Man City fall behind Arsenal in title race

Manchester City could only draw with Sunderland

Pep Guardiola questioned whether it was only a two-horse Premier League title race, but his Manchester City side can ill-afford many slip-ups in their quest to hunt down leaders Arsenal.

Mikel Arteta’s Gunners have struck the latest blow in this cat and mouse chase, four points clear at the summit following City’s frustrating goalless draw at Sunderland on Thursday night.

City dropped points as the temperature at the Stadium of Light almost hit freezing on the first day of 2026.

And Arsenal will need to maintain their cool if they are to claim their first top-flight crown in over two decades.

City had 67% possession and 14 shots in the North East, but were unable to break down a stubborn Sunderland defence who claimed a well-earned point.

“Two different halves,” said City captain Bernardo Silva after the game. “In the first half we didn’t play that well. We didn’t control the counter as well as we should. “We are not happy because we wanted better than this.”

“If you look at Sunderland’s home record I think it’s a point well-earned,” former Manchester City defender Steph Houghton said on BBC Match of the Day.

“They [City] will overall be disappointed because of the chances they created but if you look at the likes of Arsenal and Aston Villa, to go there and get a point, we are half way through the season, there is a long, long way to go.”