Premier League
Man City deepen Man United crisis with 2-0 derby win
Manchester United suffered another home humiliation as Manchester City cruised to a 2-0 win at Old Trafford on Saturday (Nov 6) to raise further questions over the future of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Eric Bailly’s own goal and Bernardo Silva’s strike on the stroke of half-time was the difference between the sides on the scoreboard.
But that did little justice to the chasm between the teams as only a string of stunning saves from David De Gea prevented United from a thrashing similar to the 5-0 humbling they were handed by Liverpool less than two weeks ago.
Solskjaer bought himself some time with a 3-0 win at Tottenham last weekend.
But United have now won just one of their last six Premier League games and could finish the day 11 points off the top of the table should Chelsea beat Burnley at Stamford Bridge.
Solskjaer’s switch to a back five worked a treat at Spurs, but that owed much to the return of Raphael Varane from injury.
Without the French World Cup winner, who sustained a hamstring injury against Atalanta on Wednesday, the Norwegian’s decision to retain the same system quickly backfired.
Bailly was included for the first time in the Premier League this season and took only seven minutes to give City the perfect start when he sliced Joao Cancelo’s cross into his own goal.
United have won just five of Cristiano Ronaldo’s 13 appearances since the five-time Ballon d’Or winner returned to the club.
Had things gone differently in the final days of August, Ronaldo could have been lining up for City as they pursued the 36-year-old to fill the void left by Sergio Aguero.
Ronaldo’s goalscoring heroics have kept United alive in the Champions League, but he has netted just once in the last six Premier League games.
The Portuguese nearly bailed out a terrible first 45 minutes from the Red Devils when his volley was brilliantly saved by Ederson and Mason Greenwood failed to turn the rebound into an empty net.
But it was De Gea who was by far the busier ‘keeper.
The Spaniard spread himself to miraculously block from Gabriel Jesus before saving from Cancelo, Kevin De Bruyne and denying a second own goal off the boot of Victor Lindelof.
However, even De Gea was at fault for City’s second when Silva got an outstretched leg to Cancelo’s cross and the United stopper flapped the ball into his own net.
Boos greeted the half-time whistle as the travelling City support gleefully chanted “Ole’s at the wheel” to mock the United boss.
Solskjaer responded by introducing former City winger Jadon Sancho, who has failed to hold down a place in the United team in recent weeks despite costing £73 million (S$133 million) to sign from Borussia Dortmund in July.
Sancho injected a little more pace into the United attack, but the home side were still barely able to sustain any pressure as City’s passing triangles left them chasing shadows in the Manchester rain.
Phil Foden hit the post and Jesus had strong appeals for a penalty waived away as City could easily have won by a far more comprehensive margin.
A shock 2-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend left Pep Guardiola’s men with little margin for error in the title race.
City, though, have often saved their best performances for the big occasion this season as they have now taken seven points from a possible nine in away games against Chelsea, Liverpool and United.
Chelsea’s lead at the top of the table is cut to two points as City move up to second, a point ahead of Liverpool, who travel to West Ham on Sunday.
-AFP
Manchester United cruised to a rare comfortable home Premier League victory as goals from Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko secured a 2-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday.
With the pressure growing on manager Ruben Amorim after a disappointing start to the season, Mount calmed the nerves around the ground with a fine early finish to break the deadlock.
United continued to dominate, with a spectacular save from Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs preventing Bruno Fernandes from adding a sumptuous second before Sesko netted his first Old Trafford goal after 31 minutes.
Sunderland were awarded a penalty late in the first half, a decision that was overturned following a VAR intervention, but they never really threatened after the break as United eased to a third home league victory of the season.
The result put United in provisional eighth place with 10 points from seven games, two places below Sunderland on 11.
Wins, especially comfortable ones, have been in short supply for Portuguese Amorim since he took charge in November.
United supporters have slowly started to turn on the new manager as a result, with nothing short of victory over promoted Sunderland, despite the visitors’ impressive start to the season, enough to appease the disgruntled masses.
Mount’s superb control and finish was just what the beleaguered boss needed. The fine strike was the earliest United have scored in the Premier League since Marcus Rashford’s goal at Ipswich Town in Amorim’s first game in charge.
It was only a matter of time until the hosts scored again, such was their dominance. From a long throw, Sesko was alert to the flick-on before steering home his second in as many games.
United thought they had shot themselves in the foot as Sesko was penalised for a high boot in his own penalty area, only for VAR to deem it not to be a foul.
The hosts took their foot off the gas in the second half, but still should have added to their tally, with veteran Brazilian Casemiro blazing their best chance over the bar.
Sunderland did manufacture a late gilt-edged chance but Senne Lammens, making his debut in the United goal, stood tall to block, completing an assured performance from the keeper and his new teammates.
-Reuters
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Premier League champions Liverpool dropped points for the first time this season when they lost 2-1 at Crystal Palace in the eighth minute of added time as Manchester United and Chelsea suffered 3-1 defeats on Saturday.
United slumped at Brentford and 10-man Chelsea were beaten at home by Brighton & Hove Albion, who scored twice in stoppage time.
Manchester City thrashed Burnley 5-1 thanks to two own goals and a late brace from Erling Haaland while Leeds United were held to a 2-2 draw after Bournemouth equalised in added time through 19-year-old Eli Junior Kroupi.
There was also a late twist at Tottenham Hotspur when Joao Palhinha struck an equaliser in the fourth minute of stoppage time to salvage a 1-1 draw at home to bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers.
LIVERPOOL SUFFER FIRST LOSS
Liverpool were on the back foot early on when Palace took the lead in the ninth minute through a set-piece when the ball fell to Ismaila Sarr who smashed it home.
Liverpool would have conceded more if not for goalkeeper Alisson while Jean-Philippe Mateta nearly made it 2-0 when he hit the post.
Although Liverpool equalised through Federico Chiesa in the 87th minute, fellow substitute Eddie Nketiah provided late drama when he scored the winner in the 97th minute, with Selhurst Park celebrating the goal twice after VAR confirmed he was not offside.
“The boys are in really good form and think we can win every game and today we showed that,” Nketiah told the BBC.
Palace ended the day in second place, three points behind leaders Liverpool although Arsenal can go second if they beat Newcastle United on Sunday.
OWN GOALS, HAALAND GIVE MAN CITY WIN
Burnley’s Maxime Esteve became only the sixth player to score two own goals in a Premier League game as City climbed up to fourth.
Esteve scored the first when he tried to deny Phil Foden but Jaidon Anthony made it 1-1 with a shot that deflected off Ruben Dias.
Matheus Nunes restored City’s lead with a close-range effort before Esteve’s second own goal came when he looked to stop Oscar Bobb from finding the net.
Haaland struck twice in the dying minutes to hand Burnley their biggest loss of the season.
MANCHESTER UNITED LOSE AT BRENTFORD
Bryan Mbeumo received a warm welcome from the Brentford fans as he returned to his former club for the first time since his move to Manchester United but the reception paled in comparison to the roars when the home side went 2-0 up inside 20 minutes.
Igor Thiago capitalised on United’s high line for the opener when Jordan Henderson sent him through on goal in the eighth minute, before the Brazilian forward grabbed his second when United keeper Altay Bayindir spilled a save right into his path.
United pulled one back when Benjamin Sesko scored his first goal for the club but Bruno Fernandes had a penalty saved by Caoimhin Kelleher before Mathias Jensen put the game out of reach in added time with a rocket from outside the box.
“We didn’t control the game, we played the game of Brentford. We were really confused (on) second balls, first balls, set pieces,” United manager Ruben Amorim said.
“The crucial moments, they were against us. Tough to lose again.”
CHELSEA SEE RED AGAIN
Chelsea had a player sent off for a second time in as many league games when Trevoh Chalobah saw red for denying Brighton a goal-scoring opportunity at Stamford Bridge.
Enzo Fernandez had given Chelsea a 1-0 lead with a close-range header but Chalobah’s red card in the 53rd minute reduced the home side to 10 men and Brighton made it count when Danny Welbeck opened his account for the season with the equaliser.
Brighton capitalised again in the 92nd minute when Maxim De Cuyper powered home a header and the visitors sealed all three points when Welbeck scored in the 10th minute of added time.
Bournemouth took the lead at Leeds when Antoine Semenyo scored from a free kick but the home side made it 2-1 when Joe Rodon and Sean Longstaff netted either side of halftime.
With Leeds close to taking three points, Kroupi volleyed home from inside the box in the 93rd minute to lift Bournemouth into a group of three clubs on 11 points.
Sunderland moved to 11 points and fourth place by beating Nottingham Forest 1-0 at the City Ground to leave Forest’s new manager Ange Postecoglou winless after five games in charge.
Omar Alderete’s first-half goal was the difference between the two sides with Sunderland mounting a staunch rearguard action as Forest laid siege to their goal.
Wolves were seconds away from earning their first win of the season after losing their opening five games in their worst ever start to a league campaign.
They led through Santiago Bueno’s scrappy goal early in the second half but Palhinha guided in a superb finish to send Tottenham to third place on goal difference.
-Reuters
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Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said his side must match the level of urgency they showed against Chelsea on Saturday if they are to keep on winning.
Having tasted victory just once this season going into the game, on the back of their lowest top-flight league finish last term since they were relegated in 1973-74, the pressure was on Amorim ahead of Chelsea’s visit in the Premier League.
The early dismissal of Blues goalkeeper Robert Sanchez gave United the platform to earn a vital win with goals from Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro but the performance, from the off, reached levels of intensity that had been lacking in recent struggles.
“Sometimes we have some moments that we feel an urgency to have a result,” Amorim said. “Today we won, it’s nice to win, but let’s not forget that return to that urgency in our game.
“We need to win the next game. That is the most important thing. In this big club it’s not a feeling that today is a really good game, let’s relax a little bit. Let’s keep that urgency. That is the most important feeling we have to take for the next week.”
In true United fashion, the hosts still made things difficult for themselves from a seemingly unassailable position, 2-0 in front with a numerical advantage in the driving Manchester rain.
Casemiro’s sending-off late in the first half gave the visitors a lifeline, with Trevoh Chalobah’s header ensuring a nervy finish at an expectant Old Trafford.
“We showed that when everything is going well, we arrange something to make it difficult,” Amorim said. “But we suffered together in the end. That was a good thing, if you look at the game we deserved to win.
“We were trying to do things a little bit too much, making a tackle that maybe we shouldn’t. It’s hard to say, because that is the pressure. I feel more pressure in some young guys sometimes.
“Maybe it’s because Casemiro cares. We score one and he has that tackle. Sometimes it’s not the pressure, they wanted too much in that moment.”
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