Manchester City tightened the Premier League title race on Saturday night after securing a hard-earned 2-1 victory over Newcastle United at Etihad Stadium, cutting Arsenal’s lead at the top of the table to just two points.
Gatekeepers News reports that Pep Guardiola’s side showed resilience and attacking quality as Nico O’Riley delivered a decisive performance, scoring twice to earn all three points.
City dominated large spells of the contest and took the lead in the 14th minute when O’Riley fired a powerful effort beyond goalkeeper Nick Pope after connecting with Omar Marmoush’s pass.
Newcastle responded quickly, restoring parity eight minutes later through Hall, whose deflected strike from the edge of the box found its way into the net following a poorly cleared corner.
City, however, refused to relent and regained the advantage five minutes before halftime. O’Riley rose highest to head Erling Haaland’s cross past Pope, completing his brace and restoring the champions’ lead.
The second half was more physical and cagey, with both teams creating fewer clear-cut chances. Antoine Semenyo and Joelinton both missed opportunities for Newcastle, while Haaland saw a tame effort easily collected.
In the closing moments, City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma produced a crucial save to deny Harvey Barnes, preserving the narrow win.
The result leaves Manchester City on 56 points from 27 matches, just two points behind league leaders Arsenal. In comparison, Newcastle remain in 10th position with 36 points as their push for European qualification continues to falter.
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea were once again forced to settle for a draw, as they were held 1-1 by Burnley. The Blues started brightly and took an early lead within five minutes, but their momentum suffered a setback when Wesley Fofana was sent off in the 72nd minute following a challenge on Joao Pedro.
Despite their advantage, Burnley struggled to break through until the closing stages, eventually finding a dramatic equaliser in the 90th minute, a result that further dents Chelsea’s hopes of finishing in the top four.
Elsewhere, West Ham United and Bournemouth played out a goalless draw, Aston Villa were held 1-1 by Leeds United, while Brighton secured a convincing 2-0 away victory over Brentford to boost their European ambitions.
