Manchester City failed to break down a determined Arsenal defense 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 Sunday.
Liverpool were the big winners of the day in the title race as they beat Brighton 2-1 to take the lead, two points ahead of Arsenal and three ahead of City with nine games remaining.
A share of the spoils preserves City’s unbeaten home run dating back to November 2022 and ends Arsenal’s run of eight Premier League victories.
But it is the Gunners who will be most pleased with a point as they prevented Pep Guardiola’s men from scoring at the Etihad for the first time in two years.
Dig deep to understand a point 💪
Now watch highlights from today’s draw against Manchester City 👇 pic.twitter.com/agvccoyk0
-Arsenal (@Arsenal) March 31, 2024
“Defensively we were exceptional,” said Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.
“The next step is to have the ball with more composure to attack better.
“They are the best team in the world by far, the best manager by far, and we need to catch up. This is the challenge for us.
City had 72% possession, but struggled to hold their own against a defense that has conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League this season.
“We didn’t create much but it was almost actions,” City manager Guardiola said. “It’s not easy to break them down, but I recognize the intention was there.”
Guardiola says Liverpool are now ‘favourites’ to win the title in Jurgen Klopp’s final season.
City are still winless in six matches this season against other top-five Premier League sides and must end that run when fourth-placed Aston Villa visit on Wednesday to maintain their title challenge .
“First is always the favorite, second favorite is Arsenal,” Guardiola added.
“It’s not in our hands. All we can do is win against Aston Villa.
Arsenal still need to ‘improve’
Arsenal have limited Manchester City to just two shots on target in their two Premier League meetings this season.
William Saliba & Gabriel on these two matches:
◉ 20x possession won
◉ 16 duels won
◉ 11 clearances
◉ 7 tackles
◉ 4 interceptionsAnd two clean… pic.twitter.com/nH9Ms4HLS5
– Squawka (@Squawka) March 31, 2024
Arsenal were also in fine form, scoring 33 times during their eight-game winning streak.
However, the visitors had lost in their last eight trips to the Etihad, including a 4-1 defeat as the title race turned decisively in City’s favor last season, and opted for a counter-attacking approach. attack.
“Eleven months ago we were here and the story was very different, we have to keep improving,” added Arteta, who said his team still needed to improve to reach the standards set by City by winning five Premier League titles in six seasons.
“We’re getting better, we’re competing better, we’re understanding how you have to play these games.
“We have to come here and win. Today we drew and we still need to improve to be able to achieve that.
Nathan Ake wasted the home side’s best chance of the first half when he failed to connect properly with a dangerous corner from Kevin De Bruyne.
City were already missing the key defensive duo of Kyle Walker and John Stones after both were injured on international duty with England.
And Guardiola was forced to cobble together an even more makeshift defense line when Ake limped off in the 27th minute.
Arsenal, however, rarely tested City’s defense.
Gabriel Jesus simply couldn’t stretch far enough to meet Bukayo Saka’s cross in the England international’s only sign of life.
On the other side, Erling Haaland was extremely well managed by Arsenal’s strong centre-back duo of Gabriel Magalhaes and William Saliba.
And the Norwegian fluffed his lines when he got a rare sight of goal seven minutes from time when he failed to connect with a corner at the far post.
Arsenal’s best chance of snatching all three points came late on when substitute Leandro Trossard shot straight at Stefan Ortega.
But part of the spoils leaves the title race as tempting as ever with three points separating the top three.
Salah caps his fightback as Liverpool take the lead
Mohamed Salah took Liverpool to the top of the Premier League as the Egyptian star’s clinical finish capped a stirring fightback to beat Brighton 2-1 on Sunday.
Jurgen Klopp’s side were rocked by Danny Welbeck’s thunderous strike after just 85 seconds at Anfield.
Luis Diaz restored order with an equalizer later in the first half, before Salah scored after the break to seal a vital victory.
Salah’s third goal in his last three games was his 22nd in all competitions this season.
Unbeaten in their last six league matches, Liverpool are two points clear of second-placed Arsenal, who drew 0-0 with third-placed Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium a few hours later.
Thanks to Salah, treble-chasing Liverpool are in the driving seat as they aim for a record 20th English title – and first since 2020 – in Klopp’s final season.
“To be so calm at the decisive moment with the biggest chance we had thanks to the best football we played, that makes a real goalscorer so we are happy with everything,” Klopp said of Salah.
“Brighton’s centre-backs were outstanding and it was just a really good game, against an opponent who you know is going to be the hardest work.
“To defend them requires the highest intensity in English football and we did well. More possession, better possession, very good rhythm.
Unbeaten in their last 27 home league matches, Liverpool are back in action at Anfield against lowly Sheffield United on Thursday.
After former Liverpool star Xabi Alonso confirmed his intention to stay at Bayer Leverkusen, Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi is said to be a candidate to replace Klopp when the German steps down at the end of this term.
Klopp is a big fan of De Zerbi’s attacking philosophy and this week praised him as the “best coach”.
Asked after the match about the Liverpool link, De Zerbi said: “I have two years left on my contract. My focus is on Brighton this season, next season.
“But before starting next season, I would like to listen to the team’s plan. I think it’s a serious thing.
Playing for the first time since their painful FA Cup quarter-final defeat to Manchester United before the international break, Liverpool got a shocking taste of De Zerbi’s enterprising tactics after just two minutes.
Salah strikes
Pass the perfection of the Reds 🙌
Salah completed the comeback with a calm finish at the end of the Kop 👏 #LIVBHA pic.twitter.com/ctmx53jirD
–Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 31, 2024
Brighton’s Simon Adingra quickly broke in a devastating counter-attack that put Liverpool right-back Conor Bradley out of position.
When Virgil van Dijk’s scuffed clearance reached Welbeck just inside the penalty area, the Brighton striker fired a shot into the top corner to leave Klopp shaking his head.
Salah was making his first league start since New Year’s Day after an injury-plagued start to 2024.
Looking to make up for lost time, Salah nearly equalized with a curler that whistled just wide.
The Egyptian striker threatened again from Bradley’s cross, but he couldn’t keep his shot on target from a good position 10 yards out.
Liverpool’s dominance was rewarded in the 27th minute when Brighton failed to clear Salah’s header from a corner and Diaz volleyed home from close range.
Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister squandered a chance against his former club with a header that went narrowly wide early in the second half.
Dominik Szoboszlai shot at the far post from 20 yards, while Darwin Nunez was denied by Bart Verbruggen at the near post.
Wave after wave of Liverpool’s pressure crashed against Brighton’s defensive wall before De Zerbi’s men cracked in the 65th minute.
Mac Allister was a catalyst with a perfectly weighted pass that spotted Salah’s run into the box and the striker sent a composed low finish past Verbruggen.
In a tense finale, former Liverpool midfielder Adam Lallana should have punished his former team, but he fired home much to Klopp’s relief.
