Haaland’s scoring run over as Man City lose - Arsenal open up four-point lead in English Premier League

MANCHESTER, England:

Erling Haaland's 12-game scoring streak ended yesterday in Manchester City's first loss in nearly two months, allowing Arsenal to extend their lead to four points in the English Premier League.

Arsenal's 1-0 win over Crystal Palace -- secured via a brilliant scissor kick by former Palace player Eberechi Eze -- was made all the sweeter by City losing 1-0 at Aston Villa, with right back Matty Cash grabbing the winner from a fierce 19th-minute strike.

It was City's first defeat since August 31 and meant Haaland's scoring run for club and country -- stretching back even further, to August 23 -- is over. The Norway striker did bundle the ball into the net in the 90th minute, before crashing into the post, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

With beleaguered Liverpool losing 3-2 at Brentford on Saturday, it has been a bad weekend for Arsenal's chief title rivals.

SURPRISE

Somewhat surprisingly, Arsenal's closest challengers now are Bournemouth, which won 2-0 at home to Nottingham Forest. Even more unlikely is the sight of promoted Sunderland a point back alongside third-place Tottenham, which won 3-0 at Everton. City are one point further adrift in fifth -- and already six points behind Arsenal.

"It's very early, we're still in October," said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, whose team is seeking a first Premier League title since 2004. "The emotional state is really high but there are a lot of things to get better."

City reeled in Arsenal to win the title in the 2023-24 season and are going to have to do it again.

City manager Pep Guardiola isn't too concerned at this stage.

"I was worried before the international break (in September) when we were 14th in the table," Guardiola said.

"If they win all their games and win the Premier League, congratulate them. That's all we can do ... but I don't live in October and November thinking, 'Oh what is going to happen if we don't win the Premier League'?"

MUTED CELEBRATION

Eze barely celebrated after producing a wonderful finish from Gabriel Magalhaes' nod-down to ultimately clinch a fourth straight league win for Arsenal.

"The technique is unbelievable," Arteta said of the England playmaker, who started the season with Palace before completing a move to Arsenal, the team he supported as a kid, for a reported initial fee of PS60 million ($80 million) late in the summer transfer window.

This was a first league goal for his new club -- and it came from a typical source, an Arsenal set piece.

It was also another clean sheet for Arteta's team, which has conceded just three goals in nine games. It was achieved despite centre back William Saliba being withdrawn because of injury at half-time and Declan Rice also going off midway through the second half with an undisclosed problem.

HAALAND BLUNTED

Haaland had previously scored in all but one of City's games this season and, in his words, has been in the form of his life.

But he was unable to make it seven straight Premier League games on the scoresheet as Villa defended stoutly in the face of a late City onslaught to record a third straight home win over Guardiola's team.

City have lost three of their nine league games.

Cash lashed home a left-footed shot after a corner reached him at the edge of the area.

- AP