EPL: Man City sink Newcastle to close gap on Arsenal

Manchester City stepped up their Premier League title charge as Nico O’Reilly’s double sealed a vital 2-1 win against Newcastle on Saturday.

O’Reilly put City ahead in the first half at the Etihad Stadium and restored their lead after Lewis Hall had equalised.

Pep Guardiola’s side weren’t at their best, but they held on for a victory that moved them within two points of leaders Arsenal.

The Gunners travel to Tottenham on Sunday, but regardless of the result in the north London derby, City control the destiny of the title.

They will have a game in hand on Arsenal after this weekend and host the Gunners in April, with 11 wins from their last 11 matches guaranteed to secure the seventh title of Guardiola’s reign.

Guardiola had claimed on Friday that he “couldn’t care less” about Arsenal’s recent stumble breathing new life into the title race.

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But while Arsenal have spluttered with two wins from their last seven league games, City are heating up at just the right time.

A fifth successive win in all competitions extended their unbeaten run to eight games.

This was the fourth meeting between City and Newcastle already this season, with a fifth on the way in the last 16 of the FA Cup next month.

Newcastle had never managed a win in 20 previous visits to the Etihad Stadium in the Premier League, also losing there in the Carabao Cup semi-finals this season.

The Star