After being under pressure before half-time, Manchester City and their French playmaker Ryan Cherki secured the victory they needed on Sunday at Chelsea (3-0) to revive their hopes of winning the Premier League title.

Leaders Arsenal had opened the window on Saturday by losing 2-1 against modest Bournemouth at home, and their Manchester rivals rushed in with the help of Cherki, who provided two assists for Nico O'Reilly (51st minute) and Marc Guéhi (57th minute).

"Are you watching, Arsenal?", chanted the visiting fans at Stamford Bridge after Jeremy Doku scored the third goal (68th minute).

City, second with 64 points, can now make up their six-point deficit to Arsenal (1st, 70 pts) with a win against the leader next Sunday at home, and against Crystal Palace in a rescheduled match.

The mood is more somber at Chelsea (6th, 48 pts) after this fourth defeat in five league matches. The fifth and final Champions League qualifying spot, currently held by Liverpool (5th, 52 pts), is slipping further away with six games remaining.

Liam Rosenior's Blues were much more dangerous than City in the first half: Gianluigi Donnarumma was saved by an offside on a goal by Marc Cucurella (16th), he was forced to make a fine save on a shot by Pedro Neto (19th) and to come out in front of Joao Pedro (33rd), among others.

But, after the half-time break, the momentum shifted abruptly, with the first big chances for Erling Haaland and Cherki (47th minute).

Four minutes later, the French No. 10 beat a defender with a hook and delivered a perfect cross for Nico O'Reilly, who headed it home after escaping Andrey Santos' marking (51st, 1-0).

The former Lyon player delivered another brilliant pass to Marc Guéhi (57th minute, 2-0), another goalscoring defender, after a nice slalom run in front of the penalty area.

The knockout goal came from a throw by goalkeeper Robert Sanchez towards Moises Caicedo, well caught by Doku who went on to score his second of the season in the league, five months after the first (68th, 3-0).