'A white flag is beginning to rise in the top flight'

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[BBC]

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Pep Guardiola continues to point towards the game in hand, the meeting with Arsenal at Etihad Stadium in April, and the idea that "a lot can happen" in the Premier League.

But the fact of the matter is that this title race is now over, and perhaps it was over some time ago, too.

Saturday night's further dropping of points at the hands of a side languishing towards the bottom of the table highlighted the continued challenges facing Manchester City in various areas of the pitch.

When you have Gianluigi Donnarumma flapping at a corner and Erling Haaland failing to take chances when they present themselves in the penalty box, that sends out the ultimate concerning undertone for a side desperately clinging on to this notion that they can claim big silverware this season.

Add that to the increasing element of confidence over their title-winning fate at Emirates Stadium and it feels as though there's currently an inevitability about the direction of travel for the Premier League crown.

Have City ever been good enough to claim the top prize this season? That's an argument supporters could go on about, but the fact is that this is very much a squad in transition.

Wholesale changes in multiple positions and with plenty of youth and relative inexperience injected into the side, coming up against a Mikel Arteta project reaching its peak having been in development for several years.

There's certainly no time for dwelling on what could have been, however, with plenty more still to fight for, but given the speed at which matches are coming at crucial points in various competitions, Manchester City could realistically find their season largely over when it comes to silverware hopes in the next few matches.

A strong performance against Real Madrid, irrespective of the aggregate scoreline, and perhaps a victory in the Carabao Cup final against Arsenal, may just add some glimmer of hope into the eyes of supporters, but a white flag is beginning to rise in the top flight from those at the Etihad.

Find more from Freddie Pye at City Xtra

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