A number of exciting European football matches were played last night. In a match in the third round of the German Cup, Dortmund suffered a miserable defeat 0-2 away to Stuttgart. Borussia Dortmund were unable to withstand the pressure on multiple fronts, with 11 shots in vain, while Stuttgart had 17 shots on goal with seven on target, with Girasi and Mvupa netting respectively. Although this is not the first time that Dortmund have lost to their opponents this season, the defeat was equally painful. However, for a team like Borussia Dortmund, perhaps an early exit is not a bad thing, as it could allow them to focus more on the league and Champions League.
Manchester City's match against Aston Villa, meanwhile, was unexpectedly dramatic. Manchester City were overwhelmed and there was a stunning shot comparison between the two sides. At full-time, Manchester City had just 2 shots on goal, while Aston Villa had a whopping 22. Pep Guardiola's side have been incredibly low in form, especially given their impressive record of winning the treble last season. Manchester City's poor form has been going on for some time, with a run of four consecutive Premier League games without a win, dropping nine points and slipping down the table. At this juncture, Manchester City's poor performance has widened the gap between them and Arsenal and Liverpool. On the other hand, in another Premier League match, Manchester United defeated Chelsea, who were in the doldrums.
Manchester United were awarded an early penalty but Fee missed the opportunity. At the crucial moment, veteran McTominay stepped up and scored a hat-trick. McTominay is now more reliable than any of United's strikers. United had 28 shots in the game, while Chelsea's defence was terrible, allowing their opponents to score comfortably and convincingly. The game remained fairly open, with Chelsea almost having a chance to equalise in the closing moments, but Armando Broja's header hit the post. In the end, Manchester United won 2-1. After this round of matches, the Premier League standings have changed a lot, especially the situation in the race for the top four has changed significantly. Manchester City slipped to fourth place on defeat, while Aston Villa moved up to third. Tottenham also have 27 points.
Manchester United are not far behind, also with 27 points. In other words, the gap between Manchester United and Manchester City is only three points, which is an unbelievable competitive situation.