Manchester City’s pursuit of a fourth successive Premier League title faltered on Wearside as a profligate display was punished by stubborn Sunderland resistance, a 0-0 draw handing Arsenal a
four-point cushion at the summit at the halfway stage of the season.
Pep Guardiola’s side arrived at the Stadium of Light on an eight-game winning run in all competitions, knowing victory would trim Arsenal’s lead to two points. Instead, a frustrating night of missed opportunities brought that sequence to an end and allowed Mikel Arteta’s leaders to tighten their grip on the title race.
City dominated territory and possession but could not find a way past a disciplined Sunderland defence. The visitors racked up 2.25 expected goals — their highest total in a goalless league game since March 2022 — yet failed to convert any of the chances they fashioned.
After a disjointed first half, City turned the screw following the interval. Josko Gvardiol and the returning Jeremy Doku both went close as Guardiola’s substitutes injected urgency, with City registering 12 second-half shots — more than in any league game this season apart from October’s defeat at Aston Villa.
Bernardo Silva, who captained the side and saw a first-half effort ruled out for offside, admitted City had paid the price for their inefficiency.
“It was two different halves,” Silva said. “In the first we didn’t control the counter-attacks well enough. In the second we created chances but couldn’t finish. We are fighting for the title, so these are the games we want to win.”
Guardiola struck a similar note, praising his team’s attacking output while conceding bewilderment at the final outcome. City recorded 53 touches in Sunderland’s penalty area — among their highest figures of the campaign.
“The second half was excellent,” Guardiola said. “We were in the six-yard box so many times and couldn’t score. It is a mystery. Still, it’s a long season and we take the point.”
The draw leaves Arsenal with the chance to extend their advantage to seven points when they travel to Bournemouth this weekend, 24 hours before City host Chelsea.
For Sunderland, the result underlined the growing reputation of the Stadium of Light as one of the league’s toughest venues. Regis Le Bris’ side remain unbeaten at home after 10 matches, having now taken points off each of the current top three.
“We showed strong character against one of the best teams in Europe,” Le Bris said. “We defended together, suffered together and maybe had a little luck, but it was a good point.”
Seventh after 19 games and comfortably clear of relegation danger, Sunderland’s return to the top flight continues to gather momentum. With memorable results already secured against Chelsea and Liverpool, the Black Cats have taken points off all of the Premier League’s top five.
City, meanwhile, must regroup quickly. Their title credentials remain intact, but nights like this — heavy on dominance, light on reward — may yet prove costly in a race that is beginning to tilt north London’s way. Photo by Alfonso Jimenez from London, United Kingdom, Wikimedia commons.