Manchester City’s momentum at the top of the Premier League hit an unexpected pause on New Year’s Day as Pep Guardiola’s side were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw away at Sunderland. Elsewhere, Liverpool were also unable to find a breakthrough at Anfield, settling for a goalless draw against a disciplined Leeds United, as several matches began 2026 with a lack of goals but plenty of talking points.
City went into the match having won eight games in a row to close out 2025, narrowing Arsenal’s lead at the summit to just two points. However, the stalemate at the Stadium of Light means City now trail the Gunners by four points, failing to capitalise after Arsenal’s emphatic 4-1 win over Aston Villa earlier in the week. Despite dominating possession and creating numerous chances, City were repeatedly denied by Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs, who produced a series of outstanding saves to keep Erling Haaland and Josko Gvardiol at bay. Bernardo Silva saw an early effort ruled out for offside, while Savinho missed a clear opportunity late on, summing up City’s lack of cutting edge.
Sunderland, missing several key players due to the Africa Cup of Nations and injury, defended resolutely to preserve their impressive home record. The Black Cats have now gone 10 home games unbeaten since their return to the Premier League, a remarkable achievement against one of Europe’s most potent attacking sides. Guardiola admitted his side’s frustration after the match, highlighting the volume of chances created but conceding that efficiency in front of goal was missing.
At Anfield, Liverpool faced similar problems as they struggled to break down a well-organised Leeds United side. Without key attacking figures Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak, the reigning champions lacked their usual spark in the final third. Leeds came close to stealing all three points late on when Dominic Calvert-Lewin appeared to have scored, only for the goal to be ruled out for a marginal offside. The draw extended Leeds’ unbeaten run to six matches and lifted them seven points clear of the relegation zone, while Liverpool remain fourth, edging slightly ahead of Chelsea and Manchester United in the race for Champions League qualification.
The trend of goalless draws continued elsewhere, with Tottenham also playing out a 0-0 result away at Brentford in Thomas Frank’s emotional return to the club he previously guided to Premier League promotion. Spurs once again struggled for attacking creativity, drawing criticism from their own supporters, while Frank acknowledged the need for improvement as his side remain stuck in mid-table.
In another fixture, Crystal Palace earned a hard-fought 1-1 draw against Fulham. Jean-Philippe Mateta ended his scoring drought to put Palace ahead, but Fulham captain Tom Cairney responded with a superb equaliser. Palace manager Oliver Glasner described his injury-hit squad as being in “survival mode” as their winless run stretched to six games.
Overall, the opening day of 2026 underlined how tight and unpredictable the Premier League remains. With points dropped by several major contenders, the title race and the battle for European places look set to remain fiercely contested in the months ahead.
