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| Man City rise to top EPL after Chelsea defeat at West Ham |
Man City rise to top EPL after Chelsea defeat at West Ham
LONDON (AP) - Defending champions Manchester City are atop the English Premier League for the first time this season.
And if Pep Guardiola's side keep playing like this, it could be difficult to topple City, even in a tight title race in which three different teams topped the standings on Saturday.
On a day when former leaders Chelsea faltered, City showed total dominance in a 3-1 win at Watford that showcased the kind of smooth passing play that helped Guardiola's side win three of four latest titles. league.
Bernardo Silva scored twice after Raheem Sterling's opener as City proved once again that they can do it perfectly without a recognized striker in the lineup. It was a fifth consecutive league win for City, who are one point ahead of Liverpool and two over Chelsea after 15 laps.
"It's always better to be at the top of the league than second, third or fourth, but it's still early days," said Silva.
West Ham rocked the title race by beating Chelsea 3-2 at home early in the game, and Liverpool then needed a goal from Divock Origi in added time for a 1-0 win at Wolverhampton which set the Jurgen Klopp's team at the top for a few hours.
However, City were ahead from the start on the late kick-off.
Sterling scored the opening goal in the fourth minute as City took advantage of a loose pass and Phil Foden crossed down the middle to get Sterling to come home unbranded. Silva then doubled the lead in the 31st, passing two defenders before passing the ball to goalkeeper Daniel Bachmann.
City completely dominated the first half, with 81% possession, and could have added more goals before Silva scored the third with a deft effort curved into the top corner at 63.
Watford plotted a shot through Cucho Hernandez, who followed his own shot after bouncing off a post, to deny Pep Guardiola's side a ninth clean sheet of the season.
CHELSEA stumbles
West Ham is proving to be a major obstacle for England's top teams.
David Moyes' side had already inflicted their only league loss on Liverpool, defeating Tottenham and knocking out both Manchester clubs from the League Cup. The win underscored the Hammers' first-four credentials, although it took a late goal to complete the comeback.
Arthur Masuaku threw a speculative cross in the 87th minute from the left wing who veered towards goal and surprised Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Mendy dove in to keep the ball out of him, but managed to push it just inside his near post.
"It was a bit of a lucky goal," Moyes conceded. "But you have to put the ball in the box, you have to try."
Chelsea led twice with a header from Thiago Silva and a sublime volley from Mason Mount, but West Ham came back each time with a penalty from Manuel Lanzini and a low shot from Jarrod Bowen from the edge of the box.
Mendy was also to blame for the penalty awarded, and manager Thomas Tuchel knows his side can't afford many more mistakes after dropping five points in their last three games, following a draw 1 -1 with Manchester United this weekend. latest.
“It's difficult to play here, but we made too many individual mistakes. We did it against Man United and against Watford and we were punished, ”Tuchel said. “If you want to get results at this level, you have to minimize errors.
LIVERPOOL STOPS LATE
Liverpool's top-flight attack finally appeared to be under control by a stubborn Wolves side. Then Origi scored another decisive goal late in the game.
Mo Salah cut the ball for the substitute in the fourth minute of added time, and Origi turned around before passing the ball to goalkeeper José Sa.
Liverpool haven't stopped scoring in the league since March and had scored four goals in each of their last three games. But the Reds struggled to make the most of their pressure against a determined Lobo, with Salah, Sadio Mane and Thiago Alcantara also missing out on opportunities as they searched for a winner.
However, Origi is always excellent in the crucial moments. The forward rarely starts with Klopp, but has been added to a late scorecard that also includes the 96th-minute winner of the 2018 Merseyside derby and the goal that settled the 2019 Champions League final against Tottenham.
NEWCASTLE WINS AT THE END
Newcastle finally have a Premier League win, 15 games over the season.
Callum Wilson scored late in the first half and Newcastle held on to beat Burnley 1-0 in a fighter match for relegation.
Wilson scored in the 40th minute after Burnley goalkeeper Nike Pope was unable to control Joe Willock's cross.
The win was also Newcastle's first under new manager Eddie Howe, who was hired last month to replace sacked Steve Bruce.
Burnley had been undefeated in five games, but only managed one shot on goal at St. James' Park.
Neal Maupay's goal in the eighth minute of added time saved Brighton's 1-1 draw at Southampton.
Maupay reacted more quickly to hit point blank after Jakub Moder's free kick, to deprive Ralph Hasenhuttl of a victory on his third anniversary as Southampton coach. Armando Broja's elegant shot gave Southampton the advantage at 29.
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