In form and conditioned for this time of the season, City now in charge

City didn't overwhelm Arsenal but they located the moments that define titles.

Arsenal's Gabriel Magalhaes (left) marks Manchester City's Erling Haaland during the Premier League match at the Etihad Stadium, Pic:  Martin Rickett/PA Wire. 

There is a particular inevitability to Manchester City at this time of year. April does not so much arrive as belong to them. Seasons bend here, subtly at first and then all at once, towards a team that understands not simply how to win, but when winning matters most.

This felt like one of those afternoons.