Manchester City appears to be regaining form after enduring their worst spell under manager Pep Guardiola, securing back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time since late October. Erling Haaland starred in Saturday’s 4-1 triumph against West Ham, scoring twice and helping the team recover from a challenging six-week period that saw them win just once in nine league matches.
During that slump, City fell out of the Champions League qualification spots, prompting speculation about Guardiola’s future and the team’s direction. However, with Saturday’s victory, City has made up ground on second-placed Arsenal and fourth-placed Chelsea, both of whom dropped points in their respective matches.
Despite the positive result, Guardiola remained cautious, stating, “I’m very pleased for the result, but you cannot ask me if the old City is back. If you saw the game, we are not.” While the previous week’s 2-0 win over Leicester was lackluster, the performance against West Ham showed signs of improvement, particularly in attack. Haaland opened the scoring with a header from Savinho’s cross in the 42nd minute and later chipped the goalkeeper for his second goal in the 55th minute. Phil Foden added another goal before Niclas Fullkrug scored a consolation for West Ham.
Guardiola acknowledged the ongoing challenges, saying, “We are still not like we were, for different reasons. The result will help. We struggle but it is a release.” City remains in sixth place in the league standings.
Liverpool Benefits from Arsenal and Chelsea Draws
It was a favorable day for Liverpool, who did not play but saw their lead in the Premier League extended. Arsenal was held to a 1-1 draw at Brighton, where Joao Pedro equalized from the penalty spot after Ethan Nwaneri had put Arsenal ahead. Nwaneri, at just 17 years old, became one of the youngest players to score multiple goals in Premier League history. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expressed his frustration with the penalty decision, stating, “I have never seen a decision like this in my career.”
Chelsea’s winless streak also continued, extending to four matches after a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace. Cole Palmer opened the scoring for Chelsea, but Jean-Philippe Mateta equalized in the 82nd minute. Chelsea has now drawn twice and lost twice since December 22, hindering their title challenge. Winger Jadon Sancho remarked, “We still created so many chances in front of goal but it’s about getting the end product.”
Liverpool leads Arsenal by five points and Chelsea by nine, with two games in hand over both teams, the first of which is against Manchester United on Sunday.
Isak Shines for Newcastle in Victory Over Tottenham
In other Premier League action, Alexander Isak scored for the seventh consecutive match, securing a 2-1 victory for Newcastle against a struggling Tottenham side. Isak netted the winner in the 38th minute, benefiting from a deflection off Tottenham defender Radu Drăgușin. This marked Isak’s 13th goal of the season and his ninth in the last seven games.
Newcastle has now won five straight matches, while Tottenham languishes in the bottom half of the table with just one point from their last four outings.
Southampton’s Struggles Continue
Southampton remains at the bottom of the league after suffering a 5-0 defeat at home to Brentford, marking their third consecutive loss under new manager Ivan Juric. Southampton has earned just one point from four games since Juric’s appointment and only six points overall this season. Bryan Mbeumo scored twice for Brentford, who celebrated their largest-ever win in the Premier League.
In other results, Aston Villa triumphed 2-1 over Leicester, and Bournemouth secured a 1-0 win against Everton, extending their unbeaten streak to eight matches—a club record in the Premier League.
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