The Premier League title battle took another twist over the weekend as Arsenal returned to winning ways against Aston Villa while Manchester City dropped points to Nottingham Forest. Entering the final ten minutes of both games, City looked set to increase their title advantage over Arsenal, but come the full-time whistle of each match, the Gunners were the team residing at the top of the league by the end of the day.
Two goals in stoppage time handed Arsenal a vital win for their title hopes after it appeared Mikel Arteta's side were heading for their fourth league game without a victory. Meanwhile, just a few hours later, City looked to be comfortably heading back to the top after Bernardo Silva's goal, but Chris Wood equalised for Forest with just over five minutes of normal time to play.
After their decisive meeting earlier in the week, which City won 3-1, it was certainly a surprise they were the team in the title race to drop points. Nonetheless, as Arsenal's eight-point lead being cut down to zero in just a few weeks highlighted, there will be more twists to come with a minimum of 45 points to play for.
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Pep Guardiola is well known for tweaking his City team but this campaign his decisions in defence have even gone beyond his own standards. Manuel Akanji and Nathan Ake were mainstays in the backline earlier this season with John Stones and Ruben Dias each dealing with their own injury issues.
Aymeric Laporte, Rico Lewis and Ake have all played at left-back and despite Guardiola suggesting City cannot play without Ake earlier in the month, the Dutch international was then dropped for the following game.
Although they have won the league in the last two campaigns, City's biggest issue remains the left-back position with their only natural option in the position, Oleksandr Zinchenko sold to the Gunners in the summer. Laporte and Ake provide solidity defensively in the position, while Lewis can also play the inverted role.
Against Aston Villa and Arsenal, Guardiola has deployed Bernardo Silva in the position to varying effect. In the Villa clash the decision worked efficiently, but at Emirates Stadium Bukayo Saka caused the Portugal international numerous problems.
It was only when Guardiola brought on Ake for Riyad Mahrez and moved Bernardo into the attack that City began reaping the rewards. In the clash with Forest, Bernardo was in midfield while City had the ball and his attacking positioning saw him picked out by Jack Grealish where he was able to open the scoring with a thunderous effort.
However, when City did not have the ball he became part of the back four and this time round City were punished, with the goal for Steve Cooper's side coming after a positional error from Guardiola's unorthodox full-back.
Speaking on BBC Match of the Day, Micah Richards highlighted the role Bernardo had in the goal the visitors conceded at the City Ground. "The most intriguing part of the game, [involved] Bernardo Silva," he said. "He's playing in midfield but in Man City's defensive shape he goes into the left-back position.
"When he's in this position [with Forest in possession] he's thinking I'm a midfielder I've got to go out and get the ball and but when you're in a defensive line you can't go there because it's too late.
"[For Forest's goal] the ball goes into him and then he's out of the game. He leaves a massive space on the wing, [Aymeric] Laporte is out of position. Rodri in the box he doesn't want to touch him because he knows any little touch is a penalty and it's a brilliant finish from [Chris] Wood."
Across the country just a few hours earlier the left-back deployed by Arsenal also got on the scoresheet but his defensive decisions can be associated with someone who has played the position for years. Bernardo joining attacks as an extra player and playing the inverted role helps City in possession but Arsenal and Forest have both managed to exploit his defensive naivety.
With the title race so finely balanced, each team's varying decisions at left-back could ultimately decide who triumphs in May.
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