Two Man City problems suddenly look better after Arsenal and Liverpool FC shock

What a weekend for Manchester City.

For one Premier League title rival to lose their first game since February was an enormous boost, and for the other - hours later - to lose their first since December was unbelievable. Pep Guardiola's side have never given up in the fight to defend their crown and with six games to go the race is in their hands for the first time since November.

Chickens are still forbidden from being counted inside the Etihad but momentum and control is now firmly with the Blues. For all their genuine struggles this season, recent results from Arsenal and Liverpool have shown that City's shortfalls may not be as bad as first expected.

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It feels lot longer than a fortnight ago that Mikel Arteta and his Arsenal side left the Etihad happy with a point. The result allowed Liverpool to top the table but Arteta could be pleased with the progress made from a more cautious approach that had seen them take three more points than the champions had managed from their two meetings and kept them ahead in the table with nine to go.

For City, their wait to beat a team in the top five would only be broken days later against Aston Villa, and their failure to get the better of their rivals has been uncharacteristic in a Guardiola side that has previously used those games to build their advantage - exactly as they did against Arsenal home and away last season. The 0-0 stalemate also marked the first time they hadn't scored at home in the league since October 2021, and with defensive injuries piling up at the back and Erling Haaland's play described as almost League Two