THE NEWS UPDATE landed on the Press Association’s wire service at 4.42pm.

Arsenal-themed water bottles were on sale outside the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City fans ramped up the banter ahead of Sunday’s crucial title clash.

City were hoping to move within three points of the Gunners at the top of the table – with a game in hand – with victory over Mikel Arteta’s side.

Supporters quipped Arsenal were “bottling it” after losing to Bournemouth last weekend.

Now back to Friday night for a moment, and a clip from a Premier League preview show on Sky Sports started to do the rounds.

By Saturday afternoon it had been picked up by the online aggregator websites detailing the “inspirational” message, not to mention the calls from fans for it to be played in the dressing room for Arsenal’s players ahead of this game.

British actor Tom Hiddleston sat across from host Roman Kemp (yes, son of Martin from Spandau Ballet) and alongside fellow guests, the former Premier League manager Alan Pardew and midfielder Michael Brown. He played for City at a time when no one in Abu Dhabi had a clue about the Kippax or Maine Road.

Hiddleston found himself explaining how it is often discussed on film sets and in the theatre that the chemical released in the brain when you are nervous is the same as the one when you are excited.

His intense and enticing monologue continued, describing how the game which Pep Guardiola said can decide the Premier League title will be one both sets of players will remember for decades to come.

“Pressure is a privilege,” he said, at which point a Sky producer might even had run a yellow ticker across the screen declaring ‘Live. Laugh. Love.’

These players were breathing rarefied air and dealing with emotions so many never come close to experiencing, Hiddleston continued in a very pleasant and comforting way.

Kai Havertz misses the target to rescue a point in injury-time. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

It was a one-minute clip that summed up perfectly so much of the vacuous nonsense around this fixture. It was so suitably apt in an era of memes and gifs and club-sponsored tifos. Distilled soundbites of nothingness that decorate every LinkedIn post and belonged as part of the build up to a game that was, ultimately, decided by moments of magic in both boxes.

City triumphed, but not in the domineering manner which suggests they will simply cruise through their final six games. But with the artistry of aRyan Cherki and the sheer force of nature that is Erling Haaland–- their two goalscorers – it is clear that all of the momentum is with Guardiola’s side.

They have the experience and the quality. Most of all, they have the belief that another crown is within their reach when it had seemed not long ago that Arsenal would prove capable of maintaining their healthy lead at the top.

It’s now just three points and City have a game in hand. The goal difference – 37 to 36 – is also something they are closing in on. It now feels like the walls are closing in on Arsenal, and they have no one capable of doing what Cherki did by showing how you can break free with grace rather than simply blunt force.

Arsenal didn’t bottle anything here. Worse, they wasted it, and if you are being cruel, there is a single culprit for why they didn’t get at least a point from this game.

A glorious Kai Havertz chance to take the lead in the 59th minute was blown, although Gianluigi Donnarumma deserves credit for coming out on top in a one-on-one scenario in the box. The scores were level 1-1 at that stage. Cherki had earlier slalomed his way beautifully in the box and created an almost biblical parting of Arsenal’s red sea to caress his low shot into the far corner.

Within seconds, the Gunners were level, though, and Donnarumma would have wanted the ground to swallow him up when he took a heavy touch from a throw-in back to him. It allowed Havertz to close him down and the block flew into the net.

It was a stunning riposte and just reward for the approach they had taken from the first whistle. Mikel Arteta sent out his men with a purpose and they played with conviction. They could have eased off the gas when City took that lead and allowed their opponents to get comfortable.

Instead they stayed true to their manager’s demands, and they were rewarded in that moment. But there was still so much time left to go and emotions swung like a pendulum.

Havertz missed that chance in the second half and seconds later, Eberechi Eze rifled a shot off the inside of the post that then zipped across the line to safety.

Arsenal were in the ascendancy and, all of a sudden, it felt like City were vulnerable.

Slow and steady wins the race, though, and when Haaland went low and lethal with his 65th-minute strike, using his power to keep Gabriel at bay and his precision to beat David Raya, that was just one of a few decisive moments that all went City’s way.

Arsenal hit the post again when Gabriel’s header deflected off Nico O’Reilly and there was still time during seven minutes of injury-time for Havertz to connect with a header of his own from nine yards in the centre of the goal.

He was in the perfect spot to judge the cross from Leandro Trossard. He had peeled off the shoulder of Marc Guehi and was unchallenged. The connection was firm but the direction was woeful as the ball flew over the bar.

The final whistle went a few moments later. Haaland smiled and grinned into the camera while humming a song. Guardiola raced onto the pitch to embrace him. Cherki had been subbed by that point but sauntered back on to take the acclaim. He pointed at himself and pursed his lips as if to declare “I’m the man”.

That’s the attitude that will likely now carry them to the title and they will go top for the first time since August should they win their game in hand away to Burnley on Wednesday.

Provided they don’t bottle it, of course.