A familiar springtime story: an Arsenal wobble followed by a Manchester City charge

Pep Guardiola’s sharks could smell the blood in the water after Arsenal’s stumble against Bournemouth.

PEP IN STEP: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on the touchline. Pic: John Walton/PA Wire.

After a season dominated by long throws, tortured set-piece routines and rigid football, a killer blend of artistry and firepower is threatening to deliver another domestic treble for Manchester City.

They have stirred when it matters most, crushing Liverpool in the FA Cup last weekend, and have their gaze firmly fixed on wounded prey after closing the gap on Arsenal with an expert destruction of Chelsea at a flat Stamford Bridge.