The long-awaited return of Erling Haaland couldn't stop Manchester City from tumbling to another poor result in a season to forget for the deposed Premier League champion.
A surprising 0-0 draw at already-relegated Southampton, the Premier League's last-placed team and one of the worst to ever play in England's top flight, threw City's Champions League qualification ambitions back into doubt on Saturday.
Having already relinquished the title to Liverpool, City is bidding to at least secure a top-five finish to get into Europe's lucrative elite competition.
Yet, with two games left in the league, that is far from certain after a sluggish display that even star striker Haaland - back after six weeks out with an ankle injury - couldn't turn around.
Third-placed City moved two points clear of Newcastle and Chelsea - who meet at St. James' Park on Sunday - and four points ahead of Nottingham Forest, which hosts already-relegated Leicester on Sunday. Seventh-placed Villa was a further point back and visits Bournemouth later Saturday.