After 83 minutes of playing at Anfield last weekend, Manchester City is on the verge of collapse. Being one goal down and only a few minutes left, the time for their championship race seems to be running out.
At that time, Pep Guardiola had almost no basis to believe that his team could regain form in the remainder of the season.
During a decade leading Man City, Guardiola has only won 1 time in 9 away games to Liverpool's stadium. That was a 4-1 victory in February 2021, taking place in a strange period when the Anfield team experienced an incredible home defeat under Jurgen Klopp.
Man City's recent form is also not optimistic. They have spent 308 minutes of the second half in 7 Premier League matches in 2026 without scoring a goal. In the last 4 second halfs, City has only had 1 shot on target.
And there are many other alarming numbers. The Citizens have only won 1 in the previous 6 matches this year. That is the home victory over Wolves, the team currently at the bottom of the table. They are also the only team in the Premier League this season that has not won any points when being led.
But then, City still managed to mobilize the fighting spirit and belief that made the brand under Guardiola to reverse the situation and leave Anfield with all 3 points. This victory may help them regain hope in the championship race.
However, they are still 6 points behind Arsenal in the rankings and are weaker in the race. City's chances of winning the championship are still underestimated, only about 8.2%.
But Arsenal is also not a perfect team. This team has just gone through a 3-match winless streak in the tournament before triumphing, while Man City has repeatedly leveled even bigger gaps in the sprint stage. Therefore, like what happened at Anfield, Man City will not easily give up.
It's true that the gap is quite large. But many things can happen. Who knows if 6 points are enough for Arsenal or not. 13 matches is a lot, then the FA Cup, the Carabao Cup final, the Champions League returning in March, and injuries are inevitable.
In my experience, 13 matches is quite a long time. The end of the season is very, very difficult, but the important thing is to be there. The only thing we can do is stick to Arsenal, always be there. And if they are careless, if they make mistakes, let's take advantage of that" - Guardiola said after the match.
This victory also shows signs of improvement for Man City - a morale boost that can bring confidence and great motivation for the rest of the season. And they certainly have no problem playing the role of pursuers in the championship race.
Perhaps, The Citizens' dramatic comeback will not open a long winning streak. Maybe they still won't catch up with Arsenal. It is also possible that this week, people will again see City drop points against Fulham, instead of the image of the team that just created a spectacular comeback at Anfield.
But no matter what scenario happens, Man City has sent a clear message: they still want to regain the Premier League title. City is no longer an invincible version as before, but they will not easily leave this race.
