City opens up 13-point lead in EPL with 1-0 win over Chelsea

For Pep Guardiola, the biggest challenge now will be convincing his Manchester City players the English Premier League title race is not over.

“My job is to take it out from the brain and heads of my players,” Guardiola said after City beat nearest rival Chelsea 1-0 on Saturday. “To try not to believe what other people are going to say.”

With City holding a 13-point lead, it's hardly surprising that people have already basically handed Guardiola's relentless team a sixth title in 11 seasons.

Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne, left, gets past Chelsea's N'Golo Kante on his way to scoring the opening goal during an English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. (AP PhotoDave Thompson)

After all, the defending champions are on a 12-match winning run in the league after Kevin De Bruyne's brilliant curling strike in the 70th minute sealed victory at Etihad Stadium. City has lost two games all season — it would have to lose at least three of its remaining 16 matches to drop out of first place — and already has played all of the top teams away from home.

Liverpool, in third place 14 points behind having played two games fewer, looks to be the only team realistically capable of stopping City. Even that is improbable, given City's form and pedigree.

Chelsea was well beaten even if Thomas Tuchel's team didn't give up many chances against City, which dominated possession and kept the visitors penned in their own half for much of the match.

Chelsea's head coach Thomas Tuchel points during an English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. (AP PhotoDave Thompson)

“We won’t give up,” Tuchel said, "but if City keep on winning every game, nobody can catch them.”

Liverpool will look to trim the gap to City by beating Brentford at home on Sunday.

At the other end of the standings, Norwich climbed out of last place with a 2-1 win over Everton, whose supporters’ frustrations with manager Rafa Benitez appear to be boiling over. One fan ran onto the field in the first half at Carrow Road and was making his way toward Benitez before he got stopped by stewards.

Chelsea's Marcos Alonso, left, tries to block a cross by Manchester City's Bernardo Silva during an English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Chelsea at the Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022. (AP PhotoDave Thompson)

Newcastle stayed in the relegation zone after conceding an 88th-minute goal to draw at home to Watford 1-1 and remain with just one win.

Wolverhampton defeated Southampton 3-1 in other match and jumped to eighth.

Aston Villa hosted Manchester United in the late game.

Norwich City's Adam Idah celebrates an own goal by Everton's Michael Keane during the English Premier League soccer match between Norwich City and Everton at Carrow Road, Norwich, England, Saturday Jan. 15, 2022. (Joe GiddensPA via AP)

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Watford's Samir, left and Newcastle United's Chris Wood battle for the ball, during the English Premier League soccer match between Newcastle United and Watford at St James' Park,in Newcastle, England, Saturday Jan. 15, 2022. (Owen HumphreysPA via AP)

Manchester City striker Gabriel Jesus scored more goals in 53 minutes on Saturday than he had in the previous eight months in the English Premier League.

Becoming the first player in the league to score four goals in one game this season, Jesus led City to a 5-1 thrashing of Watford to open a four-point lead over second-placed Liverpool in the title race.

Liverpool can trim that back to one point with five matches left by beating Everton in the Merseyside derby on Sunday.

Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus celebrates after scoring his fourth goal, his side's fifth, during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Watford at Etihad stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, April 23, 2022. (AP PhotoJon Super)

Jesus scored three goals in the league before the arrival of next-to-last Watford for a match that ended up resembling a training exercise.

The Brazil international netted twice in the first half and twice more in the opening eight minutes of the second half — one of which was a penalty to complete his hat trick.

Rodri scored the other goal for City, which used the match to give key players a rest ahead of Real Madrid's visit in the Champions League semifinals on Tuesday.

Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes reacts after failing to score from a penalty kick during an English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Manchester United at the Emirates stadium in London, Saturday April 23, 2022. (AP PhotoAlastair J. Grant)

While City stayed on course for the title, fierce rival Manchester United likely dropped out of the race for Champions League qualification.

By losing at Arsenal 3-1, United fell six points behind its top-four rival and manager Ralf Rangnick all but called time on his team's season.

“I don’t think it’s very realistic to dream and think of the top four," Rangnick said at the end of a week when United also lost at Liverpool 4-0 and hired a new manager, Ajax's Erik ten Hag, for the start of next season.

Arsenal moved into fourth, three points above north London rival Tottenham, which visited Brentford late.

In other games, last-placed Norwich plunged closer to relegation with a 3-0 loss at home to Newcastle, while mid-table teams Leicester and Aston Villa drew 0-0.

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