Manchester City encountered a significant setback in their Premier League campaign after falling to Aston Villa with a score of 2-1 on Saturday.
Goals from Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers marked a disappointing outing for the reigning champions at Villa Park, resulting in their ninth defeat in the last twelve matches. The team has managed just a single victory in this troubling stretch of form.
“We have no excuses for the results. They are simply not acceptable,” Guardiola remarked following the latest loss.
Meanwhile, Arsenal, who are currently in third place, narrowed the gap with league frontrunners Liverpool to just three points thanks to a resounding 5-1 victory over Crystal Palace, even though they have played two games more than Liverpool.
This latest loss saw Manchester City drop to sixth in the league standings, now positioned nine points behind Liverpool and also having played two more matches.
Guardiola expressed his determination to find a way to turn the tide, stating, “My focus right now needs to be on simple solutions, reinforcing my principles, and providing stability for the team.”
City’s title aspirations are quickly evaporating. After dominating the league with six titles over the last seven years, including an unprecedented four consecutive championships, Guardiola conceded that he has not succeeded in remedying the team’s troubling performances. City has struggled to capture a win in their last eight away fixtures across all competitions.
With their chances of clinching a fifth consecutive title appearing slim, even securing a top-four spot and Champions League qualification is at risk following Nottingham Forest’s 2-0 win at Brentford, which pushed them four points ahead of City.
Historically, Guardiola’s team has only won the title once after experiencing six defeats in the league, which occurred in 2021 when they were already coronated champions. During Liverpool’s title-winning season in 2020, City endured nine defeats, but their sixth loss did not come until February. In his inaugural season in 2016-17, Guardiola also witnessed six losses, leaving City in third place at the season’s end.
The dominant Villa side almost cemented a more commanding win. Duran netted his sixth goal in as many starts in the 16th minute, assisted by Rogers. Although Duran had another goal ruled out for offside, Rogers found the woodwork before extending Villa’s lead with an additional strike in the 65th minute.
A late goal by Phil Foden during stoppage time was insufficient to initiate a comeback for City. “We must remain optimistic, even during these tough times, and continuing to work hard is essential,” stated City forward Erling Haaland.
In other Premier League action, Gabriel Jesus continued his impressive form, scoring five times within a week against Crystal Palace.
After netting a hat trick for Arsenal in a 3-2 League Cup quarterfinal comeback victory on Wednesday, the Brazilian striker scored two more goals as the two teams clashed again on Saturday.
Jesus found the net first in the sixth minute, quickly followed by Ismaila Sarr’s equalizer.
He regained the lead for Arsenal in the 14th minute but missed out on a second hat trick when he hit the post and had another shot saved by Palace’s goalkeeper Dean Henderson.
Other scorers for Arsenal included Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, and Declan Rice.
While City’s struggles have captured attention, Nottingham Forest’s rise has been equally notable.
After fighting against relegation last season, Forest is now in the hunt for Champions League qualification and possibly more.
Goals from Ola Aina and Anthony Elanga propelled them to a significant victory against an unbeaten Brentford side.
Additionally, Alexander Isak made headlines with a hat trick in Newcastle’s 4-0 victory over Ipswich, bringing his tally to ten goals in his last eleven appearances.
He completed his hat trick within just 54 minutes, including a goal shortly after kickoff. Jacob Murphy contributed with another goal.
Brighton managed to secure a draw against West Ham, with Mats Wieffer scoring first but Mohammed Kudus equalizing for the hosts.