LONDON: Erling Haaland led Manchester City to the top of the Premier League with a decisive 1-0 victory over Southampton, while third-placed Aston Villa faced disappointment as Bournemouth equalized in stoppage time on Saturday.
Haaland ended a three-match goal drought in the first half at the Etihad Stadium, demonstrating his strength and determination. The Norwegian capitalized on Matheus Nunes’s cross, striking close range to secure the win. This goal marked Haaland’s 14th in all competitions this season, helping the unbeaten champions achieve seven wins from nine league matches as they pursue a fifth consecutive title.
Pep Guardiola’s side currently sits two points clear of second-placed Liverpool, who have a chance to reclaim the top spot with a win against title rivals Arsenal in Sunday’s highly anticipated clash. City remains a formidable force at the Etihad, boasting an impressive two-year unbeaten streak in the league, which spans 35 matches. Southampton, languishing at the bottom of the table with just one point from nine games, was unlikely to disrupt that run.
With Jack Grealish and Jeremy Doku sidelined, Guardiola made four changes from the team that convincingly defeated Sparta Prague in the Champions League earlier in the week. Although City had opportunities to extend their lead, Haaland’s lone strike proved to be enough for the victory.
Aston Villa’s aspirations for a title challenge faced a setback at Villa Park, where they were held to a 1-1 draw by Bournemouth. Despite their recent success in the Champions League—top of their group after wins over Young Boys, Bayern Munich, and Bologna—Villa could not secure a domestic victory.
After taking the lead in the 76th minute through Ross Barkley, who scored his first goal for the club, Villa seemed on course for three points. However, Evanilson salvaged a draw for Bournemouth with a headed equalizer in the dying moments of the match.
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In another thrilling encounter, Brentford edged out Ipswich Town 4-3 in west London. Ipswich’s Sam Szmodics and George Hirst both found the net, but Brentford equalized just before halftime. Bryan Mbeumo converted a penalty to put Brentford ahead, although Clarke was sent off after receiving a second yellow card. Liam Delap’s late equalizer for Ipswich looked set to earn them a point, but Mbeumo snatched victory for Brentford with a dramatic last-minute goal.
In a captivating clash at the Amex, second-bottom Wolverhampton Wanderers fought back to draw 2-2 with fifth-placed Brighton & Hove Albion. Brighton seemed in control after goals from Danny Welbeck and Evan Ferguson, but Wolves rallied with strikes from Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Cunha, ensuring they avoided a sixth straight league defeat.
Nottingham Forest briefly climbed to fifth place on Friday, courtesy of Chris Wood’s brace in a 3-1 victory over Leicester City. Ryan Yates opened the scoring, and despite Jamie Vardy’s equalizer for Leicester, Wood’s two goals in the second half secured a comfortable win for Forest.
