At Stamford Bridge on 12/4, Manchester City struggled in the first half, even seeing a goal from Marc Cucurella disallowed for a narrow offside. After halftime, Manchester City transformed, dominating the game and scoring three goals in just 23 minutes through Nico O'Reilly, Marc Guehi, and Jeremy Doku.

This marked Manchester City's third consecutive major victory, following their 2-0 League Cup final win over Arsenal and a 4-0 FA Cup quarter-final thrashing of Liverpool.

When questioned about Manchester City's improved form, Guardiola attributed it to "sunshine." He elaborated, "No joke. Manchester has never seen this much sun. If the sun appeared in November, we would have won the league by January. Honestly, the team's mood and spirit have improved. The board has provided me with outstanding and competitive players, which is key to our success."

Guardiola coaches during Manchester City's victory over Chelsea in the 32nd round of the Premier League on the evening of 12/4. Photo: EPA

Regarding the Chelsea match, Guardiola praised the second-half improvement. He also acknowledged that at this stage of the season, tactics are no longer the decisive factor.

The recent victory was a significant step for Manchester City in the 2025-2026 Premier League title race. Guardiola's squad currently sits second with 64 points from 31 matches, trailing Arsenal by just 6 points with one game in hand. Should they defeat Arsenal directly in the upcoming round and win their postponed match against Crystal Palace, they would draw level on points. This would not only give them an equal chance at the championship but also a psychological edge for the remaining five rounds.

A comeback is taking shape. However, Guardiola warned that defeating Arsenal again would not be easy. "We are about to face an opponent who has lost only three of their last 49 matches, and has yet to lose a single Champions League game this season. In the League Cup final, we were even considered the underdogs," the Manchester City coach added.

In this season's Champions League group stage, Arsenal topped their group with 8 consecutive wins. They remain undefeated in the knockout stages, having drawn 1-1 and beaten Leverkusen 2-0 in the round of 16, and secured a 1-0 victory against Sporting in the first leg of the quarter-finals.

However, a deep run in the Champions League also presents significant physical challenges. Four days before facing Manchester City, Arsenal will play their second leg against Sporting. Should they advance, Mikel Arteta's squad would face two more semi-final matches in late April and early May against Atletico or Barca. Conversely, Manchester City's early Champions League exit allows them to focus solely on domestic competitions.

Thanh Quy (according to Guardian)