Manchester City took a major step towards retaining the Premier League title on Sunday when Brighton inflicted a shock 3-0 defeat on Arsenal. The Gunners needed to win to keep up the pressure on City, who had earlier in the day enjoyed a 3-0 victory against Everton. Mikel Arteta’s men were far from their best against a rampant Brighton side, who were deserved winners at the Emirates. This means that Arsenal must now beat Nottingham Forest next Saturday and hope for a minor miracle in City’s final three matches.
With Pep Guardiola’s team on a 14-match winning streak, this appears unlikely and the confidence of the group is high. Even those who have not been regular fixtures this term, such as Aymeric Laporte, know what it takes to win the title and recognise the significance of Arsenal’s defeat. Laporte could not resist a dig and tweeted a gif of former WWE wrestler The Rock, with the tagline ‘Mmmmm I can smell it’. The tweet was well-received by City’s fanbase and supporters know that they are on the brink of winning their third consecutive league title.