England Roundup: Haaland powers City past United; Aston Villa maintains strong start
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Erling Haaland scored twice and set up another goal as Manchester City beat Manchester United 3-0 in the Premier League on Sunday to again showcase the gap between the teams.
Defending champion City put in a dominant performance at Old Trafford in the 191st Manchester derby to add to the growing pressure on United manager Erik ten Hag.
This was United’s seventh loss of the season in all competitions and leaves it 11 points adrift of leader Tottenham in the league.
City’s win moved it within two points of the top of the standings.
Haaland scored a first-half penalty and doubled the visitors’ lead with a header shortly after halftime.
He then provided the cross for Phil Foden to complete the scoring and prompt United fans to leave the stadium early.
Haaland has now scored 13 goals in all competitions this season and might have had more if not for the efforts of United goalkeeper Andre Onana, who produced a number of saves to keep City at bay.
City went ahead in the 26th minute from the penalty spot after referee Paul Tierney reviewed a pull by Rasmus Hojlund on Rodri in the box.
Haaland stepped up and sent Onana the wrong way by firing low to the right.
By then Onana had already denied Foden from scoring with a header and then scrambled the ball away from Haaland before he could convert the rebound. The goalkeeper also pushed away Jack Grealish’s low, curling shot from outside the area.
United threatened on the break, but failed to make the most of promising openings for Scott McTominay and twice for Hojlund.
In first-half stoppage time McTominay came closest to finding a goal for United with a spinning shot on the edge of the box that was blocked by Ederson.
Haaland then nearly doubled City’s lead with a close-range header that forced an acrobatic save from Onana.
He didn’t have to wait long for his second, which came four minutes after the break with a powerful header from Bernardo Silva’s cross.
Rashford raced beyond City’s defense in search of a goal to pull United back into the game, but fired narrowly wide from an angle.
Onana then denied Haaland a hat-trick goal when one-on-one with the striker.
Haaland turned provider in the 80th when squaring for Foden to score from close range.
Aston Villa 3, Luton 1
In Birmingham, Aston Villa maintained its strong start to the season with a dominating 3-1 victory over newcomers Luton.
The win was Villa’s fifth in six league games and leaves the club four points behind leader Tottenham.
The home side opened the scoring in the 17th minute through John McGinn, who slotted in after a set-piece delivery from Douglas Luiz for his fifth goal of the campaign.
Although Villa dominated possession throughout the first half, Luton limited the damage and went into the break just the one goal down.
It didn’t take Unai Emery’s side long to add to its lead with Moussa Diaby scoring his first goal at Villa Park after Lucas Digne’s cross was headed out to him near the penalty spot.
Diaby was also involved in the third goal when he crossed into the area and had Luton captain Tom Lockyer turn it in for an own-goal.
Luton managed a consolation in the 83rd but it was hardly of its own making when Villa defender Ezri Konsa tried to nod the ball back to goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez only for the ball to loop over him, hit the crossbar and bounce into the goal off the Argentine keeper’s back.
Luton remains in the relegation zone in 18th place with five points from 10 games and one point from safety.
Brighton & Hove Albion 1, Fulham 1
In Brighton, Joao Palhinha scored a stunning equalizer as Fulham held the hosts to a 1-1 draw.
The Seagulls were the better team in the early stages at the Amex Stadium and were rewarded through Evan Ferguson’s neat finish before Palhinha’s superb strike secured a point for the Londoners.
The result extended seventh-place Brighton’s winless run to three games as the hosts rued missed chances in front of goal.
Roberto De Zerbi’s side showed little signs of fatigue following Thursday’s 2-0 Europa League win over Ajax and nearly took an early lead. Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno kept out Carlos Baleba’s shot from range in the seventh minute and saved Simon Adingra’s effort inside the six-yard box moments later to keep the game scoreless.
The hosts got the goal they deserved after 26 minutes. Igor Julio drove the Seagulls up the field and when Ferguson retrieved the ball outside the box he showed excellent composure to slide it past Leno with his left foot into the bottom corner.
Brighton started the second half quickly and Lewis Dunk was unfortunate not to score in the 49th. The skipper lined up a set-piece and his side-footed effort dipped onto Leno’s crossbar.
Fulham made Brighton pay for its missed chances with an equalizer in the 65th through Palhinha.
The visitors threw players forward in numbers and the Portugal international got the ball out of his feet on the edge of the box and blasted an effort past Jason Steele.
Fulham is 14th with 12 points after 10 games.
Liverpool 3, Notts Forest 0
In Liverpool, Mohamed Salah scored his 10th goal of the season as the Reds beat Nottingham Forest 3-0.
The Egypt international rounded off the win, which was the Merseyside club’s eighth in a row in all competitions at Anfield and maintained its 100 per cent start at home in the league.
Liverpool’s players also showed their support for teammate Luis Diaz, who was absent from the squad after his parents were kidnapped in Colombia on Saturday. Diaz’s mother was later rescued and his father remained missing, authorities said.
Diogo Jota opened the scoring for the home team in the 31st minute and held up Diaz’s No. 7 jersey after his goal.
Darwin Nunez doubled Liverpool’s lead four minutes later before Salah’s strike in the 77th.
Liverpool’s latest victory was its seventh from 10 league games this campaign and lifted the team back to within three points of leaders Tottenham.
Forest rarely threatened and, although Anthony Elanga’s late volley hit the woodwork, the visitors were forced to defend in numbers.
Forest’s winless run now stretches to six matches.
Everton 1, West Ham 0
In London, Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s second-half strike secured a 1-0 win for Everton at West Ham.
The striker scored six minutes after halftime at the London Stadium as Everton won for only the third time in the league this season.
Calvert-Lewin, who has had to contend with a slew of injuries, scored his 50th league goal for the club and he joined Romelu Lukaku, Duncan Ferguson and Tim Cahill in reaching the half-century.
Receiving the ball in the box, he turned smartly and steered a shot low into the corner.
Abdoulaye Doucoure could have doubled the visitors’ lead, but his shot was saved by Alphonse Areola.
The win was Everton’s third in six games in all competitions as Sean Dyche’s team looks to recover from a troubled start to the season that saw it fail to win any of its opening five league fixtures.
West Ham substitute Said Benrahma had the chance to even the score late on with a volley, but was denied by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.
It was Everton’s first game since the death of club chairman Bill Kenwright.
His passing was commemorated at the start of the game, along with England great Bobby Charlton, who died earlier this month. Pictures of both were projected on giant screens inside the stadium before kick off, while wreaths were laid by West Ham manager David Moyes, who was formerly in charge at Everton, and Dyche.
They were joined by England great Geoff Hurst.
A wreath was also seen in the directors’ box.
Once the game started Everton’s players did their part by securing the much-needed win for the team that looks likely to be involved in another relegation battle this season.
Source: News
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