LONDON: A last-minute consolation and a bundled effort from a long throw-in are the only goals Manchester City have conceded in nine games across all competitions in 2021.

Pep Guardiola, one of the most attack-minded coaches in football history, has constructed a virtually impenetrable defensive unit in his fifth season at City and it is providing the platform for the team’s latest run at the Premier League title.

City’s lead grew to three points on Saturday after their battling 1-0 win over last-placed Sheffield United was followed by second-placed Manchester United’s latest slip-up, a 0-0 draw at Arsenal.

That’s five straight shutouts for City in the league or 10 in their last 12 league games stretching back to a 2-0 loss at Tottenham Hotspur on November 21, when some were wondering if Guardiola’s latest iteration had the capability of winning the title this season.

Indeed, since a 5-2 loss to Leicester in City’s second league game — a result that shook Guardiola and led to him tightening up his defensive unit — the team have kept 20 clean sheets in 29 games in all competitions, conceding just 10 goals.

On a day when Guardiola rotated his line-up and City’s attack was never at their free-flowing best, a close-range effort from Gabriel Jesus in the ninth minute was enough to earn an eighth straight league win and see off a hard-working Sheffield side looking far from the worst side in the division.

Jesus slotted home after Ferran Torres took advantage of poor defending to wriggle free and pick out his unmarked team-mate at the Etihad.

City’s defence, marshalled by the excellent Ruben Dias, was barely troubled.

“When is it ever these days? When I woke up and went out of my building, I saw it was windy and freezing and I said, Today will be the toughest game we are going to play this season,” Guardiola said.

“Our commitment was fantastic. We played really well. We didn’t create much but we conceded few again. I am grateful to my players for the victory we had. It was so, so difficult and we did it.

“People think if we won the last one 5-0, we will win this one 5-0. This is the real world, not a fairytale. Today when I see Sheffield is bottom of the league. You see his team and realise how tough is the Premier League.”

City’s 13 goals conceded is by far the fewest in the league heading into the second half of the campaign. Tottenham and Arsenal are tied for the next best record, with 20.

City have 44 points from 20 games with United three points behind but having played a game more.

Chances were also hard to find at the Emirates where Manchester United ended a disappointing week having given up five points in the title race.

Arsenal came out strongly after the interval and Alexa­ndre Lacazette came closest to scoring for the hosts with a 56th-minute curling free kick that struck the bar.

The best two chances for United fell to Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani but he was wide of the target both occasions.

United set a new club record of 18 away games unbeaten in the league while Arsenal, ninth on 31 points, have not lost since December 19.

“We don’t think about the title race,” United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said, adding, “We’re in January.”

Aston Villa moved above the Gunners into eighth after Ross Barkley’s header earned a 1-0 win at Southampton.

Dean Smith’s men had goalkeeper Emiliano Mart­inez to thank for brilliant saves to deny Che Adams and Jan Bednarek, while Danny Ings had a goal ruled out for offside deep into stoppage time as Southampton slum­ped to a third straight league defeat.

Crystal Palace are three points behind 11th-placed Southampton in 13th after beating Wolverhampton Wan­d­erers 1-0 thanks to the latest wonder strike by Eberechi Eze.

Eze broke the deadlock on the hour at Selhurst Park, firing a low left-footed strike past Wolves goalkeeper Rui Patricio.

Ivan Cavaleiro came off the substitutes bench to grab a late equaliser as Fulham held relegation rivals West Brom­wich Albion to a 2-2 draw at the Hawthorns.

Fulham went ahead in the 10th minute when Aleksa­ndar Mitrovic slipped a through ball to Bobby Cordova-Reid, who slotted it past West Brom goalkeeper Sam Johnstone.

Kyle Bartley levelled for the Baggies two minutes into the second half before new signing Mbaye Diagne teed up Matheus Pereira to turn the game around.

But Cavaleiro headed home 13 minutes from time to ensure Fulham remain above West Brom in 18th and edged to within four points of safety.

Published in Dawn, February 1st, 2021