EPL: City collapse at Spurs; Man Utd keep winning streak

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Last updated on: February 02, 2026 00:47 IST

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Manchester City

IMAGE: Tottenham Hotspur's Dominic Solanke scores their second goal. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Reuters

Manchester City blew a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday as a moment of magic by home forward Dominic Solanke handed Arsenal a huge Premier League title boost.

Tottenham were comprehensively outplayed in the first half but everything changed after the break and Solanke earned his side a deserved point with a brilliantly improvised effort.

First-half goals by Rayan Cherki and Antoine Semenyo had City cruising towards a win that would have cut Arsenal's lead back to four points and a listless Tottenham left the field to the sound of boos at the interval.

But Solanke showed great strength to slot in from close range under pressure from Marc Guehi in the 53rd minute to revive home hopes and his second in the 70th minute was one that will be replayed again and again.

Diving forward to try and meet Conor Gallagher's cross, the ball was behind Solanke but he flicked out a leg and conjured a scorpion-like flick over his head with his heel that looped up and over City's keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and into the net.

"I had to improvise a bit, I love those finishes, trying to make something out of nothing," Solanke said. "I had to have a few looks at the big screen after."

Tottenham even had chances to win the game as the pressure eased on head coach Thomas Frank.

Second-placed City's fourth draw in their last six league games left them on 47 points from 24 games, six points behind Arsenal who won 4-0 at Leeds United on Saturday.

Tottenham are 14th with 29 points.

City's players, including an ineffective Erling Haaland, looked disconsolate as they trudged off the field at the end of the match, wondering how they had lost control of a game that they had threatened to turn into a procession.

Tottenham could not get near City in the first half and fell behind in the 11th minute when Haaland played a pass to Cherki who beat Spurs keeper Guglielmo Vicario with a clinical finish.

City stroked the ball around at will as Tottenham stood off and were in cruise control when defender Radu Dragusin's poor clearance was seized on by Rodri and Bernardo Silva then played in Semenyo who finished in style.

Carrick’s Red Devils roar back, Sesko seals 3-2 win

Manchester United

IMAGE: Manchester United's Benjamin Sesko celebrates scoring their third goal with Kobbie Mainoo and Bryan Mbeumo. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters

Manchester United's Benjamin Sesko struck deep into stoppage time in a dramatic 3-2 Premier League victory over Fulham on Sunday as the home side continued their resurgence under interim boss Michael Carrick.

The win propelled United to fourth place in the standings on 41 points and added another statement result to Carrick's reign, coming after wins over Manchester City and leaders Arsenal. Fulham fell to eighth.

United led 2-0 after goals from Brazilians Casemiro in the 19th minute and Matheus Cunha in the 56th. But Fulham battled back with Raul Jimenez scoring from the penalty spot in the 85th and then Kevin celebrated the equaliser in the 91st minute.

But second-half substitute Sesko had the Old Trafford crowd roaring in the fourth minute of stoppage time after Bruno Fernandes touched the ball past Fulham's Calvin Bassey and then picked out the Slovenian striker in the box. Sesko, who had hit the post minutes earlier, turned and smashed it into the top corner.

The victory continued United's stunning turnaround since Ruben Amorim was sacked on January 5 after just over a year at the helm.

 

Casemiro, who has announced he will leave United when his contract expires at season's end, leapt to head home Fernandes's free kick in the 19th minute, awarded after a tackle on Cunha just outside the 18-yard box.

Cunha doubled United's lead with a strike from a tricky angle after Casemiro had slipped a ball to him through Fulham's defence with a no-look pass.

Samuel Chukwueze briefly celebrated what he thought was Fulham's first goal midway through the second half but it was chalked off for offside. Jimenez eventually pulled one back from the spot after he was fouled in the box by Harry Maguire, making for a nervy final few minutes.

Kevin launched a blistering shot from the edge of the box that United goalkeeper Senne Lammens had little chance of stopping for his first goal in the Premier League for Fulham.

The equaliser set the stage for Sesko's finale to cap a thoroughly entertaining match.

Aston Villa slump to 1-0 defeat by 10-man Brentford

Aston Villa

IMAGE: Aston Villa's Tammy Abraham in action with Brentford's Jordan Henderson and Caoimhin Kelleher. Photograph: Tony O Brien/Reuters

New signing Tammy Abraham had a goal ruled out as Aston Villa's title challenge stuttered again on Sunday with a shock 1-0 defeat at home by Brentford, who had to play more than half the game with 10 men after Kevin Schade got a straight red card.

Abraham, who spent a period on loan at Villa during the 2018/19 season and rejoined from Turkish club Besiktas on January 26, had a great chance to score in the 15th minute of his return, but Brentford keeper Caoimhin Kelleher kept cool and averted the danger.

Schade was sent off in the 42nd minute after engaging in a tussle with Matty Cash and digging his studs into the Villa defender but Dango Outtara gave the visitors the lead in stoppage time, snapping up the rebound from his initial attempt to put the ball across the box and rifling it into the top corner.

Abraham thought he had levelled early in the second half but a VAR review found that the ball had gone out for a throw-in in the build-up and the goal was chalked off, condemning Villa to a defeat that leaves them third on 46 points, seven behind leaders Arsenal.

Brentford's superb defensive effort lifts them to seventh on 36 points and, though he made a major contribution himself, shot-stopper Kelleher paid tribute to the players in front of him after the final whistle.

Brentford boss Keith Andrews was delighted with his side's display.

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