Manchester City were held to a goalless draw by Stoke City at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday. Pep Guardiola’s men failed to break the deadlock as both teams left the arena with a point each. For City, victory was crucial as they were looking to cut Chelsea’s 10-point lead at the top to eight points. However, now, they remain in third position with 56 points, behind Tottenham on goal difference.

City’s potent strikers Sergio Aguero and Leroy Sane failed to find the back of the net as Stoke did not let their guard down during the entire duration of the match. “They defended deep and it was complicated to find the players between the lines,” Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola said after the match. “We were there in the last minutes. I don’t have regrets about how they ran, how they fought.”

It is an important week for City as they take on Middlesbrough in the FA Cup on Saturday and face Monaco in the Champions League next Wednesday.