LONDON, Feb 1 : Manchester City and Aston Villa both slipped up in their pursuit of Premier League leaders Arsenal on Sunday with City drawing 2-2 at Tottenham Hotspur and Villa slumping to defeat at home to 10-man Brentford.
After a wobble of their own, Arsenal returned to form with a 4-0 hammering of Leeds United on Saturday opening a seven-point gap and throwing down the gauntlet to their title rivals.
Villa went down 1-0 to Brentford before City kicked off at a Tottenham Hotspur side who have been woeful at home.
City were cruising with goals by Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo in the first half. But everything changed after the break with Dominic Solanke halving the deficit before equalising for the rejuvenated hosts with a sensationally-improvised volley with his heel.
City were left kicking themselves and their players trudged off dejectedly after more dropped points. They have won only once in six league games and are on 47 points from 24 games, now six points behind Arsenal with 14 games left.
“In general it was a really good performance. Unfortunately we could not win,” City manager Pep Guardiola said. “We didn’t have the consistency to win the games when others were able to do it. Fourteen games is a lot. Six points (behind). Next one.”
Tottenham, whose dire Premier League form has been in stark contrast to their Champions League displays, were booed as they left the field at halftime.
But they left to cheers, with fans heading off to the pubs purring over Solanke’s ‘scorpion-like’ moment of magic.
“I had to improvise a bit, I love those finishes, trying to make something out of nothing,” Solanke said. “I had to have a few looks at the big screen after.”
RED CARD FOR SCHADE
Brentford were reduced to 10 men after 42 minutes at Villa Park when Kevin Schade needlessly kicked out at Matty Cash and was shown a straight red card.
But the visitors took the lead on the stroke of halftime as defender Dango Ouattara snapped up a rebound from his initial attempt and rifled a shot into the top corner.
New signing Tammy Abraham had a goal ruled out for third-placed Villa who stay seven adrift of Arsenal.
Manchester United made it three wins from three games under interim manager Michael Carrick as Benjamin Sesko struck deep into stoppage time in a dramatic 3-2 home win against Fulham that kept United in fourth place with 41 points.
United led 2-0 after goals from Brazilians Casemiro in the 19th minute and Matheus Cunha in the 56th.
Fulham battled back with Raul Jimenez scoring from the penalty spot in the 85th and then Kevin curling in a superb 91st-minute equaliser.
But second-half substitute Sesko had the Old Trafford crowd roaring in the fourth minute of stoppage time after Bruno Fernandes touched the ball past Fulham’s Calvin Bassey and picked out the Slovenian striker who turned and smashed a shot into the top corner.
“This was a big game,” Carrick, a multiple title winner as a United midfielder, told Sky Sports. “I’m so delighted for Ben. To win the game in front of the Stretford End, there’s not much better than that.”
Nottingham Forest drew 1-1 at home to Crystal Palace after being reduced to 10 men, edging six points above the relegation zone in 17th position.
Morgan Gibbs-White netted for Forest after five minutes but the hosts had defender Neco Williams sent off when he used his hand to keep out Jefferson Lerma’s goal-bound header.
Ismaila Sarr converted the resulting penalty but Palace could not exploit their numerical advantage after the break.
