Manchester City moved up to third place in the Premier League table.

Manchester City rose to the third position in the Premier League (PL) standings, narrowing the gap with Liverpool to just two points following a victory over Sheffield United, inspired by Phil Foden. This extended their dominant head-to-head record to 12 games without a defeat (9 wins, 3 draws).

Before this match, City had conceded the first goal in four of their last five PL encounters (2 wins, 2 draws, 1 loss), a trend Pep Guardiola aimed to break. As expected, the hosts controlled possession, and Foden played a crucial role in breaking the deadlock. He set up Rodri, who navigated through the Blades’ defense and scored with a precise low strike.

Foden remained influential, setting up Bernardo Silva and creating chances. Sheffield United had a couple of opportunities late in the first half, with William Osula testing Ederson for the first time.

Despite failing to score in the first half, Chris Wilder’s team, the only PL side yet to score in both halves of a league match this season, stayed in contention. City continued their dominance in the second half, with Foden causing problems. He provided a brilliant pass to Oscar Bobb, who set up Julián Álvarez for a goal at the back post, marking his 50th PL appearance.

City comfortably secured the victory against Sheffield United, who have struggled to keep clean sheets on the road, remaining at the bottom of the table. This win also extends City’s unbeaten home head-to-head record since 1987 (9 wins, 5 draws), with their last conceded goal in 1991, moving them above Arsenal in the intriguing title race.