Rayan Ait-Nouri: Title race will go to the wire after Man City keep pressure on

Rayan Ait-Nouri believes the Premier League title race will go down to the wire after Saturday’s hard-fought 1-0 win at Leeds lifted Manchester City to within two points of leaders Arsenal.

The Gunners can regain their five-point advantage with victory over Chelsea on Sunday, but City would have a game in hand and the two title rivals are set to clash at the Etihad Stadium on April 18.

Antoine Semenyo scored his sixth goal in 11 appearances in all competitions for City in first-half stoppage-time at Elland Road and that was enough to clinch them a fourth-straight league win.

Ait-Nouri told City’s official website: “It will go until the end. 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. We will be ready for this game (at home against Nottingham Forest) on Wednesday.”

After Leeds squandered several early first-half chances, Pep Guardiola’s side controlled large chunks of the game and held out after coming under heavy pressure in the closing stages.

“It was a very tough game against a strong team,” Ait-Nouri said. “You know, the atmosphere, it was crazy. It’s good for 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.

“To play this team, who play with a lot of confidence, and to play in this way is very good for us, but it’s not finished. We need to keep pushing on. We need to be focused on the next game (on) Wednesday.”

Ait-Nouri delivered a pin-point low cross for Semenyo to turn the ball home in first-half stoppage-time, having raced clear on to Rayan Cherki’s defence-splitting through-ball.

“Rayan gave me a very good ball and I tried to cross between the goalkeeper and the defender and he (Semenyo) arrived to finish this very good action.

“For sure, I’m very happy, but the most important thing is the three points. It was very tough and I’m happy we’ve got the three points.”

Semenyo – who has hit the ground running since arriving at the Etihad from Bournemouth in a £65million deal in January – said City were focused on taking maximum points from all their remaining league games.

The Ghana forward added: “It means everything (to close the gap). 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.”

City boss Guardiola said he was waiting to learn the full extent of the ankle injury that forced Nico O’Reilly off midway through the second half and he could be doubtful for Wednesday’s visit of Forest.