"Build Son a statue", "Arsenal timeline tears are even bigger than I expected" - Top 10 funniest memes as Manchester City beat Spurs
Manchester City put themselves on the brink of beating Arsenal to the Premier League title with a 2-0 win away at Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 tonight (May 14). Social media has been rife with hilarious reactions to the Cityzens victory that Spurs fans may be celebrating.
Ange Postecoglou said his side would play to win tonight and they started promisingly against a surprisingly nervy City side. Rodrigo Bentancur went close in the sixth minute but a fine stop from Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson kept him at bay.
Manchester City weren't playing with their usual oomph but did have a fair share of first-half chances in a quiet Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The in-form Josko Gvardiol went closest in the 39th minute after meeting Kyle Walker's inch-perfect cross. The Croatian defender volleyed just over Spurs goalkeeper Guglielmo Vicario's bar.
Postecoglou's men defended brilliantly on the stroke of halftime. Micky van de Ven initially blocked Erling Haaland's effort and Radu Dragusin threw his body in the way of Bernardo Silva's driven shot on the follow-up.
Manchester City were waiting for the hosts' defense to open up and they needed just one opportunity to take the lead. That came in the 51st minute when Kevin De Bruyne linked up with Erling Haaland.
Silva played De Bruyne down the right flank and the Belgian playmaker sent an asking low-driven cross into the box. Haaland flew forth and buried it home to give the visitors the lead.
Pep Guardiola was forced to bring Ederson off in the 69th minute after the Brazil international picked up a knock. Stefan Ortega came on in his place and was soon called into action.
Dejan Kulusevski broke free of Rodri and Manuel Akanji before firing towards goal but Ortega denied him. The German goalkeeper would make an even more vital, perhaps title-winning save in the 86th minute.
Akanji's lack of concentration in possession was pounced on by Johnson who drove forward before playing Son through on goal. The South Korean superstar was one-on-one with Ortega and Arsenal fans likely expected the ball to hit the back of the net.
That didn't happen as Ortega's leg denied Son's shot in a moment that left Guardiola floored on the touchline. It proved crucial as City went on a mission to extend their lead and won a penalty in the 90th minute.
Jeremy Doku, who came on with Ortega, was fouled by Pedro Porro leading to a spot-kick. Haaland stepped up, calmly put his side 2-0 up, and likely wrapped up their fourth title in a row.
Arsenal fans will despair about Son's miss as their wait for Premier League glory seemingly continues. That said, it made for some witty posts on X (formerly Twitter).
One Spurs fan asked for their captain to be recognized with a statue:
"Unreal. Build Son a statue."
One fan made sure Gunners fans knew they only had themselves to blame for likely failing to win the title:
"These Arsenal timeline tears are even bigger than I expected. You’re aware it was in your own hands most of the season right? Nobody other than you lose the games at home to Villa and West Ham..."
Here are eight more memes reacting to Manchester City's likely title-winning victory against Tottenham:
Pep Guardiola claims Arsenal would be champions if not for Manchester City's Stefan Ortega after Son save
Guardiola hailed Ortega after Manchester City put themselves within one win of the Premier League title. The Spanish coach insisted the German goalkeeper ensured Arsenal hadn't dethroned them (via transfer expert Fabrizio Romano):
"Stefan Ortega has saved us, otherwise Arsenal are Premier League Champions."
It wasn't only Ortega's save from Son that kept Manchester City on top at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. He made three saves altogether after replacing Ederson which is the fourth time that's happened this season.
However, many, definitely Arsenal fans, will argue Son should have done better with his attempt. He has 17 goals this season but his usual goalscoring prowess went missing.