Arsenal Open Four-Point Lead as Title Rivals Stumble in Goal-Shy New Year

LONDON : The Premier League title race has taken a significant turn in the opening days of 2026. While Arsenal dominated their fixture, their closest rivals faltered in a remarkably low-scoring round that saw just two goals across four matches.

The Gunners were the only title contenders to find their clinical edge this week, dismantling Aston Villa 4-1 on Wednesday. The victory puts Mikel Arteta’s side four points clear at the summit, heaping pressure on Manchester City to respond.

Manchester City’s trip to the Stadium of Light ended in a frustrating 0-0 draw against a resilient Sunderland defense. Despite dominating possession, Pep Guardiola’s men could not find a breakthrough.

The tension boiled over at the full-time whistle when City goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma lost his cool. The 196cm Italian giant was seen shouting and storming toward Brentford’s Luke O’Nien (on loan or guesting in the interaction). Donnarumma had to be restrained by Brentford players as the Stadium of Light crowd broke into a chorus of “Who are ya?”.

Guardiola appeared less rattled than his keeper, seen sharing a “cheeky smirk” while congratulating the opposition, though the result leaves City with a mounting deficit in the title race.

Elsewhere, the goals dried up across England:

A historic 0-0 draw at Anfield. Remarkably, this was the first time in 117 matches that the Reds have recorded a scoreless draw.

Thomas Frank’s return to the Gtech Community Stadium ended in a 0-0 stalemate. Tottenham managed only three shots on target despite the absence of Brennan Johnson.

Crystal Palace vs. Fulham: One of the few goals of the round occurred at Selhurst Park, where the London derby ended 1-1.