Overview
- Manchester City were held 0-0 at Sunderland, ending an eight-match winning run and keeping them four points behind Arsenal at the season’s midpoint.
- Sunderland extended their unbeaten home start to 10 Premier League games, having also taken points off Arsenal and Aston Villa at the Stadium of Light.
- Liverpool drew 0-0 with Leeds at Anfield to remain fourth, 12 points off top, as attacking absences continued to blunt their threat.
- City’s fitness picture was mixed: Rodri returned from a hamstring issue as a substitute, Jeremy Doku also featured on his comeback, while Savinho and Nico Gonzalez were withdrawn with injuries.
- Arsenal’s 4-1 win over Aston Villa earlier in the week fortified their lead, with ex-referee Mark Halsey saying Mikel Merino’s shirt pull merited a second yellow, and reports suggest City are pursuing Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo as Cherries boss Andoni Iraola expects him to face Arsenal next.