Manchester City thrash Chelsea to maintain pressure on Premier League league leaders Arsenal

Nico O'Reilly broke the deadlock at Stamford Bridge with a strong header on 51 minutes.

Marc Guehi showed a touch of clash as he stroked home from the edge of the area just six minutes later and Jeremy Doku ended the game as a contest with his close-range strike with 68 minutes on the clock.

The result saw City close the gap on Arsenal, who sensationally lost 2-1 to Bournemouth on Saturday - to just six points and with a game in hand.

Chelsea were under pressure from an early corner with Erling Haaland looking to get on the end of a dangerous header back across goal from Doku but Wesley Fofana got there first to make a vital clearance.

It was a relaxed, confident start from City, with most of the game taking place in the Chelsea half.

But Cole Palmer then smashed a shot into the side netting after a swift Blues break that he started himself, and Joao Pedro had a good effort deflected wide of the target.

Chelsea had upped their tempo and were starting to look really dangerous in attack and even had the ball in the back of the net on 16 minutes as Marc Cucurella cooly lifted his shot over the onrushing Gianluigi Donnarumma in the City goal, only to be called up for a very tight offside call.

Donnarumma then had to get down quickly to keep out a powerful Pedro Neto drive from a tight angle to the left of goal as he beat his man and fired in at the near post as Doku outmuscling Malo Gusto before seeing his shot deflect away from danger, at the other end.

The away team were guilty of conceding possession in a dangerous area and Gusto's cross was just ahead of the stretching Joao Pedro, who had made an excellent run to get the wrong side of Guehi.

Donnarumma had to come a long way off his line to clear a ball in midfield to stop Joao Pedro running in on goal, while Bernardo Silva couldn't get enough on a super cutback from Nico O'Reilly, allowing Robert Sanchez to dive on the ball.

Both sides continued to probe for an opener, and Antoine Semenyo was inches wide of the right upright, following a touch off the boot of a defender, before Andre Santos headed over at the other end just before the half-time whistle.

City largely dominated the possession stakes in the first half but without making a breakthrough but Haaland was inches away from an opener at the start of the second period with a fizzed in effort that was crucially blocked by Hato.

Rayan Cherki was then just inches off target with a shot he pulled wide, before a soft penalty call as Doku went down in the area after a slight shove from Palmer.

But City were soon ahead, with 51 minutes on the clock after Oâ™Reilly found space in the area under pressure from Andrey Santos to connect to a whipped in Cherki ball and head emphatically past Sanchez.

City stepped it up after half-time and were soon two goals ahead as Guehi finished superbly across the face of the Chelsea goal after picking up a pass from Doku.

Cucurella did well to race down the left and angle the ball back to Palmer, who swept a first-time shot that deflected behind off Guehi, as the Blues looked to respond.

Liam Rosenior brought on Romeo Lavia and Alejandro Garnacho for Santos and Estevao as he hopes for a way back into the match.

But Chelsea were the makers of their own misery as Moses Caicedo dallied in possession as Sanchez rolled the ball out to him and was pickpocketed by Doku, who slammed home a City third.

Khusanov wasn't too far wide with a drilled effort from a full 30 yards as Doku curled his 78th minute effort well wide after some more composed approach play from Pep Guardiola's charges.

Phil Foden and Savinho come on for Doku and Rayan Cherki for the last ten minutes of the game, before another set of substitutes as Mateo Kovacic, who has been out since October, replaced Bernardo Silva.

Donnarumma was well placed to keep out a close-range Cucurella header and made light work of a Palmer free kick on 85 minutes that he looked to bend into the left corner from the centre of the pitch.

The game was all but done as a contest and Rosenior gave Dario Essugo his Premier League debut, on for Joao Pedro, as Caicedo made way for Liam Delap.

The various injury stoppages meant there were eight uneventful minutes of added time before wild City celebrations as they kept their Premier League title hopes alive with a convincing victory.

Next up for City is a home clash against Arsenal, at the Etihad on Sunday, 19 April.

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