Man City crisis deepens after another loss, Arsenal closes gap on Liverpool

By James Robson, The Associated Press on December 21, 2024.

Manchester City's Phil Foden reacts after Aston Villa's Morgan Rogers scoring his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Aston Villa and Manchester City, at Villa Park in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

Manchester City’s stunning slump deepened after losing to Aston Villa 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday.

Goals from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers at Villa Park consigned the four-time defending champion to a ninth defeat in 12 games in a season that is unravelling. Pep Guardiola’s team has won just once during that run.

“We don’t have a defence for the results. They are not good,” Guardiola said.

Third-placed Arsenal closed the gap on league leader Liverpool to three points with a 5-1 win at Crystal Palace, but has played two games more.

City dropped to sixth in the standings, nine points below Liverpool, and has played two games more.

“It’s about what I can do with my people to get the results back and continue,” Guardiola said. “If there is a moment that I cannot overthink, it is right now. Try to be simple, stick to my principles and give certainty to the team.”

After winning six titles in seven years and an unprecedented four in a row, City’s remarkable fall shows little sign of stopping. Guardiola admitted last week he had not been good enough to turn his team’s form around.

City was without a win in any of its last eight away games in all competitions. While it looks unlikely to win a fifth straight title, a place in the top four and Champions League qualification could also be in jeopardy after fourth-placed Nottingham Forest won at Brentford 2-0 to move four points clear of City.

Only once under Guardiola has City managed to win the title when losing six times in the league. That was in 2021, when it lost two of its last three games, having already been confirmed as the champion.

City lost nine times when Liverpool won the title in 2020, but its sixth defeat didn’t come until February. Guardiola also lost six times in his first season in English soccer in 2016-17 and City finished third.

The latest defeat could have been even more emphatic from a dominant Villa, which moved up to fifth.

Duran scored his sixth goal in as many starts in the 16th minute from Rogers’ assist. Duran had a goal disallowed for offside in the second half and Rogers hit the post before doubling Villa’s lead in the 65th.

Phil Foden pulled a goal back for City in stoppage time, but it wasn’t enough to spark a late comeback.

“We have to stay positive, even though it’s difficult, and we have to keep working hard,” City striker Erling Haaland said.

It’s five goals in a week for Gabriel Jesus against Crystal Palace.

After scoring a hat trick in Arsenal’s 3-2 comeback win against Palace in the English League Cup quarterfinals Wednesday, the Brazil striker hit another two goals when the teams met again on Saturday.

Going into Wednesday’s game, Jesus had only scored once for Arsenal since the end of January.

Jesus struck twice in a frantic start at Selhurst Park. He opened the scoring in the sixth, with Ismaila Sarr levelling five minutes later.

Jesus restored Arsenal’s lead in the 14th and was denied back-to-back hat tricks when hitting the post and then having another close range effort saved by Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson.

Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli and Declan Rice also scored for Arsenal.

If City’s demise is a surprise story of the season, so is Forest’s rise.

After battling relegation for much of last term, Forest is in contention to qualify for the Champions League and possibly more.

Facing a Brentford team that was unbeaten at home, goals from Ola Aina and Anthony Elanga secured another statement win on the road for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side, having already won at Anfield and Old Trafford this year.

Alexander Isak hit a hat trick in Newcastle’s 4-0 win at Ipswich.

The Sweden international, who has 10 goals in his last 11 games, wrapped up his treble inside 54 minutes at Portman Road, including one in the opening minute. Jacob Murphy also scored.

Brighton was 1-0 up at West Ham through Mats Wieffer, but Mohammed Kudus levelled for the draw.

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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer