Arsenal showed their title credentials by holding reigning champions Manchester City to a 0-0 draw on Sunday at the Etihad Stadium, allowing Liverpool to take the top spot on a pivotal day in the English Premier League's three-way title race.

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, in the hunt for their first league title in 20 years, are second in the table on 65 points with nine games remaining, while City are third with 64.

City had not been involved in a goalless game since a Champions League group-stage match at Borussia Dortmund in October 2022.

Liverpool claimed the lead with their 2-1 comeback victory over Brighton & Hove Albion earlier on Sunday.

This was a game that made a nonsense of its billing as a potential classic, as Arsenal's containing tactics snuffed out City while the Gunners had only limited chances of their own in a desperately poor affair.

City dominated possession, coming at Arsenal in waves. But the visitors frustrated Pep Guardiola's men — including league-leading scorer Erling Haaland — with a textbook defensive display to extend their unbeaten league run to nine games.

Gabriel Jesus had Arsenal's best chances, firing two shots just wide in the first half and then narrowly failing to meet an inviting cross from Bukayo Saka.

City's best opportunity was Kevin De Bruyne's early corner kick that glanced off the shoulder of Nathan Ake but fell to keeper David Raya.

Guardiola's side were under greater pressure to win this match but their usual fluent passing game was rarely in evidence, stifled by the visitors' organisation and infuriated by referee Anthony Taylor's reluctance to punish the Gunners for a succession of infringements.

It led to a scrappy, disjointed game in which City were never allowed to gather their usual momentum and rhythm.

The reigning champions, as usual, will remain confident of retaining their title but Guardiola will be bitterly disappointed at his side's failure to trouble Arsenal, with substitute Jack Grealish on the end of some lengthy post-match advice from his manager.

City are back at Etihad Stadium to face in-form Aston Villa on Wednesday knowing they cannot afford any more slip-ups in this tight Premier League title pursuit.

Salah strikes

Egyptian striker Mohamed Salah tormented Brighton, taking 12 shots to notch up his highest total in a Premier League game and, even though only one of them found the back of the net, it was to prove vital.

Danny Welbeck gave Brighton the lead after 84 seconds when his side broke up a Liverpool attack and burst forward to find him just inside the box and he drilled an unstoppable shot past Caoimhin Kelleher to break the deadlock.

The early goal jolted Liverpool into life and Luis Diaz put them level in the 27th minute after Joel Veltman’s attempted clearance went awry, allowing the Colombian winger to steal in behind the defence and hook the ball home.

Liverpool’s suffocating pressure and incisive attacking paid dividends again when Alexis Mac Allister teed up Salah to fire them into the lead.

Diaz thought he had put the Reds 3-1 up six minutes later but his goal was ruled out for a razor-thin offside that was confirmed by the VAR and Salah went close on the break in the 74th minute, but fired his effort straight at the keeper.

Brighton substitute and former Liverpool player Adam Lallana dragged a shot wide in the 86th minute, and Salah forced a brilliant diving one-handed save from Bart Verbruggen in the final minute of normal time as Liverpool held on to win.

Aston Villa were not at their best but stayed on course for a place in the Champions League next season with a 2-0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

With inputs from Reuters