Six points. This is the gap that still separates Manchester City from Arsenal at the top of the Premier League, but the Sunday demonstration against Chelsea (3-0) changed the face of the title race.
With a game in hand, the Citizens are in ambush – a position they know well: in the last five seasons, City have won the title four times by overturning a similar deficit at the end of the season.
What is striking is the psychological signal sent by Pep Guardiola. He who usually hides his ambitions behind tactical modesty has this time paid tribute to the Gunners without detour – “the best team in Europe so far” — while slipping in a barely veiled threat: the verdict will come next Sunday. A calculated, almost clinical praise that sounds more like a declaration of war than a sincere compliment.
The Etihad duel promises to be one of the most decisive shocks in the Premier League since the “Aguero moment” of 2012. Arsenal are playing their regularity. City is playing for its survival. The title will wait for Sunday.
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