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City on verge of EPL title

- REUTERS

MANCHESTER City emerged from a trough of despair to beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 and take another step towards the Premier League title.

After they were beaten by Manchester United from two goals up when victory would have crowned them kings of England and knocked out of Europe by Liverpool, some suggested City were beginning to flag.

But Pep Guardiola’s side made a mockery of such talk to outclass a Spurs side previously unbeaten in the league since December.

Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring in the 22nd minute before Ilkay Gundogan slotted home a penalty three minutes later, after Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris raced out of his goal and brought down Raheem Sterling on the edge of the area, replays suggest contact may have been outside the box.

“We missed the first 25 minutes,” Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose side face Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-finals next week, said.

Christian Eriksen’s goal shortly before halftime offered Tottenham a route back into the game but Raheem Sterling lashed home from close range in the 72nd minute to seal the points.

An unlikely defeat for Manchester United at home to bottom club West Bromwich Albion would secure City’s third title in seven seasons but a win against Swansea City next week will be enough to put them out of reach.

“After 15 minutes I said we’d be champions, after what happened and we reacted,” Guardiola, who will be on the golf course with his son when United play, said.

“These guys are fantastic and awesome.

“We have to win it at home. I am excited to be champions with our fans.”

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