Manchester City produced a defiant response to the Premier League’s charge sheet as they comfortably beat Aston Villa 3-1 to close to within three points of leaders Arsenal on Sunday.
Champions City have 48 points from 22 games to Arsenal’s 51 from 21 and can go top if they win at Arsenal on Wednesday.
Goals by Rodri, Ilkay Gundogan and Riyad Mahrez put the result beyond doubt by half-time as City got back on track following last weekend’s loss at Tottenham Hotspur.
With the club facing more than 100 charges relating to alleged financial misconduct the home fans were in belligerent mood at the Etihad Stadium with a series of ironic chants.
On the pitch, City’s players showed they have not been distracted by the developments as they effectively wrapped up the points even before the halftime whistle.
Pep Guardiola’s side needed only four minutes to take the lead when Rodri headed in Riyad Mahrez’s corner and they were cruising when Erling Haaland set up Gundogan in the 39th minute.
Villa were left with mission impossible when Mahrez tucked away a penalty in firsthalf stoppage time after Jacob Ramsey was adjudged to have tripped former Villa player Jack Grealish.
Rashford once again
Marcus Rashford scored his 21st goal of the season in Manchester United’s 2-0 win against Leeds.
Substitute Alejandro Garnacho also struck as Erik ten Hag’s team moved to within five points of leaders Arsenal.
United had their title hopes hit by Leeds in a 2-2 draw at Old Trafford on Wednesday, but made up for that by picking up three points at Elland Road.
Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brentford on Saturday meant United had the chance to cut the Londoners’ lead and move into title contention.
Rashford has 13 goals in his last 16 games and is leading his team’s charge toward the top of the table.
Leeds and United condemned “completely unacceptable” chants by rival fans about tragedies involving both clubs during the game.
The Premier League also said it would treat the issue as a “matter of urgency”. The game was marred by some Leeds fans goading United supporters with chants about the Munich air disaster on February 6, 1958. Some United supporters taunted the home crowd with chants about the death of Leeds fans in Istanbul in 2000. On Saturday, Newcastle United were held to a 1-1 stalemate at struggling Bournemouth, a fifth draw in six games for the Magpies.