Title-chasing Manchester City and defending champions Liverpool drew blanks in their first English Premier League matches of 2026, with both sides held to goalless draws in their respective games, leaving managers Pep Guardiola and Arne Slot singing from the same hymn sheet about their team’s lacklustre finishing.

Guardiola’s City delivered a spluttering display against Sunderland, featuring several squandered chances. Savinho and Josko Gvardiol were especially culpable, with costly second-half misses. Second-placed City are now four points behind leaders Arsenal, when a win would have closed the gap to two points at the halfway point of the league.