Manchester City’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea leaves Manchester City six points behind Arsenal in the Premier League title race, yet Rodri insists the champions remain in contention. The setback at Etihad Stadium
dents momentum, but Rodri stresses belief, pointing to the number of chances created and the long schedule still remaining in this Premier League campaign.
The Opta supercomputer currently gives Manchester City a 10.5% probability of reclaiming the Premier League title, with Arsenal leading the projections on 85.2% after this round of fixtures. That statistical gap highlights the scale of the task, especially as Manchester City have failed to win back-to-back league matches for only the second time this season.
Chelsea arrived in Manchester without a permanent manager following Enzo Maresca’s departure on New Year’s Day, yet still left with a point that affects the Premier League title picture. Enzo Fernandez struck in second-half stoppage time, cancelling out Tijjani Reijnders’ first-half goal and ensuring Arsenal retained a strong lead in the standings.
Reijnders had earlier put Manchester City ahead three minutes before half-time, driving a powerful effort beyond Filip Jorgensen. That strike was the Dutch midfielder’s fourth goal in seven appearances, underlining Reijnders’ recent attacking impact. However, despite that platform and extended spells of dominance, Manchester City could not protect the advantage against Chelsea’s late pressure.
Fernandez’s equaliser, timed at 93:14, is the latest goal Manchester City have conceded at home in the Premier League since Michael Olise scored for Crystal Palace at 94:28 in a 2-2 draw in December 2023. The result means Manchester City dropped points at Etihad Stadium from a winning position in the league for the first time since March 2025 against Brighton.
Rodri expressed disappointment at the missed opportunity, but stressed that the focus inside the squad will stay on performances and upcoming fixtures. "It's frustrating, of course, but in the end, it is what it is, Rodri said. We created enough chances to win the game three or four-nil, but this is football. If you don't take your chances with nothing, they just draw the game, so we have to learn from this. There is still a long way to go, and we just need to focus on the next games. We move on, we have the next game against Brighton at home and we have to win. We know that this season is going to be long, so we have to keep going and going. "
Manchester City did generate openings to secure a result that would have supported their Premier League title defence more strongly. Erling Haaland hit the post with a curling attempt, having earlier forced a save from Jorgensen via a deflected shot. Several promising situations, especially on transitions, ended without a decisive final pass or finish.
Over the 90 minutes, Manchester City had 14 attempts, but only three efforts hit the target, producing an expected goals figure of 0.99. Chelsea registered eight shots and four on target, with a higher xG of 1.73. The numbers highlight Chelsea’s efficiency and underline why the match finished level despite Manchester City’s territorial control.
| Team | Shots | Shots on target | Expected goals (xG) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester City | 14 | 3 | 0.99 |
| Chelsea | 8 | 4 | 1.73 |
Pep Guardiola disputed the idea that Manchester City’s draw with Chelsea showed fading control, instead pointing to missed chances in the final third that complicate the Premier League title defence. "I don't agree [that City lost control]. They scored a goal and that is why you analyse the result, the Citizens boss said. Of course, they made a step up and were more intense in the pressing, and they had the chances because we lost two balls in the beginning of the second half.But, if you believe that they shifted the momentum, OK. You might know better. Chelsea is a team of world champions,it is not academy players there. [They are] top-class players, so to have control for 90 minutes against a team is so, so difficult. We missed chances in the second half, four or five actions of two-versus-one or three-versus-two. Our talented players tried to finish the game, but we could not do that. It is what it is. When you talk about all the stats in all the departments that we can analyse, then one is how effective you are in the final third.In general, how we defend, how we run, how we play, was extraordinary. "
Guardiola’s comments underline Manchester City’s belief that performances remain strong, even as the Premier League title chase grows harder. The next league match against Brighton at Etihad Stadium now carries added significance, with limited margin for further slips if Manchester City hope to close the six-point deficit to Arsenal over the remaining fixtures.
