Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero celebrates scores their second goal. (Source: Reuters)
A stunning Sergio Aguero goal capped Manchester City’s 2-0 win over Brighton & Hove Albion as Pep Guardiola’s champions served further notice that they will again be the side to beat in the Premier League this season.
Although City had lost their previous home game to Lyon in the Champions League, there was never much chance of a repeat against a Brighton side who have never beaten them away.
City have now dropped just four points from a possible 39 from their last 13 matches in the league.
Raheem Sterling opened the scoring with a simple tap-in for his fourth goal of the season after excellent work from Leroy Sane on the left.
Sterling was also involved in City’s second, exchanging a superb one-two with Aguero after the Argentine had burst forward from the halfway line, beating three players on his way.
Aguero kept his cool to slot home for the win that returned City to the top of the table ahead of the late kickoff between Chelsea and Liverpool.
He was then taken off by Guardiola, who clearly had his eyes set on Tuesday’s Champions League match at Hoffenheim, which has taken on a critical importance for the Spaniard following the Lyon defeat.
“I’m a lucky guy to have this group. They are special people,” Guardiola said, choosing to praise the patience and resilience of his team rather than its expansive quality.
“I was very pleased. We moved the ball quick, we didn’t allow them to run at us, everybody was in the right position to move the ball quicker and our transitions are getting better, much better for instance than last season.
“The patience was important. You have to mature your game. Teams don’t just defend, they defend well against us and it’s not easy.”
With City regaining top spot, however briefly, Guardiola added: “The important thing for us is to be solid in our game. At the top, Arsenal is coming back, Tottenham won again, Chelsea and Liverpool… the important thing is that we’re focussed on what we have to do.”
Kane double at Huddersfield sends Spurs fourth
Harry Kane scored twice as Tottenham Hotspur moved into fourth place in the Premier League with a 2-0 win at bottom club Huddersfield Town on Saturday.
But Spurs, who face Barcelona on Wednesday in the Champions League, have more injury concerns, with defender Jan Vertonghen and midfielder Mousa Dembele both replaced at half-time.
Attacking midfielder Dele Alli missed the trip to Yorkshire, also suffering from a hamstring injury, and while Tottenham never looked in real danger at Huddersfield, the injuries will be a blow to manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Kane, who scored twice in the corresponding fixture last season, opened the scoring in the 25th minute, rising well to angle home a header from the familiar source of a pinpoint Kieran Trippier corner.
Nine minutes later the England international doubled the lead, this time from the penalty spot after Danny Rose went down under a challenge from Florent Hadergjonaj after a clever exchange with Son Heung-min.
It was a decision which riled the home crowd but while there was little contact on Rose, Hadergjonaj paid the price for tugging the shirt of the Spurs wing back.
Huddersfield striker Laurent Depoitre rattled the woodwork with a volley just before the break and Terriers’ substitute Isaac Mbenza brought a fine save out of Paulo Gazzaniga, which sparked some late pressure from the home side.
The Yorkshire crowd roared their side on until the end but for all their immense effort, their predictable long balls caused little trouble for Tottenham’s defence.
“A very good win, very pleased. The attitude was fantastic,” said Pochettino.
“It was a tough game against a team desperate to win. They were helped by their unbelievable fans, among the best I have found in England. Which is why we are so pleased to have three more points in the table today,” he said.
Huddersfield manager David Wagner, whose team have just two points, said the response of the fans showed that his team were not far away from getting positive results.
“I think everyone who saw this game obviously saw that my team performed on a very good level,” said the German.
“If you have such an incredible atmosphere in the stadium after a defeat … the players left everything on the grass — without any reward that’s true – but if you perform consistently … the reward will come.”
Late goals flatter Arsenal in 2-0 win over dogged Watford
A late own goal from Watford’s Craig Cathcart and a Mesut Ozil strike two minutes later gave Arsenal a 2-0 win at the Emirates on Saturday that sent them above the Hornets in the Premier League table.
Watford, who had beaten Arsenal twice in their previous three Premier League meetings, created numerous chances throughout the match but were unable to find the back of the net.
Instead, in the 81st minute, defender Cathcart inadvertently put the visitors behind when he flicked the ball into his own net as he tried to prevent Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette from collecting and shooting right in front of the goalpost.
Two minutes later, the Frenchman sent a low pass across the face of goal to the far post, where German midfielder Ozil sidefooted in an easy goal to double the lead to 2-0, a score that flattered the home side after an even, open and attacking match.
Arsenal manager Unai Emery told reporters that his players had been cautious in the first half as Watford pressed forward but that they picked up the pace after the break.
“We improved things on the pitch with the positioning, and then our moments are arriving… to score,” he said.
“They are a very organised team and very competitive, finding their best performance.”
The result meant Watford drop to sixth in the Premier League table, swapping places with the Gunners.
“I’m very disappointed for my players because I think they deserved more … and they created certain chances to score,” Watford manager Javi Gracia said.
“But today, one more time, I’m very proud of my players.”
Both teams charged into action in the first half, creating a string of chances at each end.
In the fifth minute, Lacazette ran in on goal and was unlucky not to win a penalty when he was brought down in the area by Watford defender Christian Kabasele.
Watford’s Will Hughes edged the ball just wide of Petr Cech’s goal just moments later.
Lacazette had the clearest chance of the half when he stole the ball off Cathcart not far from the centre circle and raced alone towards goal, only to send his chipped shot a few yards wide of goal.
Cech was forced off just before the half-time whistle when he pulled a hamstring while taking a goal kick.
He was replaced by German summer signing Bernd Leno, who made numerous saves in the second half, including stopping a point-blank thunderbolt shot from Watford substitute Isaac Success in the 75th minute, to help the Gunners to their second clean sheet in a row in the league.
Two-goal Sigurdsson turns from villain to hero for Everton
Gylfi Sigurdsson was quickly transformed from villain into hero as he struck twice to inspire Everton to their customary home win, 3-0, against Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday.
The Icelander curled a superb 56th-minute effort four minutes after he had smashed a penalty against the bar following the award of a dubious spot kick for Denis Odoi’s innocuous shove on Dominic Calvert-Lewin.
Sigurdsson, who had never before missed a penalty in the Premier League, quickly made amends before substitute Cenk Tosun, an effective replacement for Calvert-Lewin, headed home Theo Walcott’s 66th-minute cross at the far post.
Following Everton’s poor first-half performance with Ryan Sessegnon coming closest to breaking the deadlock for Fulham when he hit the bar, Sigurdsson side-footed the Toffees’ third goal in the 89th minute, ensuring the Londoners did not get a sniff of their first-ever league win at Goodison.
Newcastle in dire straits after 2-0 defeat by Leicester
Newcastle United remained rooted in the relegation zone after a goal in each half by Jamie Vardy and Harry Maguire gave Leicester City a well-deserved away win in their Premier League clash on Saturday.
Newcastle have now lost their opening four home games of the season for the first time and stayed 18th on two points from seven matches, ahead of 19th-placed Cardiff and bottom team Huddersfield on goal difference.
The outcome is likely to pile more pressure on Magpies manager Rafa Benitez and worsen still further his relationship with the board, as his team look destined to face another tough relegation battle, with the squad lacking any bite up front while conceding soft goals at the other end.
Leicester, who moved up two places to seventh, with 12 points, always looked more likely to score as Ricardo Pereira forced a good save from Newcastle keeper Martin Dubravka with a low shot in the 10th minute.
Mohamed Diame missed with a free header for the home side midway through the first half, and that turned out to be their best chance on a frustrating afternoon.
Leicester continued to dominate and the lively Vardy fired them ahead with a 30th-minute penalty after DeAndre Yedlin needlessly blocked Maguire’s wayward volley with his arms amid a penalty-box scramble.
The home side’s final pass continued to go astray in the second half as they failed to create any chances, and England defender Maguire sealed Leicester’s victory when he headed home a James Maddison corner in the 73rd minute.
Maguire and Leicester manager Claude Puel heaped praise on 21-year old midfielder Maddison, who has hit the ground running at Leicester after his close-season move from Championship side Norwich City.
“James Maddison continues to give his best and improve,” Puel told the BBC.”He has to continue that work and we will see in the future.”
Maguire added: “Maddison takes all the set plays now so we look dangerous.
“He’s definitely good enough to play for England. It’s a matter of time. If he keeps improving he’ll get the call and he will take the challenge on.”
Sub Cavaleiro leads Wolves surge as Southampton suffer again
Substitute Ivan Cavaleiro swept home a superb goal two minutes after coming on and Jonny Castro added a second as Wolverhampton Wanderers beat struggling Southampton 2-0 in their Premier League clash at Molineux on Saturday.
Despite newcomers Wolves enjoying a fine start to the season and Southampton hovering just above the drop zone, the two sides cancelled each other out for much of the game, and it took some individual brilliance from Wolves winger Adama Traore to break the deadlock.
Brought on for Helder Costa early in the second half, Traore used his blistering pace and trickery to attack down the right before crossing to Raul Jimenez, who set up Cavaleiro to sweep the ball home in the 79th minute.
Castro wrapped up the three points for Wolves when he coolly collected Matt Doherty’s pass in the box and slotted it between the legs of Southampton keeper Alex McCarthy to condemn the Saints to their fourth loss in their opening seven games.