Manchester City and Aston Villa ensured the Premier League title race remains finely balanced with convincing victories on Sunday, responding quickly after Arsenal moved five points clear at the summit a day earlier. Arsenal had strengthened its grip on top spot with a 2-1 win over Wolves on Saturday. That advantage was trimmed back within 24 hours as both City and Villa collected full points. City eased to a 3–0 win away at Crystal Palace, while Villa produced a dramatic comeback to defeat West Ham 3–2 at the London Stadium. City now sit two points behind Arsenal, with Villa a further point back in third. City settle score at Selhurst Park Manchester City gained a measure of payback for last season’s FA Cup final defeat to Crystal Palace with a dominant performance. Erling Haaland opened the scoring late in the first half, bringing up his 101st Premier League goal, before Phil Foden doubled the advantage. Haaland sealed the result from the penalty spot in the 89th minute to continue a prolific campaign that has already yielded 17 league goals. Villa shows resilience again Aston Villa’s remarkable run continued as they claimed a ninth straight league victory, despite falling twice behind against West Ham. The hosts struck early through Mateus Fernandes, who netted after just 29 seconds, the fastest goal of the season so far. Villa drew level when Konstantinos Mavropanos turned the ball into his own net, but Jarrod Bowen restored West Ham’s lead before the break. Morgan Rogers took center stage after halftime. He equalized five minutes into the second half and then completed the turnaround with a decisive strike in the 79th minute, underlining Villa’s growing confidence under Unai Emery. Forest deepens Spurs concerns Nottingham Forest moved further clear of relegation danger with a commanding 3–0 victory over Tottenham. Callum Hudson Odoi struck twice to put the hosts firmly in control, before Ibrahim Sangare added a late third. The defeat leaves Tottenham with just one win in seven league matches, increasing the scrutiny on head coach Thomas Frank ahead of a difficult fixture against Liverpool. Derby misery for Newcastle Sunderland claimed local bragging rights in the Tyne Wear derby with a 1–0 win over Newcastle. The decisive moment came shortly after halftime when Nick Woltemade inadvertently headed into his own net. It was a difficult afternoon for the German forward, who struggled to make an impact before being substituted late on. The results ensured the title chase remains intense, with Arsenal still leading but facing relentless pressure from City and a fast closing Aston Villa.
