Manchester City’s Premier League title hopes suffered a major setback on Saturday after a 1-1 draw with struggling West Ham United, leaving Pep Guardiola’s side nine points behind leaders Arsenal.
City took the lead through Bernardo Silva in the first half, but Konstantinos Mavropanos equalised before the break at the London Stadium.
The draw came just hours after Arsenal secured a dramatic 2-0 win over Everton, scoring twice in the closing minutes to strengthen their grip at the top of the Premier League table.
Second-placed City still have a game in hand, but consecutive draws against relegation-threatened West Ham and Nottingham Forest have dented their hopes of catching the Gunners.
Guardiola’s side now face a demanding run of fixtures. They must attempt to overturn a 3-0 deficit against Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League last-16 second leg on Tuesday before meeting Arsenal in the EFL Cup final at Wembley Stadium.
City will also face Liverpool in the FA Cup quarter-finals, followed by league clashes with Chelsea and Arsenal.
Meanwhile, the draw lifted West Ham out of the relegation zone for the first time in 100 days, one point ahead of Nottingham Forest, who face Fulham on Sunday.
City’s struggles were once again highlighted by the quiet display of Erling Haaland, who has scored only three goals in his last 12 league matches.
Despite dominating possession, City struggled to create clear chances. Their opener arrived in the 31st minute when Silva’s cross from the left unexpectedly looped past West Ham goalkeeper Mads Hermansen and into the net.
However, the lead lasted only four minutes. A corner from Jarrod Bowen caused confusion in the City defence, allowing Mavropanos to head home from close range.
City pushed for a winner after the break, with substitutes Rayan Cherki and Jeremy Doku adding urgency to their attack.
Cherki created a chance for Haaland, whose shot was saved by Hermansen, while the French midfielder later saw a free-kick strike the crossbar.
But City failed to find a breakthrough as West Ham held firm, leaving Guardiola’s side with a growing sense that their title challenge is slipping away.
AFP
