Manchester City completed its ominous, late-season rise to the top of the Premier League by beating Burnley 1-0 thanks to Erling Haaland's early goal on Wednesday, ending Arsenal’s 200-day stay in first place.
The result condemned American-owned Burnley to relegation after one season back in the top flight.
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Manchester City's Rayan Cherki in action between Burnley's Josh Laurent, left, and Quilindschy Hartman during the Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Manchester City in Burnley, England, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo reacts during the Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Manchester City in Burnley, England, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola arrives fior the Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Manchester City in Burnley, England, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring during the Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Manchester City in Burnley, England, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Manchester City's Erling Haaland, second right, scores his side's opening goal during the Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Manchester City in Burnley, England, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)
Haaland ran onto Jeremy Doku's pass to convert a deft finish in the fifth minute for his league-high 24th goal of the campaign, which allowed City to back up its 2-1 victory over Arsenal on Sunday that, for many, turned Pep Guardiola’s team into the title favorite.
However, with goal difference potentially coming into play, City might regret not putting more past Burnley at Turf Moor.
Winning by a one-goal margin left City and Arsenal tied on both points (70) and goal difference (+37). City only leads courtesy of more goals scored (66 to Arsenal's 63).
“I was not frustrated, why would I be?" Guardiola said. “We won three points, we are top of the league.”
Haaland and Rayan Cherki struck the goal frame and Nico O'Reilly had a weak shot saved with the net at his mercy as City's players threw everything at Burnley — they finished the game having had 28 shots — in an effort to rack up the goals.
“In these types of games, if you score the second or third that you deserve, everything’s more fluid and natural,” Guardiola said.
“But,” he added, “the main target was winning the game.”
City was nine points adrift of Arsenal after drawing with West Ham on March 14. Three straight wins, combined with back-to-back losses for Arsenal, has seen the title race turn on its head.
For next-to-last Burnley, a third relegation from the Premier League in the last five seasons has been an inevitability for weeks.
Scott Parker's team slipped to its 22nd loss of the campaign and is 13 points from safety with four games left.
Burnley will be going down with last-place Wolverhampton, whose fate was sealed at the weekend, and one other team.
In the other match Wednesday, Leeds scored in the seventh minute of stoppage time to draw 2-2 at Bournemouth and edge nine points clear of third-to-last Tottenham, which occupies the other place in the relegation zone.
Sean Longstaff's late equalizer denied Bournemouth a win that would have lifted the team to sixth place, four points off the Champions League qualification positions.
Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80
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Manchester City's Rayan Cherki in action between Burnley's Josh Laurent, left, and Quilindschy Hartman during the Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Manchester City in Burnley, England, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo reacts during the Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Manchester City in Burnley, England, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola arrives fior the Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Manchester City in Burnley, England, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring during the Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Manchester City in Burnley, England, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)
Manchester City's Erling Haaland, second right, scores his side's opening goal during the Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Manchester City in Burnley, England, Wednesday, April 22, 2026. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Timberwolves got the superstar bump they needed from Anthony Edwards to win Game 2 at Denver and square up their intensifying first-round playoff series with the Nuggets.
Edwards contributed 30 points, 10 rebounds, two blocks and a loud voice of encouragement for his teammates. Timberwolves coach Chris Finch had already been reassured by Edwards' influence as the four-time All-Star left the court following a lackluster performance in Game 1.
“He was calm and gave confidence to the guys,” Finch said, reflecting on the series opener after practice on Wednesday. “When we were down early and big, he was really into them with the right messages, to stay calm but to do the things that were asked to be done — put a little bit more work in, be a little smarter with the fouling, all that kind of stuff. So I thought that was really key.”
Edwards was instrumental in urging Rudy Gobert on to a dominant defensive effort against Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic. He has also demonstrated his leadership by playing through the right knee pain that sidelined him for 11 of the last 13 regular-season games.
“It definitely uplifts me. I feel like I can’t let him down. If he’s out there battling, then there’s no excuse why I can’t give my best and make the extra effort plays and just go out there and compete at the highest level,” teammate Julius Randle said.
For the Timberwolves to beat the team that has recently become their biggest rival three more times and reach the second round, they will need a steady supply of Edwards' energy on both ends of the court, on the bench and in the locker room.
The Nuggets are sure to bring their own moxie on the road to Minnesota for Game 3 between these well-matched opponents on Thursday. The other Game 3s on Thursday are New York at Atlanta and Cleveland at Toronto.
Over the last four years, including the regular season and playoffs, the Timberwolves and Nuggets have each won 15 of their last 30 meetings.
“Who doesn’t love a big game? Who doesn’t want to wake up for a game with a lot of excitement, a lot of back and forth in it?” Timberwolves sixth man Naz Reid said.
When/Where to watch: Game 3, 7 p.m. EDT (Prime Video)
Series: Tied 1-1.
Betting line: Knicks by 1 1/2.
What to know: The Knicks were outscored 28-15 by the upstart Hawks in the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden in Game 2, a one-point loss to stew on as they seek to regain home-court advantage in the series. Even in the Game 1 win, the Knicks saw a 19-point lead with a little more than three minutes left shrink to eight in the closing seconds. “We've got to play better with the lead,” point guard Jalen Brunson said. The Hawks have plenty of reason for optimism as they come home, considering they split the first two games with little beyond the clutch play of veteran C.J. McCollum to relish from their performance.
When/Where to watch: Game 3, 8 p.m. EDT (Prime Video)
Series: Cavaliers lead 2-0.
Betting line: Cavaliers by 3 1/2.
What to Know: The Cavs are seeking a 3-0 lead in a first-round series for the second straight year. If they get there, they would set an NBA postseason opponent record with a 13th straight playoff win over the Raptors. Donovan Mitchell has scored at least 30 points in six of his last seven playoff games, averaging 33.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists during that span. Cleveland is 21-7 when its lineup includes James Harden, who became the second player in franchise history with at least 28 points and five steals in the 115-105 win in Game 2 on Monday. Toronto point guard Immanuel Quickley has missed the first two games with a left hamstring strain and remains questionable. Raptors All-Star Brandon Ingram is aiming to bounce back after going 3 of 15 from the field and only scoring seven points in Game 2. “He’s our go-guy guy. We trust him and believe in him. We know he’s going to get shots to drop,” Scottie Barnes said.
When/Where to watch: Game 3, 9:30 p.m. EDT (Prime Video)
Series: Tied 1-1.
Betting line: Nuggets by 2 1/2.
What to know: With so much recent drama between these division rivals — who are facing off in the postseason for the third time in four years — and plenty of chippy play on the court over the first two games, this series is just getting started. After erasing a 19-point deficit early in the second quarter to win 119-114 in Game 2, Minnesota took some momentum home from the Mile High City. Edwards recorded his sixth 30-point game against Denver in 14 playoff meetings, and guard Donte DiVincenzo was all over the court with a game-high plus-20 rating and 16 points. He's 10 for 16 from 3-point range in the series. The Nuggets claimed to be unbothered by the postgame barb from Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, who said Minnesota's best offensive strategy was to continue to directly attack the Nuggets because they're “all bad defenders.”
AP Basketball Writer Brian Mahoney in New York and AP Sports Writer Joe Reedy in Cleveland contributed to this report.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
New York Knicks guard Jose Alvarado (5) reacts after fouling Atlanta Hawks forward Jonathan Kuminga (0) during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series, Monday, April 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) shoots over Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead (23) in the first half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA basketball playoffs series in Cleveland, Monday, April 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3) drives to the basket against Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) and Bruce Brown (11) during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Monday, April 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) shakes hands with owner Alex Rodriguez after defending the Denver Nuggets in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Monday, April 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) drives to the basket against Denver Nuggets guard Tim Hardaway Jr. (10) during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoffs basketball series Monday, April 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)
