By JACK GAUGHAN
Published: 02:00 EST, 5 January 2026 | Updated: 02:00 EST, 5 January 2026
There is a compelling argument that the inclusion of Antoine Semenyo might well have given Manchester City some fresh impetus here. Jeremy Doku was their only attacking option off the bench and regardless, you can never have too many gifted forwards.
Semenyo, the £65million man, wants to wrap up a move north in the coming days and – with his nine Premier League goals already – is exactly the sort of player who could have fashioned a second goal from nowhere as City controlled proceedings against Chelsea without pressing home an advantage.
As it was, wayward final passes allowed the visitors more ground and encouragement in a game that City should have killed off long before Enzo Fernandez bounded off towards the away end in the fourth minute of stoppage time.
That felt the story here, that City could not add to their lead. Erling Haaland is three Premier League games without a goal, his worst run in over a year.
But more pertinently, on the day and generally for their title aspirations, the defensive issues are urgent. Really urgent. Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias both hobbled out of the 1-1 draw, Pep Guardiola saying neither 'look good', and City face an anxious wait in the coming days to see the extent of both injuries.
Dias and Gvardiol had started 10 consecutive league matches together before Guardiola became concerned with workloads and tinkered for the draw at Sunderland. They've lost just one game as the central defensive pairing all season. The absence of both is now a real worry.
Pep Guardiola, though, needs to fix his injury-hit defence in the January transfer window
Add in the fact that John Stones barely features – injured again and constantly conscious of rushing back - and Nathan Ake can't play three games a week and City have major problems. Forget Semenyo, some business at the back might be of greater significance during the January transfer window.
Guardiola says he doesn't believe that to be realistic and City have largely been a club who refuse to do much moving and shaking during the winter window. Yet needs must.
For Brighton on Wednesday, Guardiola has young Abdukodir Khusanov – no league start since September – and Ake, two lots of 90 minutes in the league since last January, as his two available centre halves.
So what do they do? Brazilian teenager Vitor Reis is at sister club Girona with an option to recall but has no Premier League starts to his name. Manuel Akanji is on loan at Inter but is talking up how much he is relishing making that move permanent and a reunion with City feels implausible, especially as the Swiss felt he had more to give when being eased out of the door last summer.
Marc Guehi is leaving Crystal Palace next summer. City want to be part of that conversation with the England international. Expediating that process may not be the worst idea at this juncture, because irrespective of whether Guardiola can navigate a way through the next few weeks without his first-choice partnership, carrying on like this and not possessing confidence in more than a couple for fitness reasons until May, while featuring in four competitions, feels impossible.
A club of strength and financial might – plus one now slightly more desperate, six points behind leaders Arsenal – can beat rivals to Guehi if they go hard now. It'll cost a few extra bob but the rewards are likely to outweigh the angst over how many additional millions they'll need to pay.
'We'll see what happens, Ruben and Josko are big losses,' Guardiola said. 'John is missing for I don't know how many months. Nathan, always we know with Nathan he cannot play regularly. It's the situation. Stay strong and we will find a solution.
'The spirit is there and will be there. Of course I have concerns. Have you seen the bench today? Four players from the academy and now we will have more. We don't have players.'
Then Guardiola added: 'The big question is in three days, can Rodri play?' It never rains.