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.
That enabled Wolves to pour forward, and in the 77th minute they got the winner thanks to a Smalling own goal after a scramble near the line. The result left Manchester United fifth in table on 61 points, level with fourth-placed Tottenham Hotspur who have played a game fewer. Wolves are seventh on 47.
Hungry Wolves beat 10-man Manchester United 2-1 - ARYSports.tv
Ronaldo return looms large over Juve's European hopes
Arsenal and Chelsea player ratings: Star players as Premier League sides reach Europa League final Chelsea beat Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties, while Arsenal saw off Valencia in Spain
Football: Chelsea beat Eintracht Frankfurt on penalties to
Jose Mourinho has set a deadline of June to return to management after turning down four offers following his dismissal by Manchester United. The 56-year-old has been out of work since losing his
Jose Mourinho rejects big offers to become new manager of 1
Raheem Sterling honoured with Integrity and Impact Award for racism fight. The Manchester City and England star was presented the award by Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate
Manchester City star Raheem Sterling honoured with award for
Henrikh Mkhitaryan's Arsenal teammates stated their determination to win Wednesday's Europa League final against Chelsea in Baku for the absent Armenian star, as Gunners boss Unai Emery told his team to focus on winning silverware rather than worrying about a possible return to the Champions League.
Silverware matters most to Emery as Arsenal aim to win for
LONDON — Chelsea secured a top-four spot in the Premier League with a 3-0 win over Watford on Sunday after two goals in a three-minute span helped the club to clinch a return to the Champions
Chelsea secures top-4 spot after beating Watford 3-0 in EPL
Football: Chelsea's Olivier Giroud seeks France return to boost game time Olivier Giroud has not started a Premier League game for Chelsea since the club signed Argentina international striker
Chelsea's Olivier Giroud seeks France return to boost game
Football: Valencia chairman Murthy says King's Cup victory 'icing on the cake' to a fine season - The Straits Times In just five seasons after taking over in 2014, Peter Lim's Valencia are entering their most successful era in recent years.
Messi and youngster Munir get Enrique's Barcelona off to a
Speaking to James Pearce on the Liverpool ECHO Blood Red podcast, Benitez said: "I want to be very respectful to my team, but this team is much better. "Not just the team, but the squad. In my
James Milner keen to avoid all-Premier League affair in
Man Utd's Martial, Lingard to miss Chelsea, Liverpool matches Manchester United will be without Anthony Martial and Jesse Lingard for Monday's FA Cup clash at Chelsea with both sidelined for up to three weeks after picking up injuries during Tuesday's Champions League defeat by Paris Saint-Germain.
Football: Man United's Martial, Lingard to miss Chelsea
0 Kommentare:
Kommentar veröffentlichen