titles, singularly the desired orejona. And before that challenge he has everything in perfect condition because Rodri, who left the game against Everton with a slight limp, already confirmed Guardiola that he will not have problems to line up against the whites. "It was a complicated visit to Goodison Park because it also came between the two games against Real Madrid, but we managed the game very well, we scored the goals at the right time and it is very nice to celebrate with our people," explained the City coach, who has played ten Champions League semifinals in his coaching career.

Seven of the players who played in Madrid, where Guardiola made no changes, started against Everton. Among them was Gündogan, once again decisive, a leader of fluted voice and measured manners. "He doesn't talk much, but when he does everyone listens to him," said Guardiola, who defines his player as a guy capable of holding the midfield, but also as a finisher. And that facet usually shows it when the spotlights are pointing the most. "He lives the work of a footballer 24 hours a day and handles the pressure very well," explains the Manchester City coach about his player, who celebrates his seventh campaign with the team and raises his number of goals in 58 games.

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