Sports world daily: Man City beat Arsenal in Premier League tie; Bouchard in Madrid Masters R2

Manchester City are now in a strong position to overtake Arsenal in the Premier League title race after they beat the London club in a crucial and potentially title-deciding tie.

Chelsea, meanwhile continue their slump after a loss to Brentford.

In tennis, former Wimbledon finalist Eugenie Bouchard has reached the Madrid Masters for the first time in six years.

Here’s a look at the key stories from international sporting events through the day for 27 April, 2023:

Man City beat Arsenal

Manchester City seized control of the Premier League title race as Kevin De Bruyne inspired a crucial 4-1 rout of crumbling leaders Arsenal on Wednesday.

De Bruyne scored twice and set up John Stones’ goal before Erling Haaland capped the demolition at the Etihad Stadium as City showed why they have been champions four times in the last five seasons.

Pep Guardiola’s side have trailed unexpected pace-setters Arsenal for much of the campaign, but the Gunners have choked over the last month while battle-hardened City show no signs of being affected by the pressure.

Second placed City are now just two points behind Arsenal with two games in hand.

City will become champions for a third successive season if they win six of their last seven matches.

Few would bet against them after a blistering run of seven consecutive league victories reeled in Arsenal.

Unbeaten in their last 16 games in all competitions, City have won 13 of their past 14 games as they chase a remarkable treble.

They booked an FA Cup final date with Manchester United last weekend and face Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals.

“The connection between Kevin and Erling is extraordinary, today we tried to use it as much as possible,” Guardiola said.

“I know the next three games are really important. The reality is today we are two points behind Arsenal, they are in front of us.”

While City eye a memorable end to the season, Arsenal, who were eight points clear at the start of April, have failed to win any of their last four league games.

Arsenal’s third defeat against City in 2023 could prove the final blow to their hopes of winning the title for the first time in 19 years.

Mikel Arteta’s young team have lost their nerve at the worst possible time, with three successive draws, featuring a pair of blown two-goal leads, followed by their first loss in 11 league games.

“The better team won. They were probably at their best in the first half and we weren’t at our level. In terms of the basics we didn’t do it,” Arteta said.

“There’s still five games to go. I’ve been in this country 22 years and things change a lot.”

Chelsea lose again

Chelsea crashed to a fifth successive defeat under Frank Lampard as their west London neighbours Brentford won 2-0 at Stamford Bridge.

In his second spell as Chelsea boss after replacing the sacked Graham Potter until the end of the season, Lampard has failed to spark a revival from his troubled team, who were booed off at full-time.

Chelsea are enduring their worst run since 1993 after their winless streak extended to eight games.

Cesar Azpilicueta’s 37th minute own goal and Bryan Mbeumo’s 78th minute strike left 11th placed Chelsea in danger of finishing in the bottom half of the table for the first time since 1996.

Liverpool kept alive their slender hopes of a top four finish with a 2-1 win at West Ham.

The Hammers took a 12th-minute lead through Lucas Paqueta’s spectacular strike, only for Cody Gakpo to equalise from long-range five minutes later.

Joel Matip’s 67th minute header moved sixth placed Liverpool within six points of fourth placed Manchester United, who have two games in hand.

Nottingham Forest climbed out of the relegation zone as they beat Brighton 3-1 at the City Ground to win for the first time in 12 games.

Atletico Madrid win on 120th anniversary

Atletico Madrid cut the gap on second-place rivals Real Madrid to two points with a 3-1 win over Real Mallorca in La Liga on Wednesday.

Diego Simeone’s side, on the club’s 120th anniversary, put on an entertaining display with Antoine Griezmann at the heart of it once again.

The forward produced two assists as Rodrigo de Paul, Alvaro Morata and Yannick Carrasco struck for the hosts at the Metropolitano.

After Real Madrid were thumped 4-2 by Girona on Tuesday, Atletico capitalised to reel in their neighbours – runaway leaders Barcelona are too far ahead to realistically catch.

Atletico, wearing special blue and white kits at home to mark the occasion – the design was based on their first ever shirt – had their celebrations disrupted early on.

Matija Nastasic put Mallorca ahead after 20 minutes, pouncing unmarked at the back post after a corner was flicked on.

De Paul struck in first-half stoppage time after Rajkovic parried from Griezmann, but the Frenchman laid the rebound across for his team-mate to finish.

Atletico took the lead early in the second period when Molina crossed for Morata to powerfully head home.

Carrasco netted the third after 77 minutes on the break after Griezmann sent him through on goal with a fine lobbed pass.

The Belgian winger raced on to the ball, ran half the length of the pitch with no defenders in his way, rounded Rajkovic and slotted home.

Bouchard through to second round

Former Wimbledon runner-up Eugenie Bouchard claimed her first Madrid Open main draw win in six years on Wednesday with a three-set victory over Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska.

Bouchard, a former world No 5 whose ranking has slumped to 285, battled back to claim a 6-7 (6), 6-2, 6-2 win over her fellow qualifier.

The 29-year-old Canadian made her first and only Grand Slam final at Wimbledon in 2014, the same year she was also a semi-finalist at the Australian and French Opens.

However, a series of injury setbacks – the latest of which was a shoulder injury which sidelined her for 17 months in 2021 and 2022 – sent her career into freefall.

Wednesday’s outing was just her third WTA main draw match of 2023 having played two rounds in Bogota earlier in April.

“It’s like restarting at zero,” said Bouchard on Tuesday after coming through two rounds of qualifying in Madrid.

She will next face Italy’s world No 20 Martina Trevisan for a spot in the third round.

Results in the Madrid ATP/WTA 1000 tournament on Wednesday (x denotes seeding; players representing Russia and Belarus are banned from competing under the name or flag of their countries):

Men’s singles first round

Emil Ruusuvuori (FIN) bt Ugo Humbert (FRA) 7-6 (8/6), 7-6 (7/4)

Gregoire Barrere (FRA) bt Emilio Nava (USA) 6-0, 5-7, 6-3

Hugo Grenier (FRA) bt Diego Schwartzman (ARG) 7-5, 6-4

Roberto Carballes Baena (ESP) bt David Goffin (BEL) 6-4, 6-4

Thiago Monteiro (BRA) bt Borna Gojo (CRO) 7-6 (11/9), 4-6, 6-3

Quentin Halys (FRA) bt Alexei Popyrin (AUS) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

Alex Molcan (SVK) bt Wu Yibing (CHN) 6-2, 6-4

Stan Wawrinka (SUI) bt Maxime Cressy (USA) 6-7 (3/7), 6-3, 7-6 (7/4)

Matteo Arnaldi (ITA) bt Benoit Paire (FRA) 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (8/6)

Jaume Munar (ESP) bt Thanasi Kokkinakis (AUS) 7-6 (9/7), 7-6 (7/3)

Oscar Otte (GER) bt Pavel Kotov 6-3, 4-6, 6-4

Yannick Hanfmann (GER) bt Juan Pablo Varillas (PER) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3

Richard Gasquet (FRA) bt Martin Landaluce (ESP) 6-2, 6-1

Hugo Gaston (FRA) bt Jeremy Chardy (FRA) 6-3, 6-4

Albert Ramos-Vinolas (ESP) bt Ilya Ivashka 4-6, 7-6 (7/3), 6-2

Alexander Bublik (KAZ) bt Daniel Galan (COL) 7-6 (17/15), 6-7 (4/7), 6-4

Women’s singles first round

Julia Grabher (AUT) bt Viktoriya Tomova (BUL) 6-1, 7-6 (7/5)

Tatjana Maria (GER) bt Alexandra Eala (PHI) 6-1, 6-1

Caty McNally (USA) bt Dalma Galfi (HUN) 4-6, 6-0, 6-3

Alize Cornet (FRA) bt Gabriela Ruse (ROM) 6-7 (6/8), 6-4, 6-3

Danka Kovinic (MNE) bt Sara Errani (ITA) 6-4, 6-0

Wang Xiyu (CHN) bt Varvara Gracheva 6-7 (2/7), 6-3, 6-4

Laura Siegemund (GER) bt Nadia Podoroska (ARG) 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

Anna Kalinskaya bt Brenda Fruhvirtova (CZE) 2-6, 6-4, 6-4

Magdalena Frech (POL) bt Jasmine Paolini (ITA) 6-2, 6-3

Aliaksandra Sasnovich bt Elina Svitolina (UKR) 6-4, 7-5

Eugenie Bouchard (CAN) bt Dayana Yastremska (UKR) 6-7 (6/8), 6-2, 6-2

Alycia Parks (USA) bt Anna Karolina Schmiedlova (SVK) 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2

Nuria Parrizas Diaz (ESP) bt Anna Blinkova 6-3, 6-0

Jaqueline Cristian (ROM) bt Sloane Stephens (USA) 5-7, 6-4, 6-4

Lesya Tsurenko (UKR) bt Lucia Bronzetti (ITA) 6-1, 6-3

Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova bt Victoria Jimenez (AND) 6-1, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (9/7)

Irene Burillo Escorihuela (ESP) bt Kaia Kanepi (EST) 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-4

Rebeka Masarova (ESP) bt Cristina Bucsa (ESP) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4

Arantxa Rus (NED) bt Amanda Anisimova (USA) 7-5, 6-2

Mayar Sherif (EGY) bt Camila Giorgi (ITA) 4-6, 6-4 - retired

Mirra Andreeva bt Leylah Fernandez (CAN) 6-3, 6-4

Marketa Vondrousova (CZE) bt Marina Bassols (ESP) 6-1, 6-3

Camila Osorio (COL) bt Clara Burel (FRA) 6-3, 6-4

With text inputs from AFP

Updated through the day