Man City gloom deepens with defeat at Villa, Arsenal thrash Palace

LONDON :Manchester City have been on some extraordinary runs during their last four seasons of Premier League domination but the one that continued with a 2-1 defeat at Aston Villa on Saturday has been scarcely believable.

Pep Guardiola's free-falling side have looked invincible at times in recent years, but slipped to a ninth defeat in 12 matches in all competitions as the crisis that has suddenly engulfed City deepened.

Goals either side of halftime by Jhon Duran and Morgan Rogers put Villa in control at Villa Park and Phil Foden's stoppage-time reply was the smallest of consolations for City.

One victory in their last 12 games has seen City exit the League Cup, flirt with elimination from the Champions League and has all but ended any hopes of a fifth successive English title.

A sixth league defeat of the season left City in sixth position on 27 points from 17 games, with Villa jumping above them into fifth spot with 28 points.

Arsenal have also dropped too many points of late but responded with a clinical 5-1 victory at Crystal Palace with Gabriel Jesus following up his midweek League Cup hat-trick against the same opponents with two more goals.

Mikel Arteta's side are third with 33 points from 17 games - three behind leaders Liverpool who have two games in hand and visit mid-table Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.

Second-placed Chelsea can top the standings, briefly at least, on Sunday if they win at Everton.

Nottingham Forest fans will be pinching themselves as Christmas approaches after a 2-0 victory at Brentford, who were unbeaten at home, put them fourth with 31 points.

A hat-trick by Alexander Isak helped Newcastle United to a 4-0 victory at struggling Ipswich Town to lift Eddie Howe's side into seventh in the standings with