By Ken Afor
Manchester City is not backing down in its pursuit of a successive Premier League title after thrashing Wolverhampton Wanderers 5-1 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.
Despite Saturday’s victory, Manchester City is trailing league leaders, Arsenal, by one point.
The Pep Guardiola’s boys seized control of the match early on, securing their first goal in the 12th minute after Rayan Ait-Nouri fouled Josko Gvardiol in the penalty area, allowing Haaland to confidently convert the spot-kick past goalkeeper Jose Sa.
Haaland extended City’s lead in the 35th minute with a superb header from Rodri’s precise cross, leaving Sa with no chance as the ball sailed over him and into the net to make it 2-0.
In the dying moments of the first half, Nelson Semedo’s challenge on Haaland gifted City another penalty, which the Norwegian striker dispatched emphatically to further solidify his team’s dominance with a three-goal lead.
Wolves clawed one back in the 53rd minute through Hwang Hee-chan, capitalizing on a rare error from City’s goalkeeper Ederson to make it 3-1.
However, Haaland swiftly responded, registering his 36th goal of the season across all competitions with a sublime curling effort into the far corner just a minute later, despite his visible frustration at being substituted late in the game.
Julian Alvarez sealed the victory for City with a composed finish in the 85th minute, securing their sixth consecutive league win and extending their unbeaten streak in the competition to 20 games.
With City holding a game in hand over Arsenal, they stand a chance of making history with a potential fourth consecutive English title. To achieve this feat, they must emerge victorious in their remaining three matches against Fulham next Saturday, followed by a trip to Tottenham on May 14, and a home fixture against West Ham United five days later.
Earlier, Arsenal extended their winning streak to four matches at the Emirates Stadium, with Bukayo Saka breaking the deadlock with a penalty just before half-time.
Leandro Trossard found the net in the 70th minute, beating Bournemouth goalkeeper Mark Travers, before Declan Rice sealed the victory with a powerful strike in stoppage-time, showcasing Arsenal’s dominance throughout the match.
In pursuit of their first title since 2004, Arsenal’s 26th Premier League victory this season matched the club’s top-flight record for a single campaign.
“It was probably the best first half we’ve played all season,” Gunners boss Mikel Arteta said.
“We were unbelievable. Everything flowing, super composed on the ball. We generated so many chances, we could have gone three, four, five up easily.”
Arsenal is currently top of the log with 83 points after 36 matches played while City are trailing with 82 points with three matches to left.
