Manchester City's Results Crisis Continues
Guardiola's side suffer another setback in the Premier League title race
City's winless run extends to four games after a goalless draw at home to Southampton
Manchester City's hopes of retaining their Premier League title suffered a further blow on Saturday as they were held to a goalless draw at home by Southampton.
The result leaves City eight points behind league leaders Arsenal, who have a game in hand, and means that the champions have now gone four games without a win in all competitions.
City dominated possession and chances against Southampton but were unable to find a breakthrough, with Erling Haaland missing a number of good opportunities.
The draw means that City have now dropped points in six of their last nine Premier League games, and they are now in danger of falling out of the title race.
Manager Pep Guardiola admitted after the game that his team are in a "difficult moment" but insisted that they will continue to fight for the title.
"We have to keep going," said Guardiola. "We have to improve our performance, but we have to keep going. We have to win games, and we have to score goals."
City's next game is away to Tottenham Hotspur on Thursday, and they will need to win to keep their title hopes alive.
What went wrong for City?
There were a number of factors that contributed to City's disappointing result against Southampton.
First, City were without a number of key players, including Kevin De Bruyne, Aymeric Laporte, and John Stones.
Second, City's attack was misfiring, with Haaland missing a number of good chances and the supporting cast failing to provide him with enough service.
Finally, Southampton defended resolutely and made it difficult for City to create clear-cut chances.
What does this mean for City's title hopes?
City's draw against Southampton leaves them eight points behind Arsenal in the Premier League title race.
While it is still mathematically possible for City to win the title, they will need to improve their form significantly and hope that Arsenal drop points.
If City cannot turn their form around soon, they could be in danger of falling out of the title race altogether.
What needs to change for City?
In order to turn their form around, City need to make some changes.
First, they need to find a way to get their injured players back fit.
Second, they need to improve their attacking play and create more chances for Haaland.
Finally, they need to tighten up their defense and make it more difficult for opponents to score goals.
If City can make these changes, they will have a good chance of getting back into the title race.
Conclusion
Manchester City's draw against Southampton was a disappointing result that leaves their title hopes in jeopardy.
In order to turn their form around, City need to make some changes, including getting their injured players back fit, improving their attacking play, and tightening up their defense.
If City can make these changes, they will have a good chance of getting back into the title race.