Guardiola vows Manchester City will battle on for Premier League crown

Pep Guardiola maintained that Manchester City remain committed to chasing the Premier League title, even after squandering a two-goal advantage in a frustrating 2-2 stalemate against Tottenham on Sunday.

Guardiola's team took an early lead in north London with strikes from Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo before the break.

However, City faltered following the restart.

Dominic Solanke forced the ball over the line to halve the arrears, nudging it off the heel of Manchester City defender Marc Guehi during the effort, though VAR examined the moment and upheld the score.

Manchester City struggled to halt Tottenham's mounting assaults, and Solanke delivered a stunning scorpion kick leveller off Conor Gallagher's delivery.

Solanke's bold overhead effort dealt a severe setback to City, who sit second and now lag six points behind top side Arsenal.

Guardiola expressed frustration over Tottenham's initial strike, commenting: "If a defender in the middle pulls that on a forward, it would be a spot kick.

"The match flowed nicely, yet occasionally on long passes and loose balls, you get caught out. 

"We would rather avoid such shifts, but the emotional fallout from the referee's call on Spurs' opener made regaining control tough."

Guardiola received a yellow card for his objections and appeared stunned as the footage aired on the screens at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Manchester City have secured only one victory in their past six league outings, enabling Arsenal to rebound from their own slip-ups.

Arsenal's commanding 4-0 triumph over Leeds on Saturday indicates they are regaining momentum, yet Guardiola firmly believes his squad can still overhaul Mikel Arteta's outfit.

"Fourteen matches left? As long as the opportunity exists, our aspirations endure," he stated.

"I realise these fixtures historically demand seizing points to stay in contention, sure, challenges abound from various fronts, but key players are returning, and I witnessed outstanding morale along with positives aplenty.

"Injuries plagued us a month back with nine or ten absentees, yet we remain competitive amid the packed schedule."

Tottenham, hampered by injuries, mounted a valiant comeback that provided vital relief for beleaguered manager Thomas Frank.

The Danish coach had endured demands for his dismissal lately, but guiding Tottenham to the Champions League knockout phase has revitalised his team's confidence.

With eleven squad members sidelined and Solanke plus Archie Gray nursing knocks late on, Frank praised the grit of his threadbare unit.

"I'm thrilled we managed to grab a point through that dominant second period," he remarked.

"As I mentioned earlier, this group's capacity to rebound from adversity and display tenacity, we are nurturing it gradually.

"And incidentally, we are constructing this while players keep succumbing to knocks all over.

"That truly highlights the squad's character and their development. Immensely proud of the lads."