Manchester City players celebrate Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Manchester City struck a hammer blow in the Premier League title race as they outclassed leaders Arsenal 4-1 with an electrifying display in a clash of the top two at the Etihad.
Pep Guardiola's relentless side ran riot as they made it 12 successive league wins against Arsenal with a masterful Kevin De Bruyne scoring twice and Erling Haaland also on target as City seized control of their destiny.
City's seventh successive league win left them with 73 points to Arsenal's 75, but crucially they have played two fewer games than the Londoners whose hopes of a first title since 2004 now look forlorn after four games without a win.
Guardiola's City, who have trailed Arsenal for almost the entire season, will go top if they beat Fulham at the weekend.
A bullet header from Joel Matip gave Liverpool a 2-1 win over West Ham United in London that moves them above Tottenham Hotspur and back into the European places.
The Reds are in sixth spot in the table on 53 points, ahead of Spurs thanks to their far superior goal difference and one point behind Aston Villa with a game in hand as they seek to salvage a disappointing season.
The Hammers are 14th on the table on 34 points.
Brentford condemned Chelsea to their fifth defeat in five games in all competitions under interim coach Frank Lampard as an own goal by Blues' captain Cesar Azpilicueta and a second-half strike by Bryan Mbeumo handed the Bees a 2-0 win at Stamford Bridge.
The loss left toothless Chelsea 11th on the table, stumbling towards possibly their worst campaign since the 1993/94 season - when they finished 14th under Glenn Hoddle - despite their new U.S. owners' huge outlay on players.
The three points pushed Brentford up a spot to ninth.
Nottingham Forest moved out of the relegation zone with a 3-1 victory over Europe-chasing Brighton & Hove Albion.... ending an 11-game winless streak.
Meanwhile Sheffield United secured automatic promotion to the Premier League after a 2-0 win over West Bromwich Albion.
Burnley is the other team that has secured promotion.
-Reuters