MANCHESTER Manchester: Manchester City's spectacular slump deepened after they lost 2-1 to Aston Villa in the Premier League. Goals from John Duran and Morgan Rodgers at Villa Park handed the four-time defending champions their ninth defeat in 12 matches in what has been a disappointing season. Pep Guardiola's team has won only once during this period. “We have no defense for the results. They are not good,” Guardiola said. Third-placed Arsenal closed the gap on league leaders Liverpool to three points with a 5-1 win over Crystal Palace but have played two games more. City dropped to sixth in the standings, nine points below Liverpool, with two more games to play. “It's about what I can do together with my people to get results back and move forward,” Guardiola said. “If there's any moment I can't think too much about, it's now. Try to stay simple, stick to my principles and give certainty to the team.” Title hopes are fading
After winning six titles in seven years and four in a row, City's remarkable decline shows no sign of stopping. Guardiola admitted last week that he was not doing enough to turn his team's form around. City have not won any of their last eight away games in all competitions. While winning a fifth straight title looks impossible, a top-four finish and Champions League qualification could also be in danger after fourth-placed Nottingham Forest won 2-0 at Brentford. Four points ahead of City.
Under Guardiola, City have managed to win the title only once in the league after losing six times. That was in 2021, when they lost two of their last three games, even though they were already champions. When Liverpool won the title in 2020, City lost nine times, but their sixth defeat did not come until February Was. Guardiola also suffered six defeats in his first season in English football in 2016–17 as City finished third.
The recent defeat could have been even more devastating for Villa, who dropped to fifth. Duran scored his sixth goal in the 16th minute from an assist by Rodgers. Duran had a goal ruled out for offside in the second half and Rodgers hit the post before doubling Villa's lead in the 65th minute. Phil Foden scored a goal for City in stoppage time, but it was a late comeback. There wasn't enough to do. We have to stay positive, even if it's difficult, and we have to keep working hard,” said City striker Erling Haaland.
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