MANCHESTER: Manchester City continued their pursuit of Premier League leaders Arsenal’s with a 3-0 win over visitors Fulham, while Aston Villa stayed in the frame with a late 1-0 victory at home to Brighton and Hove Albion on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Sunderland’s season-long unbeaten home record was ended as Liverpool won 1-0 to boost their top-four hopes.

Elsewhere, Nottingham Forest sacked manager Sean Dyche after a dismal goalless draw at home with basement side Wolverhampton Wanderers left them hovering three points above the relegation zone. While second-bottom Burnley produced a remarkable 3-2 comeback win at Crystal Palace to boost their survival hopes.

City have little margin for error in their pursuit of Arsenal, who have a game in hand and next face Brentford, but came up with a clinical display to dispose of Fulham.

Three goals in a 15-minute spell in the first half secured the points for Pep Guardiola’s second-placed side who moved to 53 points from 26 games and kept the pressure on Arsenal.

Antoine Semenyo poked City ahead in the 24th minute and then set up Nico O’Reilly with a pinpoint pass for the second.

Phil Foden then found Erling Haaland who dispatched a shot for his 22nd league goal of the campaign to confirm City’s 17th successive Premier League win against Fulham, the longest run by one team over another in the competition.

“The team in certain moments is growing, people are coming back. It is really, really important,” Guardiola said.

Villa’s slender title chances appeared to be ebbing away as they laboured at home to Brighton.

But they secured the points when the visitors’ Jack Hinshelwood put through his own goal after 86 minutes. Brighton midfielder James Milner, 40, came off the bench for his 653rd top-flight appearance, equalling Gareth Barry’s record.

At Stadium of Light, captain Virgil van Dijk was on target for Liverpool as they became the first team to leave Sunderland with three points this season.

The Dutchman met a Mohamed Salah corner just past the hour mark and the ball crossed the line despite the efforts of Sunderland’s Habib Diarra to keep it out.

Liverpool are in sixth place with 42 points, two behind Chelsea who drew 2-2 at home to Leeds United on Tuesday.

“We can’t deny that it feels very big, but there are still 12 games to go. So we have to keep improving and trying to find consistency,” Van Dijk said.

At the City Ground, Forest had a remarkable 35 goal attempts against Wolves but none of them found the back of the net as Dyche’s side dropped two important points.

The draw left them in 17th place, only three points above third-from-bottom West Ham United.

Forest are now looking for a fourth manager this season following Dyche’s dismissal after less than four months in charge.

“Nottingham Forest Football Club can confirm that Sean Dyche has been relieved of his duties as head coach,” the club said in a statement on X. “We would like to thank Sean and his staff for their efforts during their time at the club and we wish them the best of luck for the future.”

Wolves have nine points but are now only two points behind the lowest-ever Premier League total — Derby County’s 11 in the 2007-08 season.

In Wednesday’s other match, Burnley ended a 16-game winless streak in remarkable fashion at Selhurst Park. Palace were cruising after two goals by new signing Jorgen Strand Larsen inside the opening 33 minutes.

Burnley had not registered a shot on target in the first 39 minutes but bizarrely were ahead by halftime.

Hannibal Mejbri halved the deficit with a sweetly struck shot and Jaidon Anthony then drove a low effort inside the post to equalise.

Burnley then went ahead in first-half stoppage time as Palace goalkeeper Dean Henderson parried a shot but the ball trickled in off the foot of his team-mate Jefferson Lerma.

Palace could not respond after the break as Burnley got their first league win since October, leaving them nine points behind Forest.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2026

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