PERFECT FORM: Manchester City have made a perfect start to the season on the pitch, with seven successive league victories, their best opening to a season
Erling Haaland on Saturday starred with a double as English Premier League leaders Manchester City beat Ipswich Town 3-2, while Liverpool came from behind to seal a 2-1 win at Brentford.
City are in turmoil off the pitch after being found guilty of more than 100 breaches of Premier League financial rules.
On the grass they have made a perfect start, with seven successive league victories marking their best opening to a Premier League season.
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland celebrates scoring their second goal during their English Premier League match against Ipswich Town in Manchester, England, on Saturday.
Photo: AFP
City, who are appealing against the guilty verdict after branding it a “Premier League conspiracy,” sit six points clear of champions Arsenal.
Second-placed Arsenal could close the gap with a win at Nottingham Forest after press time last night.
With City potentially facing a massive points deduction or even expulsion from the top flight if their appeal fails, it remains to be seen whether their results will even matter by the end of the season.
For now, Enzo Maresca’s side are in fine form after bouncing back from their midweek loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League.
There was a defiant mood at the Etihad Stadium, where City fans booed the Premier League anthem before kickoff, while thousands waved inflatable bananas to underline their commitment to the club regardless of its plight.
Phil Foden put Maresca’s men ahead in the 19th minute with a sharp turn and finish after Jeremy Doku’s incisive run prized open the Ipswich defence.
Foden’s first goal this season was followed by an Ipswich equalizer in the 21st minute when Daizen Maeda evaded Marc Guehi to fire home.
Haaland restored City’s lead in the 34th minute with a pin-point header from Mateo Kovacic’s cross.
Haaland killed off Ipswich in the 69th minute, sprinting onto Iliman Ndiaye’s pass and steering his shot past Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton.
Zian Flemming’s 90th-minute penalty, awarded for a foul by Guehi, set up a tense finale, but City held on.
“Very happy with today’s game, we controlled it for 95 minutes. We create chances, we score. We finish a little bit suffering together, but overall, it is good,” Maresca said.
In west London, Liverpool were stunned when Brentford defender Keane Lewis-Potter looped a header past Alisson Becker from Igor Thiago’s cross in the 44th minute.
However, the Bees were reduced to 10 men in first half stoppage-time after Yehor Yarmolyuk’s head made contact with Jeremy Jacquet’s face while they waited for a corner.
Liverpool lost Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong to injuries, but still made their numerical advantage count in the 62nd minute.
Victor Munoz cut inside and slotted a composed equalizer past Brentford’s former Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
Alexander Isak blasted Liverpool’s winner in the 70th minute after Barcola teed up the Swedish striker for his fifth goal this season.
Brentford finished with nine men following Vitaly Janelt’s second booking in stoppage-time.
Beaten by City in their previous league game, Liverpool are up to fifth place after inflicting Brentford’s first league defeat of the season.
“You see the results of Brentford at home, and you have to be ready for these kinds of battles. We had 45 minutes to do the comeback, and I think we played really well,” Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola said.
Pedro Neto’s double condemned Everton to a first defeat of the season as fourth-placed Chelsea won 2-0 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium despite the loss of goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez to a head injury.
Neto opened the scoring inside the first minute of the second half and secured the points during stoppage-time.
The Argentine shot-stopper was involved in a sickening head clash with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite and was taken to hospital.
Fulham won for the first time in the league this season as Alex Iwobi’s 33rd-minute goal clinched a 1-0 victory against Hull City at Craven Cottage.
Aston Villa won 1-0 at Newcastle United as Johan Manzambi tormented the club he rejected in the close-season.
Villa winger Manzambi headed home from Joao Gomes’ cross in the 33rd minute.
It was a bitter blow to Newcastle, who agreed a deal with Freiburg for Manzambi in the summer before Villa hijacked the deal.