Advantage Manchester City in title race as Unai Emery comes back to haunt Arsenal

Like the rest of us, Manchester City were able to sit back and watch Sunday's Premier League action unfold from the comfort of their armchairs.

And you can be sure their WhatsApp group came alive as first Liverpool, and then Arsenal, saw their title dreams damaged by shock defeats. From nowhere, it's advantage City – and they so rarely relinquish control once they have it.

Pep Guardiola, whose side thrashed Luton Town 5-1 on Saturday to go two points clear with six to play, may want to send a message of his own: a note of thanks to Unai Emery, the former Arsenal manager who returned to haunt his old team. This win completed a double over his former employers for Emery, sacked by the Gunners in 2019.

Twelve months on from choking in the home stretch, Arsenal once again risk unravelling with the finishing line in sight.

They played well in a first half they dominated. But inevitably, with the stakes so high, the longer it remained goalless the more nervous the Emirates became.

Villa blossomed. On came Leon Bailey to exploit the space behind the full-backs. It was a masterstroke from Emery as the Jamaican broke the deadlock. The air gushed out of the Emirates. The home fans murmured in disbelief as Ollie Watkins finished masterfully to make it 2-0.

Having ceded top spot to City on Saturday, Arsenal must have been boosted before kick off as news filtered through of Liverpool's defeat to Crystal Palace. Yet, instead of seizing the moment, they joined Jurgen Klopp's side in despair.

"Two very different performances," Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said. "The first half was superb, one of the best halves we have played against a top team. It should have been three or four - or more. We didn't put that score line up and didn't