While Arsenal is rushing to lead the Premier League title race, and Manchester City is clearly declining, the only thing that Pep Guardiola's team can cling to is their familiar sprinting spirit.
Man City has repeatedly narrowed the gap in the decisive stage with long and powerful wins. But when the first month of 2026 closes, that scenario seems to be getting further and further away.
The lackluster performance after the half-time in the 2-2 draw against Tottenham shows why the dream of defending the throne this season may be too much for Man City. The Citizens overwhelmed a lackluster Spurs in the first 45 minutes, but instead of closing the match, the away team made it difficult for themselves by losing the advantage twice in the second half.
City was upset when Dominic Solanke's equalizer was not disallowed due to a collision with Marc Guehi. However, the reaction of Guardiola and especially Rodri - who said it was evidence that "they didn't want us to win" - was like a sign that the team was starting to lose psychological control.
Last week, Arsenal's slip-up against Manchester United once made many people doubt the "Gunners'" bravery. But Arteta responded with a convincing victory over Leeds, and then received another surprise gift from his city rival in north London. Meanwhile, Man City not only lost the advantage, but also pushed themselves into a vortex of disappointment. The championship ambition is therefore breaking down faster than ever.
The most worrying thing for Man City at this time is their alarmingly declining face in the second half. The disappointing draw at Tottenham Hotspur - where they often encounter difficulties - is no exception. Since the beginning of 2026, City has dropped 9 points in just the second half of 6 Premier League matches, not scoring a single goal and conceding 6 times.
What made Guardiola surely annoyed was that Man City still had very convincing first half periods. They once overwhelmed Chelsea, but weakened after halftime, and then Enzo Fernandez's last-minute equalizer came as an inevitable consequence after the opponent's continuous attacks.
The same scenario was repeated against Tottenham, even in a more unacceptable way. City controlled completely to the point that Gary Neville likened the match to Soccer Aid and commented that the atmosphere was "as bland as paper".
But when Tottenham accelerated in the second half, especially after the appearance of Pape Matar Sarr to strengthen the midfield, Man City immediately faltered and could not resist. Guardiola also had almost no immediate reaction. He waited until the 69th minute to make the first substitution, and it mainly stemmed from Rayan Cherki's fitness problems, rather than a tactical adjustment.
Guardiola brought Nico Gonzalez on to increase the strength of the midfield, but Spurs were the team that finished the match with clear initiative. Even Tottenham could have won all 3 points if they had not encountered two excellent saves by Gianluigi Donnarumma, when this goalkeeper successively denied shots from Wilson Odobert and Xavi Simons.
Although Man City had time to strengthen their forces in January with Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo, Arsenal still showed that they are holding a thicker and more stable squad for the sprint stage.
The Gunners may lose Mikel Merino in the near future, and there is also more worry surrounding Bukayo Saka after an injury sustained right at warm-up before the Leeds match, but the level of losses is still significantly lighter than Man City. Arsenal currently only has three injuries, while Man City has 6 - including the starting three center-backs Ruben Dias, John Stones and Josko Gvardiol.
The road ahead is still long, but this should be the familiar period when Man City accelerates, a time when they often break through with cold and stable winning streaks. The reality is going in the opposite direction. History may create weight in the championship race, but with what is happening, Arsenal is currently the team that has the upper hand.
