PREMIER LEAGUE
London, Sep 14: A dramatic day of Premier League action saw Manchester City dominate another derby, Tottenham Hotspur claim London bragging rights, Chelsea pegged back in stoppage time, and Liverpool rely on a Mohamed Salah penalty at the death to maintain their perfect start.
At Old Trafford, City enjoyed a brilliant 3-0 victory over Manchester United in the 197th derby, with Erling Haaland once again the tormentor-in-chief. The Norwegian striker struck twice, either side of Phil Foden’s opener, as Pep Guardiola’s men dismantled their rivals with clinical precision. Jeremy Doku was the chief creator, providing two assists and dazzling the United defence with his pace and guile. New goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma also marked his debut with an assured display, producing one outstanding save early on to deny Benjamin Sesko and ensure a clean sheet on his first start.
The visitors swarmed forward from the first whistle, Haaland firing narrowly wide inside 15 seconds as City set the tone in the Manchester drizzle. Their breakthrough came in the 18th minute when Doku skipped past his marker and delivered a pinpoint cross for Foden, who rose brilliantly to power a header beyond Altay Bayindir. City’s dominance only grew, and before long, Haaland was on the scoresheet, finishing off a flowing move that involved Nico O’Reilly and Foden. Doku then almost added a goal himself, striking the post after a surging run from his own half, but he would not be denied—his clever cut-back for Haaland sealed the contest and underlined City’s supremacy.
Across London, Tottenham overpowered West Ham United 3-0 with a ruthless second-half display. After a goalless first half punctuated by VAR interventions and near misses, Pape Matar Sarr broke the deadlock less than two minutes after the restart. West Ham’s hopes were crushed when Tomáš Souček was shown a straight red card on his 250th appearance for the club. Spurs immediately capitalised as Lucas Bergvall looped in a header before the teenager turned provider for Micky van de Ven to seal the victory. Graham Potter’s side were left deflated as Spurs took control of the contest and consigned them to a bitter home defeat.
Meanwhile, Brentford snatched a late point in a 2-2 draw with Chelsea. Kevin Schade had given the hosts the lead in the first half, only for substitute Cole Palmer to equalise shortly after the break. Enzo Maresca’s men thought they had turned the game around when Moises Caicedo rifled in a stunning strike five minutes from time, but Brentford refused to surrender. Deep into stoppage time, Fabio Carvalho ghosted in at the back post to convert from a long throw, rescuing the Bees and denying Chelsea the chance to go top of the league.
At Turf Moor, Liverpool’s patience was tested before Mohamed Salah once again proved decisive. The champions dominated possession against a disciplined Burnley side, who held firm despite going down to ten men late on after Lesley Ugochukwu’s dismissal. Just when it seemed Scott Parker’s men might earn a valuable draw, Hannibal Mejbri’s handball deep in stoppage time handed Salah the opportunity from the spot. The Egyptian made no mistake, ensuring Arne Slot’s side preserved their perfect record and secured a fourth consecutive victory.
From derby delight for City and Spurs to late heartbreak for Burnley and Chelsea, the Premier League once again delivered high drama, underlining how fine the margins are in England’s top flight. (Agencies)