Pep Guardiola had challenged his players to fight until the end to catch Arsenal.
This was not quite the desperate last knockings just yet but it certainly felt like a big and significant win for Manchester City in the context of the title race. Eventually, it took two City substitutes to carve out the victory as Riyad Mahrez scored the 63rd minute winner from Jack Grealish’s cross to send the away end wild.
City hauled themselves back to within five points of leaders Arsenal, they were pushed hard by a Chelsea side who, despite a defiant performance, now find themselves in a deepening crisis. It is now just one win in eight Premier League games for Graham Potter’s men who are stuck in tenth place and that sort of form normally gets Chelsea managers the sack.
