Man City lost because 'monster' Haaland was missing, Arsenal accelerated to leave Liverpool behind

On the evening of October 26, Man City played disappointingly, losing 0-1 to Aston Villa in the match of round 9 of the 2025-2026 Premier League. In contrast to Man City, Arsenal got 3 points to fly high on the rankings.

Haaland "disappears," Man City suffers defeat at Aston Villa.

Despite playing away at Aston Villa, Manchester City were still considered the superior team. In their last nine matches, the blue half of Manchester had an unbeaten record, including seven wins. Man City's desire to secure three points was evident as manager Pep Guardiola fielded a nearly full-strength team. Star player Haaland remained the furthest forward in the attack, attracting significant attention.

However, in the first half, Man City disappointed many fans with a poor performance. In fact, The Guardian (England) even used the word "disaster" in their live commentary to describe Man City's play. Like recent matches, Man City started slowly, unable to control the ball in midfield. Throughout the first half, Pep Guardiola's team only had two shots, neither of which were on target. This is Man City's worst statistic since the start of the season.

Besides the poor performance of their attack, Man City's defense also lacked concentration on several occasions, allowing Aston Villa players to take shots. After several lucky escapes, Man City's net finally shook in the 19th minute. The player who gave Aston Villa a 1-0 lead was defender Matty Cash with a decisive left-footed shot.

Man City (left) struggled to break through Aston Villa's defense.

PHOTO: REUTERS

After the break, the scenario remained unchanged as Man City struggled against Aston Villa's solid defense. The visitors held possession for approximately 55% but were unable to find a way to score. Meanwhile, Haaland, despite expectations, was completely ineffective on the pitch. Despite taking five shots in the second half, Man City failed to score against Aston Villa, ultimately losing 0-1.

A shocking defeat at Aston Villa saw Man City miss the chance to move up to second place in the table. Pep Guardiola's team now has 16 points, placing them fourth.

Eberechi Eze scored against his former club, helping Arsenal secure three points.

At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal faced a tough opponent in Crystal Palace. Similar to Man City, Arsenal struggled and were almost unable to get close to the opponent's penalty area in the first 30 minutes of the match. In fact, if Crystal Palace's attacking players like Jean-Philippe Mateta and Ismaïla Sarr had been more precise in their quick counter-attacks, Arsenal's net would have been shaken much earlier.

Fortunately for Arsenal, amidst the deadlock, the highly anticipated Eberechi Eze shone at the right moment. From a chaotic situation in the 39th minute, Eberechi Eze surged forward and fired the ball into the net against his former team. This was also the only goal of the first half, giving Arsenal a 1-0 lead going into halftime.

Eberechi Eze scored against his former club, giving Arsenal the lead after the first half.

PHOTO: REUTERS

In the second half, Arsenal completely controlled the game, creating more scoring opportunities than in the first. According to Sofascore , the Gunners took seven more shots in this half, rattling Crystal Palace's goal. However, players like Leandro Trossard and Viktor Gyökeres were unlucky, and Arsenal were unable to score any more goals.

By defeating Crystal Palace 1-0, Arsenal extended their winning streak to seven matches. The London team now has 22 points, solidifying their position at the top of the Premier League. Notably, Arsenal are now also 7 points ahead of Liverpool – who are widely considered their direct title contenders this season.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/man-city-bai-tran-vi-quai-vat-haaland-mat-tich-arsenal-but-toc-bo-xa-liverpool-185251026230537802.htm