Manchester City’s failure to maintain leads in the second half is costing them dearly in the Premier League title race. Pep Guardiola’s side have dropped 11 points in their last six league games, while Arsenal have extended their lead at the top to six points despite their own recent wobble. If games ended at half-time, City would be top by 12 points, but their second-half performances are 19 points worse than their first.
The trend is stark: City led 1-0 against Chelsea but conceded an injury-time equaliser; led Brighton 1-0 but allowed a goal on the hour; were drawing at half-time with Manchester United but lost 2-0; and led Tottenham 2-0 before Dominic Solanke struck twice to earn Spurs a point. That’s seven points dropped from winning positions in 2026 alone, and the pattern has been building since November, when they squandered a 0-0 draw at Newcastle to lose 2-1.
Tiredness is a key factor. The expansion of tournaments – including the Champions League, World Cup, and Copa América – has increased fixture congestion. City also played in the Club World Cup last summer, a burden only Chelsea share among Premier League clubs. But there is also a tactical shift: Guardiola has adopted an offside trap and brought in former Liverpool assistant Pep Lijnders, whose high-pressing style is physically demanding and may explain why City fade after the break.
Arsenal remain vulnerable, with a trip to the Etihad still to come, but City must rediscover their second-half resilience. If they do not, their title challenge could be over.
