Manchester City capped off a perfect week with a commanding 3-0 win over Sunderland at the Etihad, securing their third victory in seven days and extending their strong home form to 12 wins in their last 13 Premier League matches.
With Arsenal slipping up earlier in the day, City knew a win would bring them within touching distance of the league leaders.
Pep Guardiola’s side controlled the early stages but initially struggled to break down Sunderland’s organised defence. Rayan Cherki came close to creating the opener for Erling Haaland, only for the striker to miss the connection.
City finally found their breakthrough just after the half-hour mark, scoring twice in four minutes. Rúben Dias stunned the stadium with a long-range strike from 30 yards, before Joško Gvardiol powered in a header from a Phil Foden corner.
Those goals took City’s tally of first-half league goals to a league-best 18 this season.
Sunderland improved after the break and came close through Wilson Isidor and Granit Xhaka, but their revival was cut short on 65 minutes when Foden headed in City’s third.
The goal owed everything to a brilliant rabona cross from Cherki, who later forced a fine save from Robin Roefs.
City controlled the closing stages comfortably, looking every bit the title challengers as they moved to within two points of Arsenal.
Sunderland, meanwhile, slip to seventh ahead of next week’s Tyne-Wear derby against Newcastle.