Soccer

Premier League wrap: Arsenal and Manchester City put pressure on Liverpool

Phil Foden scores stunning hat-trick against Aston Villa

Phil Foden of Manchester City celebrates scoring his team's third goal. Photograph: Michael Regan/Getty

Wed Apr 3 2024 - 22:28

Manchester City 4 Aston Villa 1

Phil Foden scored a brilliant hat-trick as Manchester City kept the pressure on in the Premier League title race with a 4-1 win over Champions League-chasing Aston Villa.

A day after defending his star striker against criticism from Roy Keane, Pep Guardiola left Erling Haaland on the bench alongside Kevin De Bruyne, clearing the stage for Foden to grab the spotlight with an outstanding performance and his second hat-trick of the campaign.

After Jhon Duran cancelled out Rodri’s opener, the 23-year-old put City back in front with a free-kick late in the first half before two excellent strikes settled it just after the hour mark, taking Foden to 21 City goals for the season.

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Pep Guardiola’s side remain third, a point behind leaders Arsenal and level with Liverpool – who host Sheffield United on Thursday – after their first win over a top-five side this term.

But while little has changed in the table, this was a far more fluid performance from the champions days after Arsenal ended their run of 57 consecutive home games with a goal.

The decision to leave out De Bruyne and Haaland was made with next week’s Champions League trip to Real Madrid looming, but neither have been at their best since coming back from injury in recent weeks.

Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku came in to play on the wings and Foden shifted inside, from where he would orchestrate City’s win.

Villa, already without the injured Ollie Watkins, had to replace goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez due to illness just before kick-off and stand-in Robin Olsen was soon picking the ball out of his net.

Foden fed Doku on the right and the Belgian cut it back for Rodri to sweep home his eighth goal of the season after 11 minutes.

City’s lead lasted only nine minutes before Villa drew level with an excellent counter-attack. Julian Alvarez lost the ball on the edge of the Villa box and the visitors swept forward before Duran played a quick one-two with Morgan Rogers and fired across Stefan Ortega’s goal into the far corner.

After Jack Grealish – booed constantly by his old fans in the Villa end – was booked for dissent when a free-kick went in Douglas Luiz’s favour, Olsen made a fine save with his right boot to deny Alvarez.

Luiz was living dangerously late in the first half. Already booked for bringing down Grealish on the edge of the area, he then fouled Foden in an almost identical spot in first-half stoppage time.

Darren England kept his cards in his pocket but Villa were punished anyway as Foden found a gap in the wall left by Nicolo Zaniolo to beat Olsen.

There was still time for Alvarez to go close twice before half-time, with Olsen tipping a close-range header over the crossbar, and the goalkeeper was busy again at the start of the second half, denying Bernardo Silva after Foden’s neat pass left him one-on-one.

Villa threatened on the break as Luiz drove forward and hit a shot that was tipped over by Ortega, who then denied Clement Lenglet from the resulting corner.

But Foden would soon settle the match. In the 62nd minute Rodri rode Moussa Diaby’s challenge and rolled the ball inside for Foden to beat Olsen with a first-time shot into the bottom right corner.

Lewis lashed a shot narrowly wide but the killer fourth goal arrived in the 69th minute. The chance appeared to have gone when Foden lost the ball on the edge of the Villa area, but Calum Chambers scuffed his clearance straight back to Foden, and he lashed a shot into the top right corner.

Arsenal 2 Luton Town 0

Arsenal launched a pivotal month in their pursuit of silverware by returning to the top of the Premier League table thanks to a routine 2-0 win over relegation-threatened Luton.

Martin Odegaard’s 10th goal of the season set the Gunners on course for a straightforward evening at Emirates Stadium.

Daiki Hashioka’s own goal completed the job before half-time as Mikel Arteta’s men backed up a battling goalless draw with title rivals Manchester City to maintain their unbeaten top-flight record in 2024.

With Liverpool scheduled to host bottom club Sheffield United on Thursday evening, Arsenal’s latest spell at the summit could prove fleeting, while plenty of sterner tests await in the coming weeks.

Arsenal's Martin Odegaard in flight. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty

Injury-hit Luton posed little threat in north London as they failed to score for the first time in 19 league outings but remain only three points from safety despite a winless run which now stands at 10 games.

Gunners boss Arteta began the first of eight April fixtures, which include a Champions League quarter-final with Bayern Munich, by making five changes from the dogged Easter Sunday stalemate against Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions.

Reiss Nelson and Emile Smith Rowe were handed rare opportunities to impress as part of the rotation, with Bukayo Saka absent and Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus among those dropping to the bench.

Luton’s less illustrious list of substitutes contained two goalkeepers and four teenagers, including 16-year-old schoolboy Christian Chigozie.

In the face of relentless Arsenal possession, a resolute Hatters starting XI showing three alterations held out until being undone by costly defensive dithering in the 24th minute.

Smith Rowe dispossessed the dawdling Pelly Ruddock Mpanzu inside the visitors’ half before captain Odegaard exchanged passes with Kai Havertz to slam a first-time left-footed finish beyond Thomas Kaminski.

Luton dug in and looked set to go into the interval only a goal behind after goalkeeper Kaminski saved well from Smith Rowe and Havertz.

But Rob Edwards’ side suffered a major setback just a minute before the break when Japan defender Hashioka inadvertently turned Smith Rowe’s low centre into his own net under pressure from Nelson.

The 18th-placed Hatters were back in the capital four days on from Saturday’s narrow 2-1 loss at Tottenham.

Ross Barkley’s long-range free-kick, which was comfortably collected by David Raya, was their only attempt on target in a one-sided opening period.

Arsenal required a dramatic last-gasp winner from England midfielder Rice to escape Kenilworth Road with a thrilling 4-3 victory in early December.

But no such heroics were needed here as a far more subdued second half ticked by without incident to keep their title push on track.

The Gunners return to action at Brighton on Saturday evening ahead of next week’s European first leg with Bayern, while Luton’s quest for survival continues at home to Bournemouth.

Brentford 0 Brighton 0

Brighton and Brentford played out a drab goalless draw at the Gtech Stadium.

The Bees almost opened the scoring early on after a sweeping move from one end of the pitch to the other.

The ball came from Nathan Collins, via Ivan Toney and Mathias Jensen, to Keane Lewis-Potter whose near-post cross was put narrowly wide by Yoane Wissa.

Toney’s first sight of goal came after half an hour after he was played into the area by Wissa.

The England striker turned inside Jan Paul van Hecke 12 yards out but lost his footing slightly and Bart Verbruggen saved his scuffed shot.

For Brighton, top scorer Joao Pedro, back after two months out injured, drew a save from Bees keeper Mark Flekken and Van Hecke’s shot was deflected over.

Facundo Buonanotte then fired across goal and wide, Adam Lallana was also off target and Flekken saved from Simon Adingra.

Referee Andrew Madley was sent to take a look at the pitchside monitor by the VAR for a potential penalty for a foul by Wissa on Lewis Dunk in first-half stoppage time but he stuck with his decision and ruled in favour of the Bees forward.

At the start of the second half Pedro’s cross found overlapping Brighton full-back Joel Veltman but his shot was always rising as it sailed into the stands.

Toney, without a goal in his previous six matches, took aim with a free-kick from 25 yards but sent it high over the crossbar.

Substitute Danny Welbeck had two chances in stoppage time to win it for Brighton but he headed a corner wide and then fizzed a low drive the wrong side of the far post as a distinctly low-key encounter ended goalless.

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