City’s title hopes crumble after costly draw at West Ham

Manchester City’s title bid was left in ruins after a 1-1 draw at relegation-threatened West Ham United left them nine points adrift of leaders Arsenal.

Just three days after their Champions League hopes were crushed by a 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid, another piece of what had once looked like a possible quadruple slipped through their fingers.

According to ESPN, it was former Arsenal defender Konstantinos Mavropanos who dealt the damage, heading in West Ham’s equaliser after Bernardo Silva had put City ahead.

Manager Pep Guardiola had warned the title race would be “over” if his side dropped points — and the pressure only intensified minutes before kick-off at the London Stadium, when Arsenal snatched two late goals to defeat Everton and extend their lead.

At the opposite end of the table, the draw marked a significant moment for West Ham, lifting them out of the relegation zone for the first time since December.

Guardiola, serving a touchline ban for the booking he received at Newcastle United last weekend, was forced to watch from the stands as his team’s title hopes all but evaporated.

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