Manchester City were held to a surprise 0-0 draw by bottom-placed Southampton on Saturday, despite dominating possession and firing 26 shots.
Pep Guardiola’s team, who are set to face Crystal Palace in next week’s FA Cup final, missed a chance to move level on points with second-placed Arsenal. City remain third in the Premier League with 65 points, but now sit just two points ahead of Aston Villa, who beat Bournemouth 1-0.
Southampton, already relegated, celebrated the draw as a rare highlight in a tough season. The result lifts them to 12 points, helping them avoid being the worst side in Premier League history—edging ahead of Derby County’s 11-point record from 2007/08.
Guardiola blamed Southampton’s ultra-defensive tactics, saying: “They came just to defend and waste time. We were solid but couldn’t finish our chances.”
At the Vitality Stadium, Ollie Watkins scored his 75th Premier League goal to become Aston Villa’s all-time top scorer in the competition, overtaking Gabriel Agbonlahor. Villa went down to 10 men late on after Jacob Ramsey received a second yellow card but held on for the win.
In other matches, Brentford beat already relegated Ipswich 1-0, their fourth straight victory, thanks to a Kevin Schade header. The Bees moved up to eighth, keeping hopes alive for a European spot. Brighton also won 2-0 away at Wolves, with Danny Welbeck scoring a penalty and Brajan Gruda sealing the win.
Everton defeated Fulham 3-1, while attention now turns to Sunday’s key clashes, including Newcastle vs. Chelsea and Arsenal’s visit to champions Liverpool.
