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Manchester City emerged from a trough of despair to beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 and take another step towards the Premier League title.
After they were beaten by Manchester United from two goals up when victory would have crowned them kings of England and knocked out of Europe by Liverpool, some suggested City were beginning to flag.
But Pep Guardiola’s side made a mockery of such talk to outclass a Spurs side previously unbeaten in the league since December.
Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring in the 22nd minute before Ilkay Gundogan slotted home a penalty three minutes later, after Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris raced out of his goal and brought down Raheem Sterling on the edge of the area, replays suggest contact may have been outside the box.
“We missed the first 25 minutes,” Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, whose side face Manchester United in the FA Cup semi-finals next week, said.
Christian Eriksen’s goal shortly before halftime offered Tottenham a route back into the game but Raheem Sterling lashed home from close range in the 72nd minute to seal the points.
An unlikely defeat for Manchester United at home to bottom club West Bromwich Albion would secure City’s third title in seven seasons but a win against Swansea City next week will be enough to put them out of reach.
“After 15 minutes I said we’d be champions, after what happened and we reacted,” Guardiola, who will be on the golf course with his son when United play on Sunday, said.
“These guys are fantastic and awesome.
“We have to win it at home. I am excited to be champions with our fans.”
Third-placed Liverpool beat Bournemouth 3-0 at home with Mohamed Salah taking his goal tally for the season to 40 in all competitions — making him only the third Reds player to achieve that mark.
Salah’s 30th goal in the EPL campaign makes him the first African to do so and puts him five clear in the top scorer race.
“We need his greed, we need him to want to score,” Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp said.
“He is not distracted or whatever about the golden boot; he wants to have it like he wants us to be successful.”
Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino were also on target as Liverpool moved three points above Tottenham.
Fifth-placed Chelsea hit back from two goals down at relegation-threatened Southampton to win 3-2 and keep alive their hopes of a top-four finish.
The Blues trailed to goals by Dusan Tadic and Jan Bednarek at St Mary’s but Olivier Giroud came on as a 61st-minute substitute to spark a stunning turnaround with his first goals for the Blues.
He headed home a Marcos Alonso cross before Eden Hazard equalised from close range.
French striker Giroud fired in a low shot on 78 minutes to give Chelsea the points.
Third-from-bottom Southampton are five points from safety after relegation rivals Crystal Palace beat Brighton & Hove Albion 3-2, in a tough outing for Socceroos goalkeeper Mat Ryan.
There was better news for Ryan’s national teammate Aaron Mooy as Huddersfield Town beat Watford 1-0.
Swansea City are directly above Southampton after a 1-1 draw at home to Everton.
Burnley earned their fifth straight league win with a 2-1 victory over Leicester City at Turf Moor to boost their chances of possible Europa League qualification.
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