Manchester City Eyes Title Race Amidst Transfer Speculations

Manchester City concluded a lackluster 2025 season on a high note, achieving an impressive eight-game winning streak across all competitions.

Pep Guardiola has raised questions regarding whether the Premier League title race is solely between his team and the current leaders, Arsenal. After Mikel Arteta’s squad secured a commanding 4-1 victory over Aston Villa, they moved five points ahead of City.

This recent defeat caused Unai Emery’s Aston Villa to fall six points behind, but City has the opportunity to narrow the gap to just two points with a win against Sunderland on Thursday, scheduled for 20:00 GMT.

When queried about the title race being a two-horse competition, Guardiola responded, “Are you sure? A few weeks ago, it was just Arsenal, two days ago it was three teams in the title race, and now it is just one. We will see.”

Liverpool currently sits fourth in the table, facing a daunting challenge to defend their title, trailing the Gunners by 13 points.

As City prepares to face Sunderland, who have remained unbeaten this season, Guardiola acknowledged the difficulty of the upcoming match. He recalled the electric atmosphere during his first visit to the Stadium of Light, noting that strong performances have seen Sunderland rise to seventh in the league standings.

“That means they are very tough,” Guardiola stated. “I remember when I first went there, the crowd was unbelievable. They have beaten Newcastle, and Arsenal and Aston Villa struggled to win there. It will be very challenging, but at the same time, we are ready.”

The winter transfer window will open on Thursday, and City may be involved in both incoming and outgoing transfers. Reports indicate that the club is nearing an agreement with Bournemouth to acquire forward Antoine Semenyo for £65 million.

In response to inquiries about Semenyo’s potential transfer, Guardiola said, “I have to be careful about what I say. That is why I mentioned yesterday and on the day of the game—the transfer window is completely closed right now.”

Additionally, there are indications that Oscar Bobb could be loaned out to Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund. “When it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen. I don’t have any news about anything right now. You can ask Oscar, not me,” Guardiola concluded.