City might have created some panicked moments for West Ham United late in their 1‑1 draw, but it wasn't the overwhelming, orchestrated siege usually associated with a Pep Guardiola team. It was far more ad hoc – as exemplified by Marc Guehi's snatched stoppage‑time chance.
They will need much more than that to have any chance of a three‑goal comeback against Real Madrid – and even more if they are to reach the level required to deny Arsenal the title.
This felt like another "pivotal" weekend, except it was City's fifth Premier League game out of the last 11 in which they had a lead and squandered it. That doesn't even include the 2‑0 defeat to Manchester United.
It should now be abundantly clear – this isn't the overbearing City of recent years, nor the disparate Premier League of recent seasons. There is a fallibility there – something Arsenal can take solace from. Not every game needs to feel definitive.
Still, there was a sense within Mikel Arteta's dressing room that City would have beaten West Ham had Arsenal themselves dropped points against Everton. And yet, the psychology of that is precisely why this weekend may have been more "pivotal" than others. The suffocating tension at Arsenal for 87 minutes on Sunday made the eventual release all the more profound. That a mere 16‑year‑old – seen as a precocious talent and the club's future – was largely responsible only deepened the impact.
Dowman may well personify a transformation in mood, depending on what happens against Bayer Leverkusen. There were other tonal shifts and reversals of big moments from the past.
Perhaps the most famous example of a teenage sensation making a mark was Wayne Rooney's first big goal, which came in an Arsenal defeat at Everton. Here was Dowman doing it in an Everton defeat at Arsenal. Similarly, an Everton 0‑0 at Arsenal last season marked the first major misstep in a campaign that prematurely ended their title challenge – and here they were winning the same fixture late on. Likewise, it was a collapse in a draw at West Ham that cost City in Arteta's first title challenge – this time, it was City suffering a similar outcome.
Little quirks like that feed a sense of destiny. A team just has to go and act on it.
Arsenal, for their part, are now on the longest winning run in the Premier League at four games. No one else has been able to put runs together – not just in terms of results. There were three 0‑0s this weekend, reflecting a season in which so much play has been laboured. It has been a toil of a Premier League season in that regard. Even Bournemouth, normally lively, keep hitting walls.
And yet the competition endures because the storylines remain compelling – and so do the climactic moments in games. Stoppage‑time periods have been breathless, as Arsenal showed. The Liverpool–Spurs game perhaps best illustrated this. It had been a dismal match, except for what it meant for both teams and the wider table. The storyline made stultifying football absorbing. By the time Richarlison scored, the match finally reached another level, as tactical structures broke down. A previously unwatchable game became one where you would gladly take another 20 minutes.
Spurs will now feel very different. It may seem absurd given it was only a point, but that is the power of stopping a rot. It felt like a victory. It was their first point since 1 February – and the 2‑2 draw against City.
It is just another quirk of this season that Spurs' only points in 2026 have come against the last two champions.
Similarly, Aston Villa have lost three consecutive games yet remain in the top four. Neither Liverpool nor Chelsea have been able to capitalise.
That race may end up the most volatile of all – not just because European results could determine whether the Premier League gets four or five Champions League places. Outside Manchester United, none of the other three main contenders currently looks capable of closing the gap.
Liverpool and Villa have both been dismal recently, albeit in different ways and for different reasons. Chelsea are probably performing at their best, but they face the toughest run‑in as Liam Rosenior continues to adapt – another layer to the absurdity surrounding the huddle controversy.
All of this creates more uncertainty heading into this week's European games. Free midweeks, as United have shown, can have a significant effect.
Again, it is that kind of season – where a single result can make quite a difference.
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