Man City thrash Chelsea to turn up the heat on Arsenal

The Gunners go to the Etihad in seven days' time.

Manchester City's Marc Guehi (right) celebrates scoring their side's second goal. Pic: John Walton/PA Wire.

Chelsea 0 Man City 3

Arsenal's biggest fear is in danger of becoming a reality - Manchester City are on the charge. 

A ruthless second-half display from Pep Guardiola's men put Chelsea to the sword at Stamford Bridge just seven days before the stuttering Premier League leaders head to the Etihad Stadium for the biggest game of the season.

The Gunners' shock home defeat by Bournemouth on Saturday means just six points now separate the sides with City also boasting a game in hand and the experience of just how to win a title.

Chelsea went into this game on a horrible run of form that had seen them lose back-to-back league games and also suffer a humiliating Champions League exit to Paris St Germain.

But they were the better side in the first half with Cole Palmer, eager to impress against the club that sold him to Chelsea, a lively presence in the opening 10 minutes and twice hitting the side-netting of Gianluigi Donnarumma's goal.

The Blues' bright start looked to have been rewarded with a superb finish from Marc Cucrella midway through the first period after a mazy run from Joao Pedro teed up the full-back.

But the Spain international was adjudged to have been narrowly offside after blasting past Donnarumma.

After that reprieve, City slowly grew into the game towards halftime with Robert Sanchez reacting well to smother a Bernardo Silva shot after good work from Nico O'Reilly and Jeremy Doku.

But it was all City in the second half thanks to two goals in six minutes just after the restart, first from O'Reilly's powerful header and the second from a smart finish by former Chelsea academy graduate Marc Guehi.

The lively Doku fired in the third 20 minutes from time when he won the ball off Moises Caicedo and barrelled his way into the box before blasting the ball into the bottom corner.

With the away fans singing 'are you watching Arsenal', City spent the rest of the game toying with beleaguered Blues who struggled to get out of their own half and looked nothing like a team that has cost over billion pounds to assemble.

Antonie Semenyo almost added a fourth goal with a shot that was just wide before Erland Haaland's late header was clawed away by Sanchez as Chelsea at least kept the score down to the three on a chastening afternoon for under-pressure boss Liam Rosenior.

Chelsea (4-2-3-1) Sanchez; Gusto (Acheampong 87), Fofana, Hato, Cucurella; Caicedo (Essudo 80), Andrey Santos; Estevao (Garnacho 66), Palmer, Neto; Joao Pedro (Delap 80).

Man City (4-2-3-1) Donnarumma; Nunes, Khusanov, Guehi, O’Reilly (Ait Norri 60); Bernardo Silva (Kovacic 80), Rodri; Semenyo, Cherki (Foden 75), Doku (Savinho 75); Haaland.