Manchester City’s title champagne still on ice
● Manchester City will have to wait a little longer to be crowned Premier League champions after they were beaten 2-1 at home by Chelsea yesterday.
City, who made nine changes for the game, could still secure the title this weekend if second-placed Manchester United lose at Aston Villa today.
With three games left to play Pep Guardiola’s side are 13 points ahead of United, who have five games remaining.
United have three games in five days, and even if they win all three City would win the title by beating Newcastle on Friday.
Yesterday’s game also offered something of a preview of the Champions League final between the two sides, though both Guardiola and Thomas Tuchel left out key players.
Raheem Sterling put City ahead in the 44th minute, sneaking in front of Sergio Aguero to connect with a low ball from Gabriel Jesus, who had bustled past Andreas Christensen.
Within two minutes they had a chance to double that lead from the penalty spot, but Aguero’s soft chip down the middle ended in embarrassment as it was easily saved by Edouard Mendy.
Chelsea drew level through a low drive from Hakim Ziyech in the 63rd minute, and then had efforts from Timo Werner and Callum Hudson-Odoi ruled out for offside.
City felt they should have had another penalty when Sterling went down in the box with Kurt Zouma behind him.
But Tuchel’s team went on to grab a late winner through Marcos Alonso’s scuffed shot floating past Ederson.
Chelsea beat City in the semifinal of the FA Cup on April 17 and will face them again in May 29th’s Champions League final.
● Tottenham Hotspur’s slim hopes of finishing in the Premier League top four faded as goals from Stuart Dallas, Patrick Bamford and Rodrigo condemned them to a 3-1 defeat at Leeds United in a lively game yesterday.
Leeds moved two places up to ninth on 50 points.
Tottenham’s interim coach Ryan Mason, who suffered his first league defeat since taking over from Jose Mourinho last month, rued Harry Kane’s goal being ruled out after a Var check when the score was 1-1. —