Football is about goals — Rodri offers honest verdict on Man City title hopes

Manchester City’s pursuit of another Premier League title took a significant hit on Saturday as a 1-1 draw at West Ham left the champions trailing Mikel Arteta's Arsenal.

Despite dominating possession, City failed to secure the win needed to keep pace with the Gunners, who now hold a nine-point lead at the summit.

While City retain a game in hand, a return of just two points from their last two games suggests the clinical edge required for a trademark late-season surge is currently missing from Pep Guardiola’s squad.

Speaking after the match, Rodri offered a candid take on City's predicament.

"[Is the title race over?] Maybe yes, maybe no. We're not going to drop hands, we're going to keep fighting," the midfielder told TNT Sports.

"We know it's going to be difficult because we have this experience of what you need to win at the end. I think the distance is too far but we're going to fight until the end.

"Today we showed a little bit of what the season was: ups and downs," he added.

"Maybe the last pass or the last strike can make the difference. Football is about goals and we couldn't find the players to have numbers in terms of goals.

"That's the most important thing because we created the chances, we controlled the games, but this is what makes the difference."

City now turn their attention to a mammoth Champions League showdown against Real Madrid, where they must overturn a three-goal deficit to progress.