Manchester City’s horror slump has deepened with the club dropping to sixth on the Premier League ladder after suffering a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa.
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 defense 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.
Pep Guardiola, manager of Manchester City, looks dejected. Getty
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 can not 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.
Morgan Rogers of Aston Villa scores his side's second goal against Manchester City. Getty
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.
Erling Haaland of Manchester City battles for possession. Getty
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 minute.
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.
The Reds celebrate after Anthony Elanga of Nottingham Forest scores a goal. NurPhoto via Getty Images
If City’s demise is a surprise story of the season, so is Nottingham 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.
Elsewhere, 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.