The score was all square on Wednesday night when this hot-blooded top-of-the-table Premier League showdown saw the ball rolled out of play for a Manchester City throw-in.  

Kevin De Bruyne, who broke the deadlock by capitalizing on a poor backpass from Takehiro Tomiyasu before Bukayo Saka equalized from the penalty spot, hastily rushed to the sideline to retrieve the ball. But Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta inexplicably blocked the City playmaker's path. The pair then exchanged some angry words and almost came to blows before the referee intervened. 

The unceremonious episode spoke volumes about the brittleness of a potentially title-deciding clash. De Bruyne eventually had the last laugh as City, lacking urgency in the opening stages, improved after the interval before scoring twice through Jack Grealish and Erling Haaland to clinch a deserved 3-1 win.

The result means City have won their past 11 Premier League meetings against Arsenal by a combined score of 29-4. To add insult to injury, this is Arsenal's longest league losing streak against a single opponent. City are also the first away team to beat Arsenal seven straight times. 

Having trailed Arsenal by as much as eight points a month ago, City are now in pole position to win a fifth title in six seasons after moving to the top of the Premier League for the first time since November. 

Although Arsenal still have a game in hand and sit second just on goal difference, City's fourth win of their last five league games has firmly swung the momentum in their favor. 

"We could have come here a few weeks ago eight or nine points behind, and losing here it would have been almost over," beamed City manager Pep Guardiola afterward. "But now, because of the fact they dropped points, we came here for the chance to be close. We won the game and we are there." 

Haaland's return to top form was another positive for City. His smart finish from De Bruyne's pass is his 26th league goal this season, tying Sergio Aguero's club record. It also ends a three-game goalless streak, the longest he's had since joining the English champions last summer. 

"We can all agree that Arsenal have been the best team this season, so to come to their place and play against them is not easy," Haaland told reporters. "But we played an amazing game and we got the three really important points, and we're in it again."

However, Guardiola has warned his players not to get carried away. "OK, now we are top of the league, but Arsenal have one game in hand," he said. "Winning or losing, you have a lot of games to play, but of course coming here and winning against that team is good." 

In sharp contrast, a frustrated Arteta admitted his team, who continued a recent stumble in which they have only won two of their last six in the league, did not play well.  

"It's exceptionally difficult to play at the level City require you to play at. If you give three goals away, if you miss the big chances we did, the margin for error is virtually zero," observed Arteta, formerly assistant to Guardiola at City.

"We did a lot of simple things wrong. It's impossible against them. We had an opportunity today and we just gave them the game. It was decided in the two boxes," he added. 

"I don't know if it's experience or bad luck... I've never seen Tomiyasu make that pass back in seven years and he did it today. It's part of it and they have the quality to punish you." 

Arsenal's latest setback will feel like a real crisis as it made a massive dent in their hopes of winning the Premier League title for the first time in nearly two decades, but with the Gunners due to visit City on April 26 they have the chance to arrest this slump. 

"You have to go to the next one and in three days we have another game," said a determined Arteta. "I still have belief in my players."