Manchester City overcame a slow start to defeat Chelsea 3-0 at Stamford Bridge and cut Arsenal's lead at the Premier League to six points.

Pep Guardiola's side will go within three points of the Gunners if they defeat them in a titanic showdown at the Etihad Stadium next week, and they still have a game in hand to come after that.

Things were far from comfortable for them in the first half of Sunday's game, but a second-half masterclass inspired by Rayan Cherki helped them pull clear.

Chelsea had the better chances in the early stages as Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro lashed into the side netting, while Marc Cucurella finished across Gianluigi Donnarumma, though he did so from an offside position.

City's only real opportunity of the first half saw Robert Sanchez deny Bernardo Silva from close quarters, but it was a totally different game after the interval as the visitors upped the ante.

O'Reilly met Cherki's cross with a towering header past Sanchez in the 51st minute, and only six minutes later, the Frenchman provided an even better assist, gliding across the box before slipping a neat pass into Marc Guehi, who finished like a centre-forward.

PASSION!!!  pic.twitter.com/nlsH1Z08ca

— Manchester City (@ManCity) April 12, 2026

It was game over when Moises Caicedo was caught in possession by Doku, who advanced into the area before finishing inside the near post in the 68th minute, and Donnarumma preserved his clean sheet with a late stop to keep out Cucurella's header. 

Data Debrief: Assist king Cherki turns the title race?

After a tense first 45 minutes, City needed one of their star players to step up, and though O'Reilly, Guehi and Doku got the goals, it was Cherki who provided the spark.

Two assists in six minutes from the former Lyon man changed the game, and potentially this season's title race. He has now teed up 10 goals for team-mates in the Premier League this term.

He is the first player to register 10 assists in his debut Premier League campaign since Dimitri Payet for West Ham in 2015-16.

Cherki has also registered multiple assists in four different games across all competitions this season, more than any other player from Europe's top five leagues, ahead of Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes (three). Both of the chances he created here resulted in goals.

Chelsea, meanwhile, have lost three straight Premier League games without scoring for the first time since March 1998 (four), having registered fewer shots (12 to 18), shots on target (three to eight) and expected goals (1.14 xG to 1.89) than City.