LONDON: However strong Manchester City look in their title defense, Pep Guardiola’s leaders are facing more competition than anticipated in the Premier League.

It’s not coming from Manchester United, who were beaten 3-1 by City in the derby on Sunday and are 12 points adrift in eighth place.

For the first time in 130 years of the English top flight, three teams are unbeaten after 12 games. Liverpool remain two points behind City (32) after beating Fulham 2-0 on Sunday and Chelsea are two points further back after being held 0-0 by Everton.

“When you win 100 points [last season] to win the Premier League, the people can start to think will we maintain our level,” City manager Pep Guardiola said. “I’m so satisfied we maintained our level.”

Tottenham Hotspur are still in the title mix, too. Despite losing three games, the London club’s best-ever Premier League start means they are only five points behind City in fourth.

“They have numbers to be champions, not just City,” Guardiola said of Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham — and Arsenal. “It is November so we haven’t even finished the first round. A lot can happen in football.”

Resurgent under new manager Unai Emery after opening with losses to City and Chelsea, Arsenal extended their unbeaten run to 16 games in all competitions after a late comeback to draw 1-1 on Sunday with Wolverhampton Wanderers. The draw left Arsenal fifth on 24 points, three behind North London rivals Spurs.

The tight tussle at the top does not bode well for United, who are even seven points from the fourth and final Champions League place after around a third of the season.

Sunday’s derby loss highlighted just how far Jose Mourinho’s team are from dethroning their neighbours as champions.

“We are outside the top four, how can we speak about the title? Let’s fight to close the gap to jump into the top four,” said Mourinho.

United scored twice in the closing five minutes to secure a hard-fought 2-1 win away to Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday, while City thrashed Shakhtar Donetsk 6-0 at the Etihad.

And Mourinho used his side’s tougher preparation to excuse the gulf in class.

“Everybody has to agree, it is one thing to go to Juventus and play against one of the best teams in the world for 90 minutes, another thing to beat Shakhtar Donetsk at home 6-0 and be very relaxed,” said Mourinho. “We arrive in different circumstances.”

As United were run ragged, and unable to disrupt City’s passing, David Silva swept the hosts in front in the 12th minute at the Etihad Stadium.

United’s sloppiness — with Jesse Lingard conceding possession on the halfway line — set Sergio Aguero on the run for a move he completed with City’s second three minutes into the second half.

Although Anthony Martial reduced the deficit from the penalty spot, City remained ruthless and Ilkay Gundogan smoothed Guardiola’s passage to victory by netting from Bernardo Silva’s cross in the 86th.

Runners-up last season, United managed just one shot on target and are now languishing in eighth place. In a league they were accustomed to dominating until 2013, the 20-time English champions are now further behind City than at any time in the Premier League after 12 games.

In the other late game on Sunday, Arsenal were in danger of defeat for the first time since August as Ivan Cavaleiro’s 13th-minute strike put Wolves ahead after capitalising on a mistake by Granit Xhaka.

Having already drawn against the Manchester clubs, Wolves were heading toward their biggest win of their first season back in the top flight since 2012 but Henrikh Mkhitaryan inswinging cross went over everyone in the penalty area and ended up in the far corner of the net four minutes from time to rescue a point for Arsenal.

Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2018