Man City closes in on Arsenal in Premier League title race with 3-0 win over Chelsea

Manchester City issued a huge statement of intent in the race for the Premier League title with a 3-0 win at Chelsea on Sunday.

Pep Guardiola's team moved to within six points of leader Arsenal ahead of next weekend's top of the table clash between the two teams. City also has a game in hand.

Nico O'Reilly, Marc Guehi and Jeremy Doku all scored in a blistering second-half performance at Stamford Bridge as City took full advantage of Arsenal's shock defeat to Bournemouth on Saturday.

“We know that we still have everything in our hands,” Doku said.

Tottenham's survival fight took another blow after a 1-0 loss to Sunderland left it rooted in the relegation zone.

In coach Roberto De Zerbi's first game in charge, Spurs fell to a 16th league loss of the season. Its 14-game winless run in the league dates back to Jan. 1.

Nordi Mukiele's deflected shot sealed the game at the Stadium of Light and plunged Tottenham’s campaign deeper into crisis.

Tottenham is two points adrift of safety with six games to go. Its plight wasn't helped by relegation-fighting Nottingham Forest drawing 1-1 with Aston Villa.

Crystal Palace came back from 1-0 down to beat Newcastle 2-1 at Selhurst Park.

While Arsenal's form has hit a slump at the worst possible time, City made it three statement wins in a row after rolling over Chelsea.

Victory followed triumph against Arsenal in the English League Cup final and the 4-0 rout of Liverpool in the FA Cup last week.

While those three results all came in different competitions, City's charge has an ominous feel about it after twice chasing down Arsenal's lead to win the title in 2023 and '24.

Second-placed City has the chance to cut the gap at the top to three points with victory against Arsenal at the Etihad. Guardiola called for respect for Arsenal when looking ahead to that title showdown.

“They have been the best team in this country, in Europe, so far. Beating Arsenal once is so difficult, imagine beating them twice in a few weeks," Guardiola said. “I would like to say to my fans — respect Arsenal a lot, they are an extraordinary team. Come to join us from minute one because the players will do the maximum.”

Rayan Cherki was the inspiration at Stamford Bridge — setting up goals for O'Reilly six minutes after halftime and Guehi in the 57th.

Doku rounded off the win in the 68th.

The result didn't help Chelsea's bid to qualify for the Champions League, leaving it four points behind fifth-placed Liverpool.

Liam Rosenior's team has won just one of its last seven league games.

The numbers just keep on getting worse for Tottenham.

Now on its third coach of the season, it’s more than three months since its last league win and just one point from a possible 24. This was a seventh defeat in eight games.

If the hope was that De Zerbi would provide an immediate bounce in form after replacing Igor Tudor, it didn't come in a typically toothless display at Sunderland.

While the new coach could point to bad luck, given the nature of Mukiele's 61st-minute winner, which took a wicked deflection off Micky van de Ven, his team rarely looked like finding a way back into the match — even during 11 minutes of added time at the end.

An injury to Cristian Romero made a bad day worse for Spurs, which next faces Brighton, one of De Zerbi's former clubs.

Forest moved three points clear of Spurs after a draw at the City Ground. Neco Williams' long-range shot leveled the game after a Murillo own-goal gave Villa the lead.

Jean-Philippe Mateta saw a January move to AC Milan fall through on deadline day and is now having a big say in Palace's bid to end the season on a high.

The France forward scored in Thursday's Conference League win against Fiorentina and hit a double as Palace came back against Newcastle.

Two late goals turned the game at Selhurst Park after William Osula had given Newcastle a halftime lead.

Mateta leveled in the 80th and then fired a winner from the penalty spot in the fourth minute of added time.

Palace leapfrogged Newcastle on goal difference to move up to 13th.

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

during the Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Manchester City in London, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Manchester City's Nico O'Reilly celebrates after scoring during the Premier League soccer match between Chelsea and Manchester City in London, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Nottingham Forest's Neco Williams celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League soccer match between Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa, in Nottingham, England, Sunday April 12, 2026. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta (right) celebrates scoring during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Newcastle United in London., Sunday April 12, 2026. (Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)

Sunderland's Nordi Mukiele, centre, scores his side's first goal of the game during the Premier League soccer match between Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur, in Sunderland, England, Sunday April 12, 2026. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur's Cristian Romero reacts after colliding with his team mate Tottenham Hotspur goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky during the Premier League soccer match between Sunderland and Tottenham Hotspur, in Sunderland, England, Sunday April 12, 2026. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur manager Roberto De Zerbi during the Premier League match between Tottenham and Sunderland, at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland, England, Sunday April 12, 2026. (Owen Humphreys/PA via AP)

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán conceded defeat on Sunday after what he called a ″painful″ election result, ending 16 years in power for a powerful figure in the far-right movement allied with U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“I congratulated the victorious party,″ Orbán told supporters in Budapest. “We are going to serve the Hungarian nation and our homeland from opposition as well.”

Initial official results show opposition leader Peter Magyar’s party dominating the election.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar said that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán conceded defeat in Sunday’s election in a phone call, in a bombshell election with repercussions across Europe and beyond.

Magyar posted on Facebook that “Prime Minister Viktor Orbán just congratulated me on the phone on our victory.”

Orban, in power for 16 years, has not publicly commented. Early official results show Magyar’s party leading Orban’s.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — Early official results in Hungary’s election on Sunday show Péter Magyar 's opposition party leading and longtime Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s party trailing, in a vote with repercussions across Europe.

It’s seen as Europe’s most consequential election this year, and could result in Magyar unseating far-right icon Orbán, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, after 16 years in power.

The final result remains unclear. With 37% of the vote counted, Magyar’s Tisza party had 51% support to 40% for Orbán's governing Fidesz party. That proportion will change as more votes are counted.

The count showed Tisza ahead in 95 of Hungary’s 106 constituencies. The vote count is generally slowest in the capital of Budapest, which is expected to favor Magyar’s party.

It marks a key moment for Orbán, the European Union’s longest-serving leader and one of its biggest antagonists, who has traveled a long road from his early days as a liberal, anti-Soviet firebrand to the Russia-friendly nationalist admired today by the global far-right.

The parties of both Orbán and Magyar said they had received reports of electoral violations, suggesting some results could be disputed by both sides.

Orbán, 62, said the campaign had been “a great national moment on our side” and thanked activists and supporters for their work. “I’m here to win,” he said.

Turnout by 6:30 p.m. was over 77%, according to the National Election Office, a record number in any election in Hungary’s post-Communist history.

Magyar said he and his Tisza party were “cautiously confident.” He warned against any violence and called on supporters to “keep our cool.”

“I’m asking our supporters and all Hungarians: Let’s stay peaceful, cheerful, and if the results confirm our expectations, let’s throw a big, Hungarian carnival,” he said.

Thousands of Tisza supporters crowded the promenade along the right bank of the Danube River as the sun set, waving Hungarian flags and cheering. Orban’s party held a closed event, with only party members and elites and some journalists allowed.

Orbán’s chief of staff, Gergely Gulyás, said the record high turnout showed that “Hungarian democracy is extremely strong.” Gulyás said the ruling party had made numerous reports of electoral violations, but said he was “confident” Fidesz would receive the necessary 100 parliamentary seats for a majority.

Orbán has repeatedly frustrated EU efforts to support Ukraine in its war against Russia’s full-scale invasion, while cultivating close ties to President Vladimir Putin and refusing to end Hungary’s dependence on Russian fossil fuel imports.

Recent revelations have shown a top member of his government frequently shared the contents of EU discussions with Moscow, raising accusations that Hungary was acting on Russia’s behalf within the bloc.

The election was closely watched in countries around Europe and beyond, which is a testament to the outsize role Orbán occupies in far-right populist politics worldwide.

Members of Trump's “Make America Great Again” movement are among those who see Orbán's government and his Fidesz political party as shining examples of conservative, anti-globalist politics in action, while he is reviled by advocates of liberal democracy and the rule of law.

After casting his vote, Magyar told reporters that the election was “a choice between East or West, propaganda or honest public discourse, corruption or clean public life.”

“I urge all Hungarian citizens to exercise their right to vote,” he said.

Casting his ballot in Budapest, Marcell Mehringer, 21, said he was voting “primarily so that Hungary will finally be a so-called European country, and so that young people, and really everyone, will do their fundamental civic duty to unite this nation a bit and to break down these boundaries borne of hatred.”

During his 16 years as prime minister, Orbán has launched harsh crackdowns on minority rights and media freedoms, subverted many of Hungary's institutions and been accused of siphoning large sums of money into the coffers of his allied business elite, an allegation he denies.

He also has heavily strained Hungary's relationship with the EU. Although Hungary is one of the smaller EU countries, with a population of 9.5 million, Orbán has repeatedly used his veto to block decisions that require unanimity.

Most recently, he blocked a 90-billion euro ($104 billion) EU loan to Ukraine, prompting his partners to accuse him of hijacking the critical aid.

Magyar has rapidly risen to become Orbán's most serious challenger. The 45-year-old leader of the center-right Tisza party, which is leading in independent polls, campaigned on issues affecting ordinary voters including Hungary’s faltering public health care and transportation sectors and what he describes as rampant government corruption.

A former insider within Orbán's Fidesz, Magyar broke with the party in 2024 and quickly formed Tisza. Since then, he has toured Hungary relentlessly, holding rallies in settlements big and small in a campaign blitz that recently had him visiting up to six towns daily.

In an interview with The Associated Press earlier this month, Magyar said the election will be a “referendum” on whether Hungary continues on its drift toward Russia under Orbán, or can retake its place among the democratic societies of Europe.

Tisza won 30% of the vote in European Parliament elections in 2024, and Magyar took a seat as an EU lawmaker. Tisza is a member of the European People's Party, the mainstream, center-right political family with leaders governing 12 of the EU's 27 nations.

Magyar and Tisza face a tough fight. Orbán's control of Hungary's public media, which he has transformed into a mouthpiece for his party, and vast swaths of the private media market give him an advantage in spreading his message.

The unilateral transformation of Hungary's electoral system and gerrymandering of its 106 voting districts by Fidesz also will require Tisza to gain an estimated 5% more votes than Orbán’s party to achieve a simple majority.

Additionally, hundreds of thousands of ethnic Hungarians in neighboring countries had the right to vote in Hungarian elections and traditionally have voted overwhelmingly for Orbán's party.

Fidesz and Tisza both have launched platforms for reporting irregularities, accusing their opponents of planning to commit election abuses.

Russian secret services have plotted to interfere and tip the election in Orbán's favor, according to numerous media reports including by The Washington Post. The prime minister, however, has accused neighboring Ukraine, as well as Hungary's allies in the EU, of seeking to interfere in the vote to install a “pro-Ukraine” government.

Such accusations are part of why many in the EU see Orbán as a danger to the bloc's future.

But across the Atlantic, Trump and his MAGA movement are all-in for another Orbán term. Trump has repeatedly endorsed the Hungarian leader and U.S. Vice President JD Vance made a two-day visit to Hungary last week meant to help push Orbán over the finish line.

Associated Press journalists Béla Szandelszky, Marko Drobnjakovic and Florent Bajrami contributed to this report.

Peter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza party, speaks to the media after polls closed, during the Hungarian parliamentary election in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

A woman takes ballots at a polling station during the Hungarian parliamentary election in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

A woman casts her ballot at a polling station during the Hungarian parliamentary election in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Hungarian Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the junior ruling Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP) Zsolt Semjen and his wife Gabriella Semjenne Menus cast their ballots during an election in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (Zsolt Szigetvary/MTI via AP)

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban prepares to cast his ballot at a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban addresses the media outside a polling station after voting in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Peter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza party, speaks to the media outside a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Peter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza party, casts his ballot at a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban casts his vote in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Officially sealed ballot boxes are seen at a local polling station during an election in Szekesfehervar, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (Tamas Vasvari/MTI via AP)

A man casts his ballot at a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

A man prepares to cast his ballot at a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 12, 2026. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek)

Supporters of Peter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza party hold up their lit phones during a final election rally in Debrecen, Hungary, Saturday, April 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Supporters of Peter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza party hold up their lit phones during a final election rally in Debrecen, Hungary, Saturday, April 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Peter Magyar, the leader of the opposition Tisza party attends a rally in Debrecen, Hungary, Saturday, April 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

Supporters attend electoral campaign closing rally of Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban and the governing Fidesz in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, April 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)

Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban attends the electoral campaign closing rally of the governing Fidesz in Budapest, Hungary, Saturday, April 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)