Manuel Akanji Declares Premier League Title No Longer A Target For Manchester City This Season

Add as a preferred source on Google

Manchester City's hopes of clinching the Premier League title have dimmed, according to Manuel Akanji. The team recently drew 1-1 against Everton at the Etihad Stadium. Iliman Ndiaye equalised after Bernardo Silva's deflected goal. Erling Haaland missed a penalty saved by Jordan Pickford. City has only one win in their last 13 matches across all competitions.

City has dropped 12 points from winning positions this season, surpassing last season's total of 10. They trail Liverpool by 11 points before Liverpool's match against Leicester City on Boxing Day. Akanji acknowledged that retaining the title for a fifth consecutive year seems unlikely but emphasised other goals remain.

Akanji told Amazon Prime, "The season is not finished but [the title] is not a target for us at the moment." He stressed the importance of focusing on each game, particularly the upcoming match against Leicester City, given their current form.

Despite dominating with 24 shots and creating chances worth 2.0 expected goals, City struggled to convert opportunities into goals against Everton. Haaland's penalty alone accounted for 0.78 xG. The team had 49 touches in Everton's box and created four significant chances but failed to capitalise fully.

Akanji reflected on the match, saying, "We created lots of chances, unfortunately we were only able to score one goal." He noted City's defensive and offensive efforts were strong but lamented their inability to secure more goals.

Guardiola's Perspective

Pep Guardiola felt City deserved victory despite the draw. He told Amazon Prime, "We played really good... Confidence will come with results." Guardiola praised both offensive and defensive performances but acknowledged they didn't achieve the desired result.

Everton's Defensive Tactics

Everton captain Seamus Coleman received a yellow card for trying to distract Haaland before his penalty attempt. Pickford's save marked his seventh Premier League penalty stop for Everton. Only Brad Friedel and Jussi Jaaskelainen have more saves with one club.

Coleman humorously remarked to Amazon Prime about his interaction with Haaland: "Merry Christmas!" He added that their aim was to secure at least a point from the match without any foul language involved.