Manchester City: 5 Moments That Cost Pep Guardiola’s Side Premier League Title
- Manchester City’s draw against AFC Bournemouth ended their title quest and crowned Arsenal champions
- City had hoped to drag the title race to the final day of the season and hope Arsenal slip up against Crystal Palace
- Pep Guardiola’s side were not at their usual best and faltered at some decisive moments they'd have won before
Manchester City’s Premier League title quest ended after their 1-1 draw against AFC Bournemouth, a result which confirmed Arsenal as the champions.
Arsenal had gone ahead in the title race, but Manchester City hoped to win their outstanding match and drag the Premier League title race to the final day.
Source: Getty Images
Pep Guardiola’s side have not been the best team in the league this season, drawing nine matches and losing five, some of which came at the decisive moments of the title race.
Legit.ng looks at the five matches in the second half of the season, which cost Manchester City the title, all of which were draws.
Matches that cost Man City title
The draw against AFC Bournemouth may have been the final nail in City’s coffin, but they had it coming with other avoidable draws against teams they should have beaten.
3-3 draw against Everton
This was the moment many were fully convinced Manchester City would not win the title after rallying for a comeback 3-3 draw against Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
As noted by Mancity.com, a win could have helped City close the gap on Arsenal at the top of the table to three points with one game in hand, but City failed to produce the magic moment.
1-1 draw against West Ham
A loss or a draw at a crucial time in the race are costly, but a draw is far worse because it gives a sense of at least one point gained, while ignoring the two points lost.
City faced relegation-threatened West at the London Stadium, but came out with a draw, their second consecutive draw against a team in the relegation zone.
2-2 draw vs Nottingham Forest
City, before their draw against West Ham, had given out a free point at the Etihad Stadium to Nottingham Forest in their quest for Premier League survival.
Nottingham lived to fight another day, but the damage was done to Man City. Two points lost at a time when every point counts came back to bite at the end of the season.
2-2 draw vs Tottenham
Another match where City gave away free points to a relegation-threatened side, which eventually came back to haunt them, because they are matches they should have won.
City led the game 2-0 at half-time, but two second-half goals from Tottenham Hotspur left Manchester City scrambling to avoid a draw to prevent themselves from losing.
3 straight draws vs Sunderland, Chelsea, Brighton
Three consecutive draws in seven days to start the new year is not a hallmark of champions, but City recorded this feat against Sunderland, Chelsea and Brighton.
Source: Getty Images
The worst of them was against Chelsea, who at that time were led by Calum McFarlane, who has no pro license after Enzo Maresca's resignation. Enzo Fernandez’s late strike cancelled out Tijjani Reijnders’ goal.
According to The Athletic, Pep Guardiola has informed Manchester City hierarchy he will leave at the end of the current season.
He leaves the club with 20 trophies, including six Premier League titles and the first-ever UEFA Champions League trophy in the club’s history.
10 defining moments in Arsenal's victory
Legit.ng previously reported 10 defining moments that helped Arsenal win the Premier League title after 22 years since the 2003/04 Invincibles.
The Gunners had different players step up in crucial moments, including Golden Glove winner David Raya, with crucial saves in decisive matches.
Source: Legit.ng
