Manchester City It seems to have definitively left behind the bad moment it went through at the end of 2024 and not only has it now six games without defeats, but it has once again become that forceful team that overwhelms its rivals. This Sunday, the team Pep Guardiola destroyed as a visitor Ipswich Town. It was 6-0, with a double of Phil Foot and goals Matthew Kovacic, Jeremy Doku, Erling Haaland y James McAtee. A gift for the Catalan coach, who turned 54 yesterday, while he is going through a great crisis in the midst of his divorce.
In this way, the Citizens team climbs to fourth place in the Premier League table and is once again in the Champions League zone, despite having the same 38 points as Newcastle. It is, however, twelve points behind Liverpool and six behind the runners-up, Arsenal and the surprising Nottingham Forest.
Nottingham Forest’s dream was extended with the victory at the City Ground against the bottom of the table, Southampton, by 3-2, which they took advantage of to take another step in the Premier League and tie Arsenal in second place in the standings.
The triumphant journey of the group of Nuno Espirito Santo It was only truncated last week by the leader, Liverpool, with whom they tied. But back in the competition, they regained their victory, encouraged by the shortcomings of the bottom of the table, which suffered its fifth consecutive defeat.
Arsenal couldn’t beat Aston Villa on Saturday and Nottingham took advantage of it to seal their thirteenth victory.
Forest, with Argentine Nicolás Domínguez as starter, did their homework in the first half. They reached the break with 3-0. Elliott Andersson opened the account with a pass from Morgan Gibbs White in the 11th and on half an hour Calvind Hudson Odoi after receiving a ball from Chris Wood made the third assisted by Ola Aina.
With the duel sealed, the local pace dropped and Southampton was able to make up for their new setback with a goal from Jan Bednarek on the hour mark and Paul Onuachu, which did not bring uncertainty to the City Ground but did not alter the outcome of the match.
It was a fateful Sunday for two fallen heavyweights in the Premier League: Manchester United relapsed from their woes by losing 3-1 at home against Brightonwhile Tottenham registered a fifth defeat in six games when they lost 3-2 to Everton. After their commitment on this 22nd matchday, Manchester United is 13th in the standings and their new slip at Old Trafford makes them cut off an incipient reaction.
The Gambian Yankuba Minteh soon put the Seagulls ahead in the 5th minute, and the Portuguese Bruno Fernandes restored equality in the 23rd minute from a penalty. In the second half, Brighton (9th), after their Brazilian player Joao Pedro had a goal disallowed by the VAR in the 53rd minute, decided with the achievements of the Japanese Kaoru Mitoma (15m) and the French Georginio Rutter (31m ).
Ruben Amorim, coach of the Red Devils, was forceful: “Maybe we are the worst United in history“. His team had just drawn 2-2 at the home of leader Liverpool and beaten Southampton 3-1, but against Brighton they were clearly outclassed, paying for their defensive gaps. Lisandro Martínez did not leave the bench, while Alejandro Garnacho played the last half an hour.
Cameroonian goalkeeper André Onana, United’s usual savior, was not inspired on this occasion, especially with a serious error in Rutter’s goal, which was the final sentence.
The defeat embittered a day that is presented as a memory and tribute to one of the myths of its history, the Scotsman Denis Law, who died on Friday at the age of 84 and was a member of the ‘Holy Trinity’ along with George Best and Bobby Charlton.
For its part, Tottenham (15th) continues to sink. The victory against Liverpool in the League Cup semi-final first leg, on January 8, was a deceptive ray of sunshine and the Spurs’ reality is full of threatening dark clouds. Plagued by casualties, including Cristian Cuti Romero, they were beaten by Everton (16th) 3-2. The Liverpool team arrived at half-time with a 3-0 lead and Tottenham reacted too late, with goals from the Swede Dejan Kulusevski and the Brazilian Richarlison.