Manchester City suffered a setback in the Premier League title race after being held to a 1–1 draw by West Ham United on Saturday at the London Stadium.
The result leaves Pep Guardiola’s side nine points behind league leaders Arsenal, who earlier secured a 2–0 win over Everton with two late goals.
City initially looked on course for victory after Bernardo Silva opened the scoring in the first half. However, West Ham quickly responded as Konstantinos Mavropanos headed home an equaliser before the break.
Despite dominating possession, the visitors struggled to create clear chances and could not find a winning goal in the second half.
Manager Pep Guardiola watched from the stands while serving a touchline ban, communicating with his bench through assistant coach Pep Lijnders as City tried to change the game with substitutions.
The draw continues a difficult run for City, who have now dropped points in back-to-back league matches after another stalemate with Nottingham Forest.
City’s struggles have also been compounded by a dip in form from star striker Erling Haaland, who has scored only three goals in his last 12 league appearances.
Guardiola’s side now faces a demanding run of fixtures, including a UEFA Champions League clash with Real Madrid, followed by the League Cup final against Arsenal at Wembley Stadium and an FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool.
Meanwhile, the draw proved valuable for West Ham, who moved out of the relegation zone for the first time in over three months.
