Man City’s Premier League title bid hit by goalless draw at Sunderland

Man City's Premier League title bid hit by goalless draw at Sunderland

Manchester City’s Premier League title challenge suffered a major setback after a goalless draw against Sunderland on Thursday.

Pep Guardiola’s side would have closed to within two points of leaders Arsenal with a win at the Stadium of Light. Instead, a spluttering display in their first game of 2026 left City four points adrift of the Gunners following Arsenal’s emphatic 4–1 rout of Aston Villa on Tuesday.

The stalemate ended City’s eight-match winning run in all competitions and underlined growing concerns over their cutting edge in attack.

City will look to respond on Sunday when they host struggling Chelsea, who parted company with manager Enzo Maresca earlier on Thursday.

Guardiola, reportedly close to completing the signing of Bournemouth and Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo, could do with attacking reinforcements after his side were frustrated by Sunderland’s disciplined performance.

City had beaten Sunderland 3–0 at the Etihad Stadium on December 6, but Guardiola warned beforehand that the return fixture would be far tougher, a prediction that proved accurate.

Sunderland are unbeaten in their first 10 home league matches this season and have now held both City and Arsenal to draws on Wearside.

Head of Sports at BusinessDay Media, a seasoned Digital Content Producer, and FIFA/CAF Accredited Journalist with over a decade of sports reporting.Has a deep understanding of the Nigerian and global sports landscape and skills in delivering comprehensive and insightful sports content.

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