AMSTERDAM – Brad Guzan posted Aston Villa's first Premier League shutout in exactly three months on Sunday, helping them to halt their six-game losing slide with a 0-0 draw against visiting title contenders Manchester City.
The US netminder rang up three saves and a cross claim to help keep the oft-rampant league leaders off the scoreboard for just the second time this season. Guzan's highlight came in the 53rd minute, when he left Raheem Sterling with head in hands from a point-blank robbery of City's marquee summer signing.
Thanks to their first point since August, the last-place Villans crept to within five points of the safety zone.
In Tippeligaen closing day action, Danny Cruz came off the bench to earn an assist as Bodo/Glimt resigned Stabaek manager Bob Bradley to the bronze medal podium in a 6-1 rout at Aspmyra Stadion on Sunday evening.
Zarek Valentin worked right back until the 87th minute, with Cruz joining him as a halftime sub for the home side. One of his first actions was a precise long ball to the set-up man on Morten Agnes Konradsen's 51st minute winner. Midway through the second frame, the on-loan Philly Union winger crossed for Alexander Sorloth to nod home Glimt's fifth.
Cole Grossman went the distance in midfield for Stabaek, who suffered their worst loss of the Bradley era in what could be the coach's final match in charge. They missed a chance finish in second place, while Glimt snapped a nine-game win drought to finish the season ninth in the table.
Around the horn, Ethan Horvath won his seventh straight game across all competitions with a 3-0 decision away to Alex DeJohn and survival playoff entrants IK Start.
The young netminder notched two saves and a punch to post his 10th clean sheet on the overall campaign. Courtesy of their fifth straight league win, the outgoing champs finished sixth. Start, meanwhile, will carry the weight of a 15-match winless streak into their do-or-drop tie against the winner of next Sunday's match between promotion candidates Kristiansund and Jerv.
Finally, A.J. Soares and Viking sealed a fifth-place finish with a 3-1 home victory that relegated Mjondalen.
Soares worked the first half for the Dark Blues, who finished the season with five wins from a six-game unbeaten run at home. Erik Hurtado made a late cameo and Rhett Bernstein went unused for the visitors, who went without a road win in league play this term.
