Arsenal battle to draw at City
Result hands Reds Premier League lead
LONDON: Manchester City failed to break down a determined Arsenal defence as a highly-anticipated clash at the top of the Premier League failed to live up to the hype in a 0-0 draw at the Etihad on Sunday.
Liverpool were the big winners of the day in the title race as they beat Brighton 2-1 to go top, two points ahead of Arsenal and three clear of City with nine games to play.
A share of the spoils preserves City’s unbeaten home run stretching back to November 2022 and ends Arsenal’s eight-match winning run in the Premier League.
But it is the Gunners who will be happier with a point as they prevented Pep Guardiola’s men from scoring at the Etihad for the first time in two years.
“Defensively we were outstanding,” said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta. “The next step is with the ball to have more composure to attack better.
“They are the best team in the world by far, best manager by far, and we have to catch up. That’s the challenge for us.”
City had 72 percent possession but struggled to make anything of it against a defence that has conceded the fewest number of goals in the Premier League this season.
“We didn’t create much but it was almost actions,” said City manager Guardiola. “It’s not easy to break them [down] but I recognise the intention was there.”
Guardiola said Liverpool were now “favourites” to win the title in Juergen Klopp’s final season.
City are still yet to win in six matches this season against other sides in the Premier League top five and must end that run when fourth-placed Aston Villa visit tomorrow to keep their title challenge alive.
“Always who is first is favourite, second favourite is Arsenal,” added Guardiola. “It is not in our hands. All we can do is win against Aston Villa.”
Arsenal had also been in free-scoring form, netting 33 times during their eight-match winning streak.
However, the visitors had lost on their last eight trips to the Etihad, including a 4-1 thrashing as the title race swung decisively in City’s favour last season, and opted for a counterattacking approach.
“Eleven months ago we were here and the story was very different, we have to keep making steps,” added Arteta, who said his side still have to improve to match the standards City have set in winning five Premier League titles in six seasons.
“We are improving, competing better, understanding how you have to play these games.
“We have to come here and win. Today we draw and we still have to improve to be able to do that.”
At Anfield, Mohamed Salah fired Liverpool to the top of the Premier League as the Egypt star’s clinical finish capped a stirring fightback to beat Brighton 2-1.
Klopp’s side were rocked by Danny Welbeck’s blistering strike after just 85 seconds at Anfield.
Luis Diaz restored order with an equaliser later in the first half, before Salah netted after the interval to seal a vital victory. Salah’s third goal in his last three games was his 22nd in all competitions this term.
“Being that calm in the decisive moment with the biggest chance we had from the best football we played, then that makes a real goalscorer so we are happy with everything,” Klopp said of Salah.
RESULTS
Liverpool 2 (Diaz 27, Salah 65) Brighton 1 (Welbeck 2); Manchester City 0 Arsenal 0
STANDINGS
P W D L GF GA Pts Liverpool 29 20 7 2 67 27 67 Arsenal 29 20 5 4 70 24 65 Man City 29 19 7 3 63 28 64 Aston Villa 30 18 5 7 62 42 59 Tottenham 29 17 5 7 61 43 56 Man Utd 29 15 3 11 40 40 48 West Ham 30 12 8 10 49 54 44 Newcastle 29 13 4 12 63 51 43 Brighton 29 11 9 9 51 46 42 Wolves 29 12 5 12 42 46 41 Chelsea 28 11 7 10 49 47 40 Fulham 30 11 6 13 46 47 39 Bournemouth 29 10 8 11 43 53 38 Crystal Palace 29 7 9 13 34 49 30 Brentford 30 7 6 17 42 55 27 Everton 29 8 7 14 30 41 25* Nottm Forest 30 6 8 16 36 52 22** Luton 30 5 7 18 43 62 22 Burnley 30 4 6 20 31 65 18 Sheff Utd 29 3 6 20 27 77 15 Notes: *Everton deducted six points for breaching profit and sustainability rules (PSR); **Nottingham Forest deducted four points for breaching PSR