Manchester City’s 2-1 victory over Newcastle United has reignited the Premier League title race, with Pep Guardiola calling the result “massive” as his side close to within two points of league leaders Arsenal.
Young midfielder Nico O’Reilly scored both of his goals in the first half, and these were sufficient to earn a hard-fought victory at the Etihad stadium on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
Newcastle drew one back with a deflected Lewis Hall shot, and the second half was set up to be a nerve-wracking one before City won the three points on offer.
This was the fifth win in a row in the premier league and it could not have been timed better.
Nico O Reilly Stars as City Grind Out Win.
O’Reilly was certainly the afternoon news of the day. The young midfielder was composed and clinical as he scored twice before the break to give City the control of the match.
It was that type of performance that has made Guardiola put his trust in him during high-pressure situations this season.
Newcastle, however, was not going to roll over.
The blow by Hall that was deflected cut the gap by half and brought actual tension to the second half. The Magpies came and induced strongly on an equaliser and their physicality and pace gave City a hard time.
They hung on in the City defence despite the pressure, and this has been the ingredient which has characterized their recent form.
Guardiola: ‘All the Games Will be a Battle.
In his post match speech, Guardiola was sincere about the challenge and he was not optimistic of the future.
“It was massive. Newcastle is a terrific team, fine in physique and pace which they possess in front. That game today is what we are going to battle on the next 11. All the games will be such, a battle.
Instead of focusing on the title race, the Spaniard reminded his players to be short-term-oriented – and even took the time to have a short rest before starting to prepare to play their next match.
I tell them whatever you need to do is get a lot of caipirinhas and daiquiris over these next three days and have fun and then we make proper sessions and go to Leeds, he told them.
It was a typical Guardiola reaction of not going too far in a manageable title race such as this is.
The Race to the Premier League Title Continues.
The outcome has significantly increased the stakes in the last leg of the 2025-26 league. Arsenal have topped the list in the premier league but City is hot on their heels as the two are separated by a margin of only two points.
City’s timing is impeccable. Last week, Arsenal had to draw with Wolves to the surprise of many, and now they have a derby against Tottenham on Sunday, which once again, could change the state of affairs at the top.
In the case of City, things are going their way:
- 5 straight premier league victories.
- Gap to Arsenal slashed to only 2 points.
- It has 10 games left in the season.
Guardiola admitted the race is not over yet but this time his side is not going to give up.
I understand that it will be a hard task.
Only win the next game, go on, never give up. The Premier League has a lot of games; ten games. There are going to be so many things happening.
Etihad Atmosphere Announced Among the Best of the Season.
The electricity in Etihad was one of the main characteristics of Saturday triumph. As the title race narrowed and the momentum continued to build up, the crowd took an apparent part in propelling City through a challenging second half.
After the final whistle, Guardiola highly praised the supporters.
It was the best vibe and the relationship with our fans that we had all season, he said. We still have five home games to play in the Premier League and we require that vibe.
The type of atmosphere that it creates will be exactly the one that will be of paramount importance in the weeks to come.
What’s Next for Man City?
Guardiola is clear on what he wants now, go to Leeds Saturday night, and win. Nothing more, nothing less.
The 2025-26 title race in the Premier League is set to the latter because of the number of matches between Arsenal and Tottenham that remain yet to be played and a run-in that is already congested between both teams.
City are not only returning to competition. They are right in the fight.
