City and Arsenal level on points after Villa stun champions and Gunners beat Everton

Manchester City were knocked off the summit of the Premier League on Saturday after a 2-1 defeat to Aston Villa at Villa Park, only to be joined on 21 points by Arsenal, who beat Everton at Emirates Stadium hours later.

Nicolas Jackson scored twice either side of Erling Haaland’s 13th league goal of the season as Enzo Maresca’s side suffered their first Premier League loss of the campaign. The result allowed Arsenal to pull level, with City retaining top spot only on goal difference.

The two title rivals now face contrasting runs of fixtures before they meet directly at Emirates Stadium on 29 November, a game that could prove decisive in the early-season standings.

City’s next five Premier League fixtures begin at home to Brighton on 31 October — a side that has already beaten Arsenal this season — before a trip to Nottingham Forest on 7 November, where Arsenal themselves claimed three points earlier this month. Fulham visit the Etihad on 21 November, followed by the north London showdown and then a home game against Leeds United on 2 December.

Arsenal’s schedule looks marginally tougher on paper. They travel to Liverpool on 1 November before hosting newly-promoted Hull City on 7 November, a fixture that represents their clearest opportunity for a comfortable win in the run. A trip to St James’ Park to face Newcastle United on 21 November precedes the City clash, with a visit to Brentford on 2 December rounding out the five-game stretch.

City also have Champions League commitments against RB Leipzig and Napoli woven into that period, adding to the fixture congestion Maresca’s squad must navigate before the November international break.

With both clubs level and the head-to-head meeting fast approaching, the next month of Premier League action is set to define the early shape of what already looks like a two-horse title race.