LONDON (REUTERS) - Phil Foden's first Premier League goal ensured Manchester City edged past Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 on Saturday (April 20) to return to the top of the Premier League and avenge their Champions League elimination by Mauricio Pochettino's side.
With Liverpool playing Cardiff on Sunday, City completed their 10th successive league win to move one point clear with four games left and remain masters of their own fate in what promises to be a thrilling finale to the title race.
However, their joy was muted by another injury to Kevin De Bruyne, who went off late in the first half and will almost certainly miss the midweek trip to Manchester United.
Elsewhere, relegation-threatened Brighton & Hove Albion scraped a key point in a goalless draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers and relegated Fulham recorded their first away win of the season at Bournemouth.
Newcastle United erased any lingering relegation doubts as Ayoze Perez scored a hat-trick in a 3-1 victory over Southampton that lifted them 10 points clear of the drop zone.
City struck early when Foden headed home on five minutes after a clever ball back across goal from Sergio Aguero.
They struggled to assert themselves, however, against ever dangerous opponents who always looked capable of scoring with Son Heung-min twice free on goal and Christian Eriksen failing to make City pay.
The champions could have extended their lead in a fast-flowing game in which both keepers produced excellent saves, but there was to be no repeat of Wednesday's thriller which City won 4-3 but went out of Europe on goal difference.
"It's my first Premier League goal so it will live with me forever," said Foden, who admitted he was surprised to be given the chance to start such a vital game.
Of De Bruyne, Guardiola said: "I don't know - he's played a lot of minutes without preparation. After injury they don't train properly to be able to take a game every three days."
COSTLY DEFEAT
Defeat may prove costly for third-placed Spurs who are struggling to hang on to their top-four place. Three points separate them from sixth-placed United, who have played one game fewer.
"It was an amazing game again," Pochettino said.
"It was tough again. Both teams competed really well and I think we deserved more. (City keeper) Ederson was man of the match.
"I am happy, disappointed with the result but so happy with the performance - we were always in the game."
Â
Â
At Molineux, Brighton hardly oozed confidence after a run of four straight league defeats with no goals scored, but they scrambled a draw to go three points clear of Cardiff with four games remaining. Crucially, they also have a much better goal difference.
Fulham produced the shock of the afternoon by beating Bournemouth 1-0 at the Vitality Stadium - their second successive victory of an underwhelming season.
Aleksandar Mitrovic scored the winner from the penalty spot to ruin Eddie Howe's 500th game as a manager.
Gerard Deulofeu scored an impressive double as FA Cup finalists Watford kept their European ambitions alive with a comfortable 2-1 victory over Huddersfield while Leicester City twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with West Ham United at London Stadium.
Jamie Vardy bagged their first equaliser with his 16th goal of the season before Harvey Barnes pounced in stoppage-time with his first goal for the Foxes.
"It's obviously a great feeling to score - it's been a long time coming," Barnes said.
Perez struck twice in three first-half minutes for Newcastle but Mario Lemina replied as Southampton threatened a comeback. Perez sealed the points late on to become the first Newcastle player to score a Premier League hat-trick since 2015.
Neymar PSG extension more likely than Madrid switch: Father Description: The striker made his name at Santos before signing for Barcelona in 2013, before the Parisians paid out his release clause of 222 million euros ($251 million) in 2017.
Neymar PSG extension more likely than Madrid switch - father
Southampton secured their Premier League status for another year after a thrilling 3-3 home draw with Bournemouth on Saturday as Cardiff City slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Fulham. The draw put
Southampton stay up after thrilling 3 3 draw with Bournemouth
Nicky Butt calls for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to be named Man Utd boss for 'long, long time' United head of academy Butt has praised the impact his former teammate has had on the club
No Rush - Former Man Utd Boss On Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Guardiola's City and Klopp's Liverpool appear increasingly to be the two main contenders in the title race, as the season approaches Guardiola dismisses Klopp's claim that Man City have no
Guardiola Dismisses Klopp's 'No Weaknesses' Claim About Man City
Griezmann smashed home from the spot 10 minutes after the break to give Diego Simeone's side three points. They stay second but move alongside Barca on 34 points. Atletico Madrid moved level on
Griezmann Fires Atletico Level With Barcelona - UrduPoint
Subscribe to Read Articles from December 1954 Part 2. Nabbed: The Insidious Infiltrator That Menaced Titanium Industry; TITANIUM CROSSES HYDROGEN HURDLE
English Comprehensives: Poem Identification Flashcards | Quizlet
London - Jurgen Klopp has warned Liverpool's Premier League rivals that the leaders are laying the foundations for long-term success. Klopp's side sit four points clear at the top as they chase
Liverpool laying groundwork for sustained success, says Klopp
worldsoccertalk.com/2019/01/18/liverpool-laying-groundwork-for-sustained-success-says-klopp/
Liverpool laying groundwork for sustained success, says Klopp AFP January 18, 2019 AFP No Comments London (AFP) - Jurgen Klopp has warned Liverpool's Premier League rivals that the leaders are laying the foundations for long-term success.
Liverpool laying groundwork for sustained success, says Klopp
Football: Free curry fish head, bak chor mee for Liverpool fans if Reds beat Tottenham to win Champions League A Liverpool fan poses with the Champions League trophy in Madrid on May 30, 2019
Football: Free curry fish head, bak chor mee for Liverpool
In the dying minutes of Iran´s 3-0 defeat to Japan on Monday, striker Sardar Azmoun slapped Japan midfielder Gaku Shibasaki in the face, sparking a melee that also involved his teammates Ehsan
Call in Iran for footballers to be punished over Japan melee
The England national football team has competed at the FIFA World Cup since 1950. The FIFA World Cup is the premier competitive international football tournament, first played in 1930, whose finals stage has been held every four years since, except 1942 and 1946, due to the Second World War.
Photo - Premier League
AMSTERDAM, March 23 (Reuters) - The Netherlands will not be lulled into a false sense of security when they face a struggling, new-look Germany in their Euro 2020 qualifier in Amsterdam on Sunday, captain Virgil van Dijk has said. The Dutch beat the Germans 3-0 at home last October and came from
Dutch not favourites against struggling Germany - Van Dijk
0 comments:
Post a Comment