City throw away three-goal lead, Arsenal romp home

Manchester City squandered a three-goal lead to draw 3-3 with Feyenoord in the Champions League this morning, after another calamitous performance from Pep Guardiola's stuttering side who have suffered an alarming slump in form.

Erling Haaland scored either side of an Ilkay Gundogan strike for the hosts, who looked poised for victory, after a five-game losing streak in all competitions.

But defensive blunders in the dying minutes allowed Anis Hadj Moussa, Santiago Gimenez and David Hancko to score as City dropped to 15th in the Champions League table on eight points.

"We lost a lot of games lately, we're fragile and of course we needed a victory," Guardiola said, as his side threw away the lead.

It followed the English champions being trounced 4-0 at home by Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League at the weekend.

"I don't know if it's mental. The first goal cannot happen and the second as well. After that we forget what happened, we were desperate to win and do well, we do well but don't win games."

City have conceded two or more goals in six successive matches in all competitions for the first time since 1963 - a season that saw them relegated from the English top flight.

They are also the first team in Champions League history to lead by three goals as late as the 75th minute but fail to win.

"Difficult," said City defender Nathan Ake. "We played quite well, all under control, then things changed. We have to stay strong mentally, believe in ourselves, and stay together ... and make sure we get out of it.

"The only thing we can do is fight back and stay strong ... When you're 3-0 up, it feels like a defeat when you give up three goals at home."

City parked in the visitors' end for much of the night and following several near misses in the first half, Haaland got the hosts on the scoresheet in the 45th by striking a blistering penalty kick past Timon Wellenreuther after he was fouled.

TURNAROUND

Gundogan doubled the lead in the 50th minute with a deflected low long-range shot, before Haaland scored again three minutes later when he slid in to stab home a Matheus Nunes cross for his 46th goal in Europe's elite club competition.

At that stage, it was all smiles among the Etihad crowd.

Yet astonishingly, Feyenoord replied with three goals inside 15 minutes, first from Hadj Moussa, who pounced on a careless ball back from Josko Gvardiol in the 75th minute.

Then Gimenez struck seven minutes later when he chested in Jordan Lotomba's cross, created from another wayward Gvardiol pass that had a furious Guardiola with his head in his hands for several minutes and Gvardiol tugging his shirt over his face.

Hancko equalised in the 89th when keeper Ederson was beaten by Igor Paixao who sent over a cross for Hancko to head in.

"It was an unbelievable evening," said Feyenoord boss Brian Priske. "To be 3-0 down around 75 minutes away from home and against the best team in the world and then to be able to pick up a really important point for us - an unbelievable result."

City's Jack Grealish narrowly missed scoring a late winner but his deflected strike grazed the crossbar.

The home fans booed their side after the final whistle.

What could have been a massive confidence boost for Guardiola's struggling team now raises more questions ahead of their toughest test of the season yet, a clash with Premier League-leading Liverpool at Anfield on Monday morning (NZ time).

Defeat would leave City 11 points adrift of the Reds.

Feyenoord, who are fourth in the Eredivisie, are 20th in the Champions League standings with seven points and among the playoff places with three games remaining in the first phase.

Arsenal overwhelm Sporting

Bukayo Saka scored one goal and set up another as Arsenal thrashed Portuguese side Sporting 5-1 in their Champions League clash at the Estadio Jose Alvalade this morning, their biggest away win in the competition in 21 years.

Gabriel Martinelli put Arsenal ahead early on before Kai Havertz and Brazilian defender Gabriel added two more goals before halftime as Arsenal overwhelmed their hosts.

Goncalo Inacio pulled a goal back for Sporting early in the second period, but Saka restored Arsenal's three-goal advantage with a penalty and Leandro Trossard got a fifth for their biggest away win in the Champions League since victory by the same scoreline at Inter Milan in 2003.

Arsenal moved above Sporting to seventh place in the 36-team table with 10 points from five games.

The Portuguese side, who recently lost coach Ruben Amorim to Manchester United, have the same number of points but are one position back on goal difference.

"Sporting haven't lost here in a very long time [13 months], we knew it would be a big challenge," Saka said. "But we believed we could go out there and have a good performance and we did that.

"We realised how good they are and that we had to rise to the challenge. I am proud of all the boys, we will be a team that goes from strength to strength and keeps improving."

Arsenal were finding plenty of joy on the right wing and their first two goals both came from attacks down that side.

Jurrien Timber’s low cross eluded everyone and provided a tap-in for Martinelli at the back post inside seven minutes.

Arsenal doubled their advantage midway through the first half when Saka burst into the box and poked the ball past Sporting goalkeeper Franco Israel, providing another simple finish for Havertz.

Defender Gabriel met a Declan Rice corner to head his side further in front and few could argue Arsenal were full value for their 3-0 lead.

They would have hoped for a composed start to the second half but instead allowed Sporting a way back into the game.

Francisco Trincao’s corner was met at the front post by Inacio, who volleyed into the back of the net to offer his side a lifeline.

Arsenal were by no means as dominant in the second period, but earned a penalty when Martin Odegaard was fouled from behind by Ousmane Diomande and Saka coolly slotted the spot kick into the bottom right corner.

Substitute Trossard added a fifth with a header after Israel could only parry Mikel Merino's long-range shot into his path.

"We didn't start the game well, we conceded a goal very early and that brought unease to the team," Sporting coach Joao Pereira said. "The players reacted well in the second half, we had a good 20 minutes, but then we conceded a penalty.

"We did good things, but we started the game badly and that affected the whole match."