Manchester City’s Premier League title challenge falters after a 1-1 draw with West Ham, leaving them nine points adrift of leaders Arsenal.
MANCHESTER CITY’s Premier League title aspirations suffered a significant setback on Saturday after being held to a 1-1 draw by relegation-threatened West Ham United.
The result leaves Pep Guardiola’s side nine points behind leaders Arsenal, who secured a dramatic 2-0 win over Everton earlier in the day. City have a game in hand but face a daunting fixture list that could extinguish their fading hopes.
Bernardo Silva gave the visitors a fortuitous lead in the 31st minute at the London Stadium. His miscued cross from the left looped over West Ham goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and into the far corner.
City’s advantage lasted just four minutes before a defensive error cost them. Goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma misjudged a Jarrod Bowen corner, allowing Konstantinos Mavropanos to head home from close range.
The draw, following a similar result against Nottingham Forest, exposed ongoing flaws in an expensively assembled City side. Their defensive vulnerabilities were compounded by another anonymous display from striker Erling Haaland, who has scored only three times in his last 12 league games.
Guardiola, serving a touchline ban, watched from the stands as his team dominated possession but created few clear chances. Substitute Rayan Cherki clipped the crossbar with a late free-kick, but City looked increasingly impotent as the match wore on.
The pressure now intensifies on City, who face a critical period across three competitions. They must overturn a 3-0 deficit against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Tuesday before an EFL Cup final against Arsenal and an FA Cup quarter-final with Liverpool.
Their next two league fixtures after that cup gauntlet are against Chelsea and Arsenal. By the end of that punishing five-game run, City could be confronting a second consecutive season without major silverware.
For West Ham, the point was precious, moving them out of the relegation zone for the first time in 100 days. They sit one point above Nottingham Forest, who have a game in hand.
The Sun Malaysia
