Manchester City’s poor form continued as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Everton, and Manuel Akanji has admitted that the team is no longer in the race for the Premier League title.
The defending champions have been struggling to find their rhythm in their quest for a fifth consecutive league title.
After Bernardo Silva’s opening goal, Iliman Ndiaye equalized for Everton in the 36th minute, leaving the match level.
The draw saw City drop to seventh place in the standings, now 11 points behind league leaders Liverpool, who still have two games in hand.
Given the current state of affairs, Akanji has conceded that Manchester City’s hopes of reclaiming the title this season are all but over.
When asked by BBC whether the Premier League title was still a possibility, Manuel Akanji said: “The season is not finished but it’s not a target for us at the moment.
“We need to focus game by game and the next game against Leicester City will not be easy as well now, in the shape we are in.
“We need to focus on the positives. We did a lot of things great.
“We defended well and we attacked well, but were not able to finish as well as we wanted to or we could have scored three or four goals.”
Manchester City’s final two matches of 2024, against Everton and Leicester City, were seen as key opportunities for the defending champions to rediscover their form.
However, a disappointing draw with the Toffees has significantly dented their hopes of retaining the Premier League title.
Man City will have one last chance to end the year on a high when they take on Leicester City on December 29.
Read more: Liverpool vs Leicester City expected to go ahead despite heavy fog engulfing Merseyside
Pep Guardiola claims Manchester City played “really good” in draw with Everton
Manchester United’s Antony targeted by ‘many clubs’ ahead of January transfer window
