took a giant stride towards retaining the title on Sunday when Brighton inflicted a shock 3-0 defeat on Arsenal.
The Gunners needed to win to keep the pressure on City, who enjoyed a 3-0 victory of their own earlier in the day at .
But Mikel Arteta’s men were far below their best against a rampant Brighton side, who were worthy winners at the Emirates.
The defeat means Arsenal must beat next Saturday and hope for a minor miracle in City’s final three matches.
With Pep Guardiola’s men on a 14-match winning run, that appears unlikely and City have the bit between their teeth.
That confidence has spread throughout the group, even to those that haven’t been a regular fixture this term.
Laporte is one such fringe member of the squad but the Spaniard knows what it takes to win the title and recognises the significance of Arsenal’s defeat.
So much so that he couldn’t help tweeting about the Gunners’ loss.
The defender tweeted a gif of former WWE wrestler The Rock, with a ‘Mmmmm I can smell it’ tagline.
The tweet went down very well with City’s fanbase and supporters know they’re on the cusp of winning their third consecutive league title.
, .
,  and .
