Premier League title race tilts Arsenal’s way as Manchester City, Liverpool held in goalless draws
Arsenal moved four points clear at the halfway mark of the Premier League after Manchester City and Liverpool were both blunted in 0-0 draws on a low-scoring Thursday night that underscored the league’s depth and defensive resilience.
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City were frustrated at Sunderland and Liverpool couldn’t break down promoted Leeds at Anfield, results that — coupled with Tottenham’s stalemate at Brentford and a late equalizer in Crystal Palace’s 1-1 draw with Fulham — left the Gunners with breathing space after 19 of 38 matches.
Key results:
- Sunderland 0, Manchester City 0
- Liverpool 0, Leeds 0
- Brentford 0, Tottenham 0
- Crystal Palace 1 (Mateta), Fulham 1 (Cairney 80’)
The night’s combined story lines were familiar: elite attacks lacking their usual fluency, promoted and midtable sides defending with organization and nerve, and slim margins defining a campaign where Arsenal’s steadier pathway has opened an early 2026 advantage.
City’s run halted, Haaland held
City arrived in the Northeast riding an eight-match winning streak across all competitions but met an in-form Sunderland whose recent home scalps include a draw with Arsenal and a win over Newcastle. Erling Haaland, the league’s top scorer on 19, found half-chances either side of halftime but was marshaled away from the decisive moment.
Unlikely to be the headliner on a night of star forwards, City’s best chances fell to Josko Gvardiol. The substitute defender grazed the post with a flicked effort and then saw a point-blank header denied as Sunderland’s penalty-area defiance held firm.
“You can’t be perfect every time, every half, every minute,” City captain Bernardo Silva said. “The team is showing a lot of resilience at the minute — in the moments when we don’t play that well, we are still very consistent, very stable.”
Pep Guardiola welcomed a timely return at the interval, with Spain midfielder Rodri coming on for his first minutes after two months out with a hamstring injury. His presence helped City control territory after the break without solving the final pass, a theme that has crept into title challengers’ performances as defenses compress the middle and limit transition space.
Liverpool underwhelm again at Anfield
Liverpool extended their unbeaten run to eight matches in all competitions but again struggled to translate volume into chances. With attacking options thinned and Mohamed Salah away at the Africa Cup of Nations, the clearest opening fell to Hugo Ekitike, whose close-range header veered wide in the first half.
The home side settled for a point that keeps them fourth — 12 behind Arsenal — and reinforces a pragmatic turn under manager Arne Slot following early-season volatility. Since a 4-1 Champions League home loss to PSV Eindhoven on Nov. 26, Liverpool have played seven league matches, winning four and drawing three, with their other result in the wider stretch a composed away victory over Inter Milan in Europe.
“This season multiple times we have conceded a goal in a game like this and that’s a positive thing today,” Slot said, nodding to a tightened defensive structure that has come at the cost of some attacking verve.
Spurs stifled; Palace slide continues
Across London, Tottenham were kept to half-chances in a 0-0 at Brentford, a chess match that saw both teams cancel each other out between the lines. For Ange Postecoglou’s side, it was a missed opportunity to apply pressure higher up the table as the winter grind exposes thin depth charts around the league.
At Selhurst Park, Crystal Palace’s night swung late. Jean-Philippe Mateta steered the Eagles in front with a header, only for Tom Cairney to level for Fulham in the 80th minute. It leaves Palace winless in six across all competitions, a slide compounded by injuries to fullback Daniel Muñoz and defender Chris Richards and by Ismaila Sarr’s international duty at the Africa Cup.
Title picture at halfway: Arsenal in control — for now
Arsenal’s cushion owes as much to the chasing pack’s hiccups as to the league leader’s consistency. City and Liverpool, the Premier League’s defining forces of the past decade, have reoriented toward control and defensive stability as their attacks ebb and flow around injuries, fixture congestion and opponents increasingly content to defend deep and break sparingly.
On Thursday, that trend crystallized: compact blocks, few clean looks, and the small margins that decide modern title races. City still have the swagger and squad to surge; Liverpool have stabilized and will expect to sharpen once their forward line is whole. But at the turn, the statement belongs to Arsenal — four points to the good, with the pack stalled in pursuit.
What comes next will hinge on January’s churn: returns to fitness, AFCON absences, the transfer window and the sheer attrition of a campaign that rarely yields open doors. If nights like these persist, Arsenal’s lead may prove more durable than some expected. If not, the champions in waiting will need to rediscover their edge in the final third — and do it quickly.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
