Manchester City's Premier League title aspirations lie in tatters following a frustrating 1-1 stalemate against relegation-threatened West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday evening.
The result leaves Pep Guardiola's side trailing Arsenal by nine points, though they retain a match in hand over the league leaders.
Just twenty minutes before kick-off in east London, the Gunners had secured a vital 2-0 triumph against Everton courtesy of two late strikes, piling pressure on City to respond.
Guardiola himself had conceded before the fixture that dropping points would effectively end their championship hopes.
Former Arsenal defender Konstantinos Mavropanos was the man to earn West Ham a point
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This setback arrives merely three days after a crushing 3-0 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.
Bernardo Silva broke the deadlock in the 31st minute, though fortune played its part in the goal.
The Portuguese midfielder collected possession on the left flank before attempting to float a delivery towards Erling Haaland in the centre.
His wayward effort instead looped over the startled Mads Hermansen and nestled inside the far post.
City's advantage proved fleeting, however, lasting a mere four minutes.
Erling Haaland has found himself desperately out of form at the worst time
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Jarrod Bowen delivered West Ham's first corner of the evening, and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma misjudged the flight entirely, failing to make any contact with the ball.
Former Arsenal defender Konstantinos Mavropanos was left unmarked to power his header home via the underside of the crossbar.
Haaland's barren spell in front of goal continued to haunt City throughout the contest.
The Norwegian striker has netted just three times across his previous twelve Premier League outings, a remarkable drought for a player of his calibre.
Despite having scored eleven career goals against the Hammers, more than against any other top-flight opponent, he could not rediscover his touch.
His most glaring miss came when Jeremy Doku teed him up twelve yards from goal, only for the striker to completely mishit his attempt.
Earlier, Hermansen had produced a fine save to deny Haaland's low drive after Rayan Cherki had played him through.
Pep Guardiola, who is serving a touchline ban, was forced to watch on from the stands
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The precious point secured by Nuno Espírito Santo's battling side propelled them clear of the bottom three for the first time in one hundred days.
Nottingham Forest, who sit one point behind the Hammers, face Fulham on Sunday with their own game in hand.
City's fixture schedule offers little respite from their current malaise.
Tuesday brings the daunting task of overturning that three-goal deficit against Real Madrid in the Champions League last sixteen second leg.
The following weekend sees them face Arsenal at Wembley in the League Cup final, before an FA Cup quarter-final clash with Liverpool awaits.
Their next two league fixtures pit them against Chelsea and Arsenal.