Christmas proved to be a turning point for the club, as a win against Middlesbrough the following day was the start of a long unbeaten run.[6] By April, Manchester City were second in the table, and faced a fixture against Arsenal, league leaders and the dominant club of the period.[9] Doherty scored the first goal in a 2–0 win, and City reached the top of the table.[6] The unbeaten run continued until the end of the season, and City secured their first league championship with a 4–1 win over Sheffield Wednesday.