City, Arsenal settle for draws

 Premier League leaders Manchester City and nearest challengers Arsenal were both held to draws on Sunday as they each dropped points in the title race.

City, surprisingly, could only manage a goalless draw away to bottom-of-the-table Aston Villa, the Birmingham club marking new French manager Remi Garde's first match in charge with a point that owed much to a fine display by goalkeeper Brad Guzan.

Arsenal, who kicked off later on Sunday, knew that if they beat arch-rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the North London derby they would leapfrog City, who they still trail on goal difference, at the top of the table with a victory at the Emirates Stadium. But instead they had to make do with a 1-1 draw.

Meanwhile Liverpool suffered their first defeat in seven games under new manager Jurgen Klopp with a 2-1 loss at home to Crystal Palace.

Manuel Pellegrini lost the services of Wilfried Bony to a hamstring injury and then watched in frustration as City failed to make their second-half domination count in a match where Villa ended a dismal run of seven successive defeats.

City were left ruing the missed chances, and the continued absence of Sergio Aguero.
At the Emirates, Arsenal fell behind to a 32nd-minute goal from Spurs' Harry Kane, who got on the end of a clever ball over the top from Danny Rose and went past Laurent Koscielny, mistakenly trying to play the England forward offside, before rolling a shot across Petr Cech.

At that stage, Arsenal hadn't managed a single shot on target and they had to wait until the 77th minute to draw level when substitute Kieran Gibbs bundled in a volley at the far post from Mesut Ozil's cross.

Chelsea flop again

Meanwhile on Saturday, Chelsea failed to deliver the Premier League gift that might have taken the suffocating pressure off an absent friend as manager Jose Mourinho was forced to endure yet another defeat at Stoke City.

Marko Arnautovic's 52nd minute volley helped Stoke scores a hard-fought 1-0 victory.