Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday powered to the top of the English Premier League with an impressive 2-0 win against Manchester City, while Chelsea are up to second place after their victory at Newcastle United.
Manchester United remain well off the pace in ninth, but did manage their first home win in the Premier League in seven games as Bruno Fernandes’ twice-taken penalty saw off lowly West Bromwich Albion 1-0.
Spurs ended the day on top of the table for the first time in six years as goals from Son Heung-min and Giovani Lo Celso saw off a toothless City at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Photo: EPA-EFE
Tottenham took the lead after five minutes as Son ran onto Tanguy Ndombele’s lofted pass, beat the City offside trap and slotted a cool finish under Ederson for his 11th goal of the season.
City dominated possession, but struggled to create chances and were cut open again for Spurs’ second with just their second shot on target. Lo Celso came off the bench to score just 35 seconds after his introduction as he raced onto Harry Kane’s sublime pass to slot past Ederson.
On the one-year anniversary of Jose Mourinho’s appointment as manager, Tottenham are unbeaten in their last eight league games since losing to Everton on the opening weekend, sparking hopes of a genuine title challenge.
“The players gave everything and followed a strategy. They were amazing,” Mourinho said. “We found a way to play and it was magnificent to see them play how they did.”
Tottenham, who last won the top-flight title in 1961, lead Chelsea by two points with the two set to face each other next weekend.
City are languishing in 11th place, eight points behind the leaders, albeit with a game in hand.
City manager Pep Guardiola extended his contract at the Etihad Staduim to 2023 this week, but his side look a shadow of the swaggering outfit that won successive league titles in 2018 and last year.
Twelve points from eight games is City’s lowest total at this stage of a Premier League campaign since 2008-2009.
“We had more chances than them, but we lost. Mourinho’s teams are like this, you make a mistake and they punish you on the counterattack,” Guardiola said.
Chelsea maintained their fine form as Federico Fernandez’s first-half own goal and Tammy Abraham’s strike sealed a 2-0 win at St James’ Park.
Manger Frank Lampard’s side are unbeaten in nine games in all competitions and have not lost in their last six league matches.
The visitors’ pressure was rewarded in the 10th minute when Mason Mount whipped in a low cross and Fernandez turned it into his own net under pressure from Ben Chilwell.
Chelsea put the result beyond doubt in the 65th minute when Timo Werner accelerated away from the Newcastle defense and slipped a pass to Abraham, who guided his shot in off the post.
BUNDESLIGA
AFP, BERLIN
Erling Braut Haaland netted four goals and Youssoufa Moukoko on Saturday became the youngest player in Bundesliga history as Borussia Dortmund routed Hertha BSC 5-2 to trim Bayern Munich’s lead at the top of the table to just one point.
It was the first time the 20-year-old Haaland had scored four goals in a game for Dortmund since his January debut, with all of them coming in the second half.
“I drank a Red Bull at halftime, I got some wings and everything was good,” Haaland said.
Meanwhile, one day after his 16th birthday, Moukoko is the youngest player in Bundesliga history.
“He’s only just turned 16 — that is amazing,” Haaland said of Moukoko. “He has a big career ahead of him.”
Dortmund’s romp in Berlin moved them second in the standings, behind defending champions Bayern who stayed top despite a 1-1 home draw with Werder Bremen.
LA LIGA
Reuters, MADRID
Atletico Madrid on Saturday pulled off their first La Liga win over Barcelona in more than a decade as Yannick Carrasco capitalized on a blunder from Barca ’keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen to secure a 1-0 victory at an empty Wanda Metropolitano.
Belgian winger Carrasco broke the deadlock at the end of the first half, pulling off a classy backheel to knock the ball through the legs of Ter Stegen and keep his composure in front of goal after the German had charged out of his area.
Lionel Messi had won the fixture last season with a late solo goal, but the Barca captain had a match to forget this time, appearing hesitant in front of goal.
The win moved Atletico up to second in the standings, level on 20 points with leaders Real Sociedad, while Barca are down in 10th place with 11 points after a third defeat in eight league games.
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