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NFL: player props on betchaAston Villa slip up on banana-skin weekend for Premier League contenders
Steve Douglas • January 19th, 2026 9:28 am
Aston Villa | Photo: AP
Aston Villa have become the latest title challengers to trip up on a weekend of surprising results in the Premier League, as they lost 1-0 at home to Everton thanks to defensive blunders.
After Villa centre back Pau Torres gave the ball away on the edge of his area and goalkeeper Emi Martinez fumbled a soft shot, Everton striker Thierno Barry was on hand to supply a deft finish for the only goal of Monday's (NZ time) clash in the 59th minute.
Villa could have climbed above Manchester City into second place and trimmed the gap to leaders Arsenal to four points if they'd won.
Instead, it will go down as another missed opportunity. Just as it was for Arsenal in their 0-0 draw at Nottingham Forest on Saturday, hours after Man City had lost 2-0 at Manchester United in the derby. Fourth-placed Liverpool also failed to win, held 1-1 at home to next-to-last Burnley.
It was a first home loss since August 31 for Villa, who have launched an unlikely title challenge largely on the back of their brilliant form at Villa Park.
Wolves' Yerson Mosquera and Newcastle's Joelinton battle for the ball in the goalless draw | Photo: AP
Since that defeat to Crystal Palace, Villa had won 11 straight games at home in all competitions — the team's best streak at Villa Park since the 1989-90 season.
Villa, though, could only move behind second-placed City on goal difference and seven adrift of Arsenal.
Meanwhile, Wolves appear to be leaving their resurgence a bit too late.
The last-placed team held Newcastle to the league's 17th 0-0 draw this season — already one more than the last campaign — to extend their unbeaten run to five games in all competitions.
Having collected just two points from their first 18 league matches in a historically poor start to a Premier League season, Wolves have since earned six points from their last four.
But they're still 14 points from safety and appear destined to return to the second-tier Championship after eight years in the top flight.
The immediate aim for Wolves is to gain four more points to ensure avoiding the lowest ever total in a single Premier League season — 11, by Derby County in the 2007-08 campaign.
The draw brought an end to a streak of three straight league wins for Newcastle, who jumped to eighth — two points off fifth-placed Man United.
