By Canadian Press

Man City crisis deepens after latest Premier League loss to Aston Villa

Dec 21, 2024 | 9:58 AM

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

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

City dropped to sixth in the standings, nine points below leader Liverpool, having played two games more. Villa climbed to fifth.

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Nottingham was up to third after ending Brentford’s unbeaten home record with a 2-0 win, and Newcastle routed Ipswich 4-0. West Ham drew with Brighton 1-1.

City’s remarkable fall shows little sign of stopping, with Guardiola admitting last week that he had not been good enough to turn his team’s form around.

Defeat meant the once-dominant 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.

“We don’t have a defence for the results. They are not good,” Guardiola said. “It’s about what I can do with my people to get the results back and continue. 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.”

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 against a dominant Villa.

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.

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.

Forest was third before Arsenal played Crystal Palace in the late kickoff.

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. 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

James Robson, The Associated Press