A summary of Sunday’s action in the Premier League.
IMAGE: Erling Braut Haaland scores Manchester City’s second goal in the Premier League match against Manchester United at Old Trafford, Manchester, on Sunday. Photograph: Molly Darlington/Reuters
Manchester City’s Erling Haaland struck his first two goals at Old Trafford as they ran roughshod over Manchester United in a 3-0 thrashing in Sunday’s heated Premier League derby.
Pep Guardiola’s treble winners are third in the standings on 24 points after 10 games, two points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur. United, whose defeat was their first in four games in all competitions, are eighth with 15 points.
Haaland, whose 11 league goals this season equals United’s total goal output, converted a penalty in the 26th minute when VAR showed Rasmus Hojlund pulled down Rodri at a free kick. The Norwegian calmly slotted the ball into the bottom right corner.
IMAGE: Erling Braut Haaland scores Manchester City’s first goal from the penalty spot. Photograph: Molly Darlington/Reuters
City thoroughly dominated shell-shocked United in the second half and their bulldozer of a forward netted again shortly after halftime when Bernardo Silva made an overlapping run then dinked a pass to the back post that a rising Haaland headed home.
Phil Foden added the third from close range in the 80th after goalkeeper Andre Onana pushed away a shot from Rodri that landed at the feet of Haaland for an easy cross to Foden. The goal sent many frustrated United fans to the exits early.
IMAGE: Mohamed Salah celebrates with Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott after scoring Liverpool’s third goal against Nottingham Forest, at Anfield, Liverpool. Photograph: Scott Heppell/Reuters
Goals from Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Salah gave Liverpool a comfortable 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest at Anfield that lifted the Reds to 23 points, three behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur.
Forest came to pack their defence and hit on the break, and though they kept it tight for the opening half-hour, they were soon behind thanks to a classic counter-attack from the home side.
Forest centre-back Murillo made an ill-judged foray forward and was relieved of the ball, and in seconds Mohamed Salah had found Nunez, whose shot was parried into the path of Jota for an easy finish.
Jota celebrated by holding up the shirt of team mate Luis Diaz, who missed the game following the kidnapping of his parents in his native Colombia.
Liverpool’s second was a brilliant team goal as they sliced the Forest rearguard, and this time it was Dominik Szoboszlai who got free down the right to pull the ball across the goal for Nunez to score.
IMAGE: Diogo Jota celebrates scoring Liverpool’s first goal. Photograph: Scott Heppell/Reuters
Liverpool upped the tempo early in the second half with Salah curling a shot just wide and Harvey Elliott having a shot blocked shortly after coming off the bench.
A breakdown in communications between substitute Harry Toffolo and keeper Matt Turner let Salah in, and he duly steered the ball home to complete the scoring in the 77th minute.
Forest never got out of their defensive mindset and it took them until the 85th minute to register their best effort of the game, a shot by winger Anthony Elanga that cannoned off the underside of the crossbar.
The defeat leaves Forest in 16th place in the table on 10 points, five points above the drop zone.
Villa beat Luton to extend home winning streak
IMAGE: Moussa Diaby celebrates scoring Aston Villa’s second goal against Luton Town with Ezri Konsa and Boubacar Kamara. Photograph: Paul Childs/Reuters
Aston Villa chalked up their 12th successive Premier League win at home with a comfortable 3-1 victory over struggling Luton Town as they maintained their top-four challenge.
John McGinn’s 17th-minute strike separated the sides at half-time but Villa made their domination count after the break.
Moussa Diaby rifled in a shot four minutes into the second half and an own goal by Luton’s Tom Lockyer just past the hour mark left the visitors reeling.
To their credit, Luton continued to play with great energy and they earned a consolation thanks to another bizarre own goal credited to Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez.
Villa have now scored 20 goals in their five home league games this season and have 22 points from their 10 games, just four points behind leaders Tottenham Hotspur.
Luton are third from bottom with five points.
Villa are now only one home win from matching the record 13-game winning streak at Villa Park set by their 1983 vintage side. Only Manchester City and Atletico Madrid in Europe’s major leagues are on longer winning home runs.
Villa’s confidence was obvious as they dominated the opening exchanges and it was no surprise when McGinn put them in front with a fine finish following a pass by Douglas Luiz.
They had to wait until the second half to pull clear though with a long ball forward releasing Diaby who drilled an angled shot past Luton keeper Thomas Kaminski.
Diaby played a big part in his side’s third goal as his low cross was turned in by Luton skipper Lockyer under pressure from the lurking Ollie Watkins.
Wasteful Brighton held to home draw by Fulham
IMAGE: Joao Palhinha scores the equaliser for Fulham against Brighton. Photograph: Ian Walton/Reuters
Brighton & Hove Albion’s search for a return to winning ways in the Premier League continues after they were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham at the Amex Stadium.
After three league games without a win, a dominant first-half performance where Evan Ferguson scored his fifth goal of the season in the 26th minute looked to have set up Brighton to claim victory, but Joao Palhinha equalised in the 65th minute.
Brighton remain in seventh place, level on 17 points with Newcastle United, and Fulham stay in 14th with 12 points.
Brighton’s lead came when Pascal Gross bided his time before playing a pass through to Ferguson and the Irish striker’s first touch saw him control with his right before side-footing a left-foot shot past Fulham keeper Bernd Leno.
With Brighton’s attacks as persistent as the rain which fell all afternoon, they should have been further ahead before the interval after dominating possession and chances on goal, but they were made to pay by Palhinha in the second half.
The visitors made the most of Brighton’s poor attempt to play out from the back, when Alex Iwobi gained possession before Mahmoud Dahoud’s pass fell to Palhinha, who drilled his shot into the top corner from the edge of the area.
Calvert-Lewin fires Everton to win at West Ham
IMAGE: Dominic Calvert-Lewin scores for Everton in their match against West Ham United at London Stadium. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters
Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored his 50th Premier League goal to give Everton a 1-0 win at West Ham United and open some daylight between the Merseyside club and the relegation zone.
Calvert-Lewin netted in the 51st minute when he turned on the edge of the box and fired low into the corner, the ball skipping off the wet London Stadium pitch to beat Alphonse Areola in the home goal.
Everton move up to 15th in the table with 10 points from 10 games, five points clear of the drop zone, while West Ham, who have now lost three games in a row in all competitions, are in ninth with 14 points.
A one-two between Harrison and Calvert-Lewin saw the latter turn brilliantly on the edge of the box, take a touch and fire low into the net.
Areola made a superb save to deny Abdoulaye Doucoure, before Everton had to defend for the remaining 30 minutes as West Ham failed to score for the first time this season.
