City stumble towards the title with West Ham draw
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola during today's 2-2 draw with West Ham at London Stadium.
Riyad Mahrez's late penalty miss denied Manchester City a stirring comeback victory that would have all but wrapped up the title. Instead they had to be content with taking a small step closer to retaining the trophy - and the knowledge it could have been far worse.
The Algerian saw his spot-kick saved after City had recovered from Jarrod Bowen firing West Ham into a shock 2-0 lead.
A Jack Grealish reply and a Vladimir Coufal own goal wiped that out but home goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski saved Mahrez's spot-kick.
The point moved City four ahead of Liverpool, who cash in their game in hand at Southampton on Tuesday. A Liverpool loss would seal the deal there and then for Pep and company but it is likely the title will be decided on Sunday when City host Aston Villa and Liverpool go to Wolves.
West Ham face an exciting last day themselves, having to win and hope Manchester United don't to pip them for a Europa League spot.
Otherwise its the Conference instead.
City appeared serenely secure until West Ham's vigorous counter-attacking style twice exposed their defensive frailties before the break. Fernando and Aymeric Laporte had passed fitness tests to form a makeshift central defensive pairing but added to Oleksandr Zinchenko on the left it resulted in carnage.
Bowen used his pace and guile to net both goals, in the 24th minute and the 45th, from moves that began with Hammers goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.
The first saw Laporte play Bowen onside as he motored past Zinchenko, rounded Ederson and found the net from a tight angle.
Zinchenko was the fall guy for the second by standing and watching as Bowen chased Michail Antonio's loft over the centre-backs. This time the forward, already on the fringe of the England squad, elected to lash a shot from the edge of the box through Fernandinho and into the far corner.
City hit back three minutes into the second period, presumably having received a few Pep pointers in the interval.
West Ham failed to deal with a high ball in the box and Grealish lashed in a downwards drive that flicked off Craig Dawson.
The champions turned the screw. Bernardo Silva was denied by a smart Fabianski block after Grealish had flicked the ball back from beyond the back post. Just like the first 20 minutes, the Hammers were finding it difficult to get out of their own half. Fabianski was booked for time-wasting before the hour-mark had been reached after Kevin de Bruyne had lashed a free-kick just over.
Another Zinchenko error let Bowen in again however, although this time he could only find the side-netting.
Next it was Fernandinho to drop a clanger with a back pass straight to Antonio - whose chip over Ederson fell the wrong side of the post.
And then City were level in the 69th minute from a free-kick that Coufal dived to head past his own goalkeeper. Could they score another?
Bowen thought he could too but saw his shot bounce off Laporte and drop wide before Mark Noble came on for a farewell appearance in front of the home fans.
The came Dawson's fateful challenge on Gabriel Jesus. Referee Anthony Taylor did not initially realise it was a foul but a trip to the VAR monitor confirmed otherwise - and Fabianski guessed correctly to bat away Mahrez's penalty.
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