Manchester City’s grip on the Premier League trophy is slipping away after a damaging 1-1 draw against West Ham United at the London Stadium on Saturday evening.
The defending champions now find themselves trailing league leaders Arsenal by nine points as the campaign enters its final straight.
While City took a first-half lead through Bernardo Silva, whose cross-cum-shot looped over Mads Hermansen, they were pegged back within minutes by a thumping header from former Arsenal defender Konstantinos Mavropanos.
Despite a late barrage that saw Erling Haaland and Marc Guehi miss clear chances, City were unable to find a winner against a heroic Hammers rearguard.
Pep Guardiola, who watched from the stands while serving a touchline ban, admitted that the result felt “like a loss” given the clinical form being shown by their rivals in North London.
The draw has sparked a frantic debate regarding the fitness and form of Erling Haaland.
The Norwegian marksman has endured a rare barren spell, scoring only four times in his last seventeen appearances across all competitions.
Guardiola was forced to defend his substitution choices after the match, clarifying that reports of an injury to Haaland were “not correct” and that he simply felt the team needed a different attacking profile in the closing stages.
With a daunting Champions League second leg against Real Madrid looming, City’s hierarchy will be desperate for their star striker to rediscover his scoring touch before their European ambitions are extinguished.