LONDON (REUTERS) - Manchester City returned with a swagger from the international break on Saturday (March 30), resuming their quest for four trophies with another dominant 2-0 win at Fulham that thrust them back to the top of the Premier League.
On the afternoon that Huddersfield Town were relegated and Manchester United celebrated the full-time managerial appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a 2-1 win over Watford, City again demonstrated why they remain the league's benchmark.
Bernardo Silva scored for the third game in a row and Sergio Aguero extended his league-leading tally to 19 in a dazzling early spell, allowing the champions to ease to a seventh straight league victory while never having to hit the heights.
It restored City's advantage at the top, one point ahead of Liverpool on 77 points with both sides having played 31 games, though Juergen Klopp's men could return to the summit with a win over third-placed Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Still, City, who have won the League Cup and are in the FA Cup semi-finals and Champions League quarter-finals, moved closer to an unprecedented, if still unlikely, 'quadruple' with 14 matches left.
Without seemingly having broken stride, their cosmopolitan crew reconvened after the international break and looked as if they had never been apart as soon as Bernardo Silva arrowed in a left-footed strike within five minutes.
For manager Pep Guardiola, the lunchtime stroll at Craven Cottage, featuring the return of key players like Kevin De Bruyne and Fernandinho after injury, felt like the most perfect resumption with the pressure immediately restored on Liverpool.
"The first 15, 20 minutes was incredible with the way we played," he told the BBC.
"After the international break, you usually miss a bit with your rhythm. This game was tricky - 12.30 on a Saturday, a sunny day. That is unusual, and that is why I am so satisfied.
"We don't think too much about what people say about the quadruple. What Liverpool and Manchester City have done in the Premier League both deserve credit. That's why we are (both) here."
WINNING START
Manchester United moved into fourth place, level with Tottenham Hotspur on 61 points having played a game more, as Solskjaer got his permanent reign off to a winning start with victory over unfortunate Watford.
Goals from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial secured United's win, even though this was far from their most convincing performance under the Norwegian as Watford deserved more for their enterprise than a late Abdoulaye Doucoure consolation.
Â
Â
Still, the win lifted United above Arsenal, who host Newcastle United on Monday.
At the other end of the table, as 19th-placed Fulham's defeat left them a step closer to what looks certain relegation, Huddersfield's even more inevitable demotion to the Championship was confirmed with a 2-0 defeat at Crystal Palace.
The Terriers became only the second team in the Premier League era to be relegated before the end of March as they lost to goals from Luka Milivojevic and Patrick van Aanholt.
Wins for 17th-placed Burnley, 2-0 at home to Wolverhampton Wanderers, and 16th-placed Southampton, 1-0 at Brighton & Hove Albion, ensured their fate was sealed as they matched Derby County's record, set in 2008, for the earliest relegation from the Premier League after 32 games.
Leicester City marked an emotional day for the club on what would have been the 61st birthday of their late owner Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, who died in a helicopter accident in October, by beating Bournemouth 2-0 at the King Power Stadium.
His image was flashed up on the big screen along with the words "Always in our hearts" before the match and, in the 61st minute, the fans rose to applaud his memory.
In the day's late game, West Ham United, after six unbeaten matches at the London Stadium, came unstuck with a lacklustre 2-0 home defeat by Everton Goals from Kurt Zouma and Bernard moved Everton above the Hammers into ninth, one point behind Wolves and Leicester.
Football: Ikhsan Fandi focused on task as he begins his
Detroit Lions. Detroit Lions: Is this Michael Roberts' last chance in Motown? sidelionreport.com - Kellen Voss. The former Toledo Rocket is in his third year in the league, but with rookie TEs biting his heels, this may be Roberts' last chance with the Detroit …
Football: Kane starts for Tottenham in Champions League final
MANCHESTER CITY's England forward Raheem Sterling has been awarded The Integrity and Impact Award at this year's BT Sport Industry Awards for speaking out on a range of social issues, including racism. Sterling was recognised for his fight against racism in the sport and for using his platform to call for more action to be taken.
Sterling honoured with award for fighting racism - CNA
New-look Germany make promising start with Serbia draw The Germans, knocked out of the World Cup in the group stage and relegated in the Nations League last year, had only one player from their 2014 World Cup victory in the starting line-up and their oldest outfield player was aged 24.
Soccer: New-look Germany make promising start with Serbia
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on February 26, 2019, with the headline 'Two other defiant goalkeepers'. Print Edition | Subscribe.
Two other defiant goalkeepers - theworldnews.net
It has three main sources of funding to operate: The Mayor's Homelessness Fund which has so far raised over £125,000; Tackle4MCR which has funneled £1m through the donations of Manchester City's Vincent Kompany and, finally, Big Change Manchester (Real Change Manchester in some boroughs) which is open to donations from the public.
Flipboard: He works with the homeless, is incredibly bright
Football: New coach Zinedine Zidane leads first training
South Korea beat China 2-0 to secure top spot in Group C at the Asian Cup on Wednesday as Tottenham's Son Heung-min made his first appearance in the tournament for Paulo Bento's side.. The Spurs
Son Heung-min helps South Korea beat China 2-0 at Asian Cup
On Saturday in the Champions League final, the Reds beat Tottenham 2-0 to lift the trophy for the sixth time, the first since 2005. standings, latest news and video. The Women's World Cup
Wijnaldum: Reds must forget 2018 final woes - espn.com
The Professional Footballers' Association is calling on social media platforms to improve their response to racism after their anti-racism campaign was met with more vile abuse.
Democrats Heighten Calls for Trump's Impeachment | Voice of
Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi does not expect to play again this season after suffering from what he understands to be a ruptured Achilles tendon in Monday's 2-2 draw with Burnley. An entertaining opening period ended badly for Chelsea, as Hudson-Odoi was forced off and N'Golo Kante was then withdrawn with a knock to his ribs at half-time.
José Mourinho Where next for José Mourinho as Real Madrid have an itch to scratch? China has the money but not the prestige while Bayern Munich are another option José Mourinho may sound out Real Madrid fans display a giant banner thanking Jose Mourinho during his last La Liga match in charge, in 2013.
Where next for José Mourinho as Real Madrid have an itch to
Football: Guardiola dismisses Klopp's claim that Man City have no weaknesses MANCHESTER, United Kingdom (AFP) - Pep Guardiola on Friday (Dec 21) dismissed Jurgen Klopp's suggestion that Manchester City are a team with no sign of weakness as the two battle for the Premier League title.
Pep Guardiola dismisses Jurgen Klopp's 'no weakness' claim
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen