Manchester City returned to Premier League action in style with a 3-0 home victory over Arsenal, cementing their second-place position with a seven-point lead over Leicester City.
The hosts had to wait until the 45th minute to score their first goal when David Luiz failed to deal with a deep cross from Kevin De Bruyne. Raheem Sterling used his pace to capitalize, firing a first-time effort beyond goalkeeper Bernd Leno.
Luiz was once again at the center of the action for the side’s second goal, conceding a penalty to Riyad Mahrez, which was eventually tucked away by Kevin De Bruyne. The incident also left Arsenal with ten men after the referee brandished a red card.
City youngster Phil Foden then finished the job in stoppage time, getting on the end of a rebound to score his first Premier League goal this season.
This result leaves Arsenal down in ninth place, eight points off what could be the last Champions League qualification spot. However, should Manchester City’s ban from the competition due to a breach of FFP rules be upheld, a fifth-place finish would suffice for qualifying for Europe’s premier competition.
Elsewhere, in the day’s early match, Aston Villa played out a 0-0 draw against Sheffield United.
There was major controversy towards the end of the first half when Oliver Norwood thought he had scored for Sheffield from a free-kick, as goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland stepped back into his own goal while trying to save the shot.
While it looked completely over the line by most replays, it was a rare failure of goal-line technology which saw the goal ultimately disallowed by referee Michael Oliver.
The game ended scoreless, with Sheffield missing their chance to leapfrog Manchester United into fifth place. The draw was equally dissatisfying for Villa, which left them in the relegation zone ahead of Matchday 30.