EPL: Man City Draw West Brom As Pep Drops Point Again

Manchester City surrendered an early lead to play a 1-1 draw with West Brom as Pep Guardiola's side drops points in consecutive EPL games in the title race.

AllNews understands that City has won just five of their opening 12 league games of the season, a huge gap from the combined 198 points they registered in two title-winning campaigns under Guardiola in 2017/18 and 2018/19.

FULL TIME | Stalemate.

? 1-1 ⚪️ #ManCity | https://t.co/axa0klD5re pic.twitter.com/hrK28EuLuu

— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 15, 2020

Even in the 2019-20 season when finishing distant runners-up to Liverpool, City scored 102 league goals, but the stale domination that has characterized a lacklustre campaign was in evidence all night as they struggled to break through West Brom's deep-lying defence.

READ ALSO: EPL: Man Utd Played Draw Against Man City At Old Trafford

Gundogan appeared to have opened the floodgates on the half-hour mark, but Ruben Dias's own goal two minutes before halftime proved costly as City's problems in front of goal continued in a goalless second-half.

City could have moved to within three points of leaders Tottenham and Liverpool, who meet on Wednesday. Instead, Guardiola's men edge up to fifth on goal difference, still five points off the top.

"These games you have to win, we know it, so we drop points," admitted Guardiola. "It's not far away from the top of the league, but you have to win games. Still, we are in early December and there are a lot of games to play."

City enjoyed 77 percent possession and had 26 shots on goal, but not until a late flurry of crosses from Kevin De Bruyne produced two stunning saves from Sam Johnstone to deny Gundogan and Raheem Sterling were West Brom opened up.

"We created enough to win the game. We did everything but in the end, you have to score," added Guardiola. "We have to be optimistic that in the end, we will score goals."

PEP ? Yeah, you have to win these games and we could not do it. We had the chances, but unfortunately we were not able to score goals, especially in the last four or five actions that we had. pic.twitter.com/RB5xNRBysy

— Manchester City (@ManCity) December 15, 2020

West Brom had the first big chance of the game when the ball ricocheted off Joao Cancelo into the path of Karlan Grant and he forced Ederson into a fine save low to his left.

City's probing was finally rewarded on the half-hour as Sterling got to the by-line and his cut-back was fired home from the edge of the area by Gundogan.

But the hosts shot themselves in the foot by conceding for the first time in seven games two minutes before halftime as they failed to clear a free-kick into the box and Semi Ajayi's shot was deflected into his own net by Dias.

It was one-way traffic after the break as City set up camp in the West Brom half but lacked the imagination or pace to open the visitors up.

De Bruyne was the most likely candidate to produce the inspiration his side needed but twice Johnstone in the West Brom goal denied the Belgian with low saves to his left.

Guardiola brought City's all-time record scorer Sergio Aguero off the bench for the final 15 minutes, but the Argentine's lack of match sharpness after a series of injury problems showed as he slashed wide the sort of chance he has so often buried.