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Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte can envisage the Premier League title edging closer following Arsenal's shock 3-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday (May 14).
The Gunners collapsed at the Emirates with the Seagulls wreaking havoc. Julio Enciso, Deniz Undav and Pervis Estupinan were on target to condemn the Gunners to a devastating defeat and all but end their title hopes.
It means Manchester City are just one win away from defending their league crown. They will do so by beating Chelsea on Sunday (May 21) or if Arsenal lose to Nottingham Forest a day earlier.
Laporte reacted to the Gunners' defeat to Brighton by taking to Twitter and uploading a funny gif. The image is of WWE superstar The Rock breathing in the fumes of a winning performance. The caption reads:
"Mmmmmm I can smell it."
Manchester City cooked up a storm in their 3-0 victory over Everton the same day Arteta's men stumbled in the title race. Ilkay Gundogan put in a phenomenal performance, scoring a brace and assisting Erling Haaland, who bagged his 52nd goal of the season.
Laporte may not only be smelling a potential title win but also a continental treble, as City are still alive in two other competitions. They host Real Madrid in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal on Wednesday (May 17). The two European heavyweights are tied 1-1 on aggregate following the first leg at the Santiago Bernabeu last week.
Pep Guardiola's men also face Manchester United in the first Manchester derby in an FA Cup final on June 3. It's turning out to be a remarkable season for the Cityzens. They have displaced Arsenal in the title race having trailed them by as many as eight points in January.
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola's mind games pay off as Arsenal falter
Manchester City manager Guardiola said he expected Arsenal to win their three remaining games just two days before their slip-up to Brighton. The Spanish tactician seemed to play mind games:
"I think, definitely, they are going to win their three games. I would like them to drop points, to be honest, but I think they will get nine points."
Those comments placed a ton of pressure on the Gunners, as they were tasked with remaining perfect for the rest of the campaign. City were widely backed to beat them to the title after their 4-1 win in April at the Etihad. However, the North Londoners still had hope that their title rivals would implode, but it was they who capitulated instead.
Arsenal face Forest on Saturday before hosting Wolverhampton Wanderers on the final day of the season (May 28). Meanwhile, City play Chelsea on Sunday, Brighton (May 24) and Brentford (May 28).
