Rayan Ait-Nouri: Title Race Will Go to the Wire After Manchester City Keep Pressure On
Rayan Ait-Nouri believes the Premier League title race will go down to the wire after Manchester City's hard-fought 1-0 victory at Leeds United on Saturday. The win lifted Pep Guardiola's side to within two points of leaders Arsenal, setting up a tense finale to the season.
Narrow Victory at Elland Road
Antoine Semenyo scored the only goal of the game in first-half stoppage-time at Elland Road, marking his sixth goal in 11 appearances across all competitions for City since his January transfer. The Ghanaian forward turned home a low cross from Ait-Nouri, who had raced onto a defence-splitting through-ball from Rayan Cherki.
"It will go until the end," Ait-Nouri told City's official website. "We need to keep pushing like this until the end. We need to play like 10 more games, if I'm not wrong. We'll take it game per game and we will see what happens in the end."
Title Race Dynamics
The Gunners can regain their five-point advantage with a victory over Chelsea on Sunday, but City would still have a game in hand. The two title rivals are scheduled to clash at the Etihad Stadium on April 18 in what could be a decisive encounter.
After Leeds squandered several early chances in the first half, Guardiola's side controlled large portions of the game but had to withstand heavy pressure in the closing stages to secure all three points.
"It was a very tough game against a strong team," Ait-Nouri said. "You know, the atmosphere, it was crazy. It's good for us to take the three points. We know the league is very hard. Every team, they are strong. We need to keep pushing like this."
Semenyo's Impact and Team Focus
Semenyo, who arrived from Bournemouth in a £65 million deal in January, has made an immediate impact at the Etihad. The forward emphasized City's focus on taking maximum points from their remaining fixtures.
"It means everything to close the gap," Semenyo said. "We just want to win all our games on our side and whatever Arsenal do, we'll have to wait and see. We have to control what we can control."
Injury Concern for Guardiola
City boss Pep Guardiola revealed he is waiting to learn the full extent of an ankle injury that forced Nico O'Reilly off midway through the second half. The midfielder could be doubtful for Wednesday's visit of Nottingham Forest, adding to City's selection concerns as they navigate a busy schedule.
The victory at Leeds represents City's fourth consecutive league win, maintaining their momentum in the title chase. With the race poised to go down to the final weeks, both City and Arsenal face crucial matches that could determine the destination of the Premier League trophy.
