Micah Richards makes title claim after Arsenal suffer defeat to Man City

Micah Richards believes Manchester City’s 2-1 win over Arsenal puts Pep Guardiola’s side in the driving seat to go on and win the Premier League title this season.

Today’s top-of-the-table contest at the Etihad had been billed as a potential title decider between the two teams, with six points separating City from Arsenal ahead of kick-off.

In the early exchanges, Arsenal showed they were more than up for the fight after their recent blip as Kai Havertz canceled out Rayan Cherki’s moment of brilliance in a frantic two-minute period.

But City rallied again in the second period and were rewarded for their efforts as Erling Haaland scored his 23rd league goal of the campaign to restore the hosts’ lead with 25 minutes remaining.

Eberechi Eze struck the woodwork and Havertz also squandered a huge opportunity to make it all square, but Guardiola’s men clung on to preserve their narrow advantage and move to within three points of the Gunners.

City have a game in hand over Arsenal and will go level on points with Mikel Arteta’s side should they get the better of lowly Burnley at Turf Moor on Wednesday evening.

‘I’ve always said whoever wins this game will have the momentum,’ ex-City and England defender Richards declared on Sky Sports shortly after the final whistle.

‘Obviously City got to go to Burnley and win that but Arsenal have still got two games before Manchester City play again, they’ve got Newcastle and Fulham.

‘I just thought this was the game. If they could get over the line in this game and stay within three points of Arsenal, I just think with the experience, the big players, the big moments…

‘I thought Arsenal were very good in all honesty today, but Manchester City just get over the line and Rayan Cherki, what a player he is.

‘Bernardo Silva, the energy that he puts in, the way he gets on the ball, being an older guy. Leaving at the end of the season. But they just have that momentum going into the end of the season.’

Former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira, meanwhile, highlighted how City’s ‘experience’ in big games ultimately shone through in the second half.

‘I’m really disappointed from Arsenal’s point of view because they played the game that was expected,’ Vieira, who also represented City at the end of his playing career, explained.

‘But the difference… the experience and the importance of the games, the City players managed the game much better, especially in the second half.

‘I’m disappointed because in the second half, I believe City started well but Arsenal, with Eze hitting the post, I think had this kind of momentum.

‘But at the end, Haaland’s goal makes the big difference.’

Arsenal will look to bounce back when they return to action at home to Newcastle in a week’s time.

According to Roy Keane, Arteta’s squad have no option but to ‘regroup’ and regain their composure if they are to hold off City and end their 22-year wait for the Premier League trophy this season.

‘Obviously the momentum is all with Manchester City,’ the ex-Manchester United skipper said.

‘They’ve been the best team over the last eight, nine, ten years, particularly since Pep Guardiola came in, especially in dealing with pressure and we saw that again today.

‘We mentioned pressure before the game today and if they didn’t win, was the league potentially over, so these players can deal with pressure and they showed that in the second half.

‘Arsenal did have chances but if you’re Arsenal, you’ve got to regroup and go again because they had chances, they had some great chances in the second half and didn’t take them.

‘You talk about hunger, desire, skill… this group of City players, there are some new players in this group, but players like Bernardo Silva, my goodness, a fantastic example for any young player with that hunger and desire and a couple of moments of quality.’