 | « Back to article | Print this article |
IMAGES from the Premier League matches played on Saturday.
Aston Villa inflicted more misery on shell-shocked Manchester City on Saturday, defeating them 2-1 in the Premier League with goals from Colombian forward Jhon Duran and former City forward Morgan Rogers.
Villa rose above City into fifth place in the Premier League table, and the title holders dropped provisionally to sixth with their ninth loss in 12 games across all competitions.
Pep Guardiola's team could fall to as low as ninth by the end of the weekend and have just one victory to show from that 12-game stretch.
In a rip-roaring start, Villa almost scored inside 20 seconds when Duran pounced on a poor ball by Josko Gvardiol but his shot was pushed away by a diving Stefan Ortega. Ortega made another fine save from the corner that followed, batting Pau Torres' shot away off the crossbar.
The narrow miss was a portent of things to come. Duran, 21, got the home side on the score sheet in the 16th minute when Youri Tielemans sent a sumptuous through ball to Rogers, whose unselfish pass found Duran free to fire home.
It was a another statement for a permanent spot in the starting 11 by former Villa super-sub Duran, who started for the third successive league game, and has scored in all three. He also had a goal chalked off for offside on Saturday.
City have conceded the opening goal in nine leagues games this season. Only lowly Wolves, Southampton and Leicester have done so more times (12).
Villa Park erupted again in the 65th minute when Rogers latched on to a pass from captain John McGinn and finished with a low hard shot, leaving Guardiola to shake his head in frustration.
"It's like a beast, really," Rogers told TNT Sports of City. "Because obviously they haven't had the results and we knew they would come out firing and they wouldn't want to win the game. We knew if we stuck to the game plan, and we showed our quality we would cause problems, and to a man, I thought we were outstanding."
Phil Foden pulled one back for City in stoppage time with his first league goal of the season after a mistake by Villa's Lucas Digne, but it was too little too late for the visitors.
Foden had City's best chances, including one in the first half that tested Villa's World Cup winning goalkeeper Emi Martinez after a one-two with Rico Lewis.
"We are disappointed, it's not good enough," City striker Erling Haaland told TNT.
"It's not good enough from me."
Jesus scores twice as Arsenal close gap at the top
Gabriel Jesus proved a thorn in Crystal Palace's side once again. The Brazilian forward scored twice in a 5-1 win at Selhurst Park which put Arsenal three points behind Premier League leaders Liverpool.
Jesus netted a hat-trick as Arsenal beat Palace 3-2 in the League Cup quarter-finals on Wednesday, having only scored once in his previous 33 appearances for Mikel Arteta's side.
He found Palace to his liking again with two goals inside the opening 15 minutes and almost completed another hat-trick before the break as his header came off the post with Kai Havertz tapping in the rebound to make it 3-1.
Jesus was involved again as compatriot Gabriel Martinelli effectively killed off Palace on the hour and Declan Rice completed the rout with his first league goal of the season.
A lively start to the game had seen Ismaila Sarr level for the hosts and Palace were still very much in the match until Havertz gave them too much to do.
Arsenal moved back above Nottingham Forest into third place with 33 points from 17 games. Liverpool have 36 from 15 games with Chelsea, who face Everton on Sunday, on 34 from 16.
Palace are in 15th place, four points above the drop zone.
It was the sixth time in 2024 that Arsenal have scored five goals or more in away games in all competitions -- a top-flight record for a calendar year -- although on this occasion the scoreline was slightly flattering.
There was also a worrying injury to Bukayo Saka to take the gloss off their victory -- the England forward having to go off with a hamstring injury in the first half.
Arsenal had only won three of their last nine league games, drawing four, to fall off the pace at the top. But they sent out a message ahead of their rivals' fixtures on Sunday.
Jesus opened the scoring in the sixth minute when Saka's cross was deflected into his path and he was alert to smash a shot past Dean Henderson.
Arsenal's lead did not last long though as Sarr produced a superb curling finish in the 11th minute.
Jesus was unstoppable though and when Thomas Partey played the ball back to him he dispatched a clinical finish into the top corner from the edge of the penalty area.
With his confidence sky high, Jesus then headed a Martinelli cross against the post and Havertz followed up.
Arsenal keeper David Raya had to make two superb saves early in the second half but Arsenal got some breathing space when Martinelli touched in from close range after Jesus was again denied a hat-trick as his shot was blocked by Henderson.
Rice, who came on as a substitute, then sent Arsenal into the festive fixtures on a high with a clinical finish.
Ipswich learn hard defensive lessons in Newcastle rout
Ipswich Town boss Kieran McKenna saw his team taught some harsh lessons as their defensive errors were clinically punished by a Newcastle United side that thrashed them 4-0 at home.
Newcastle striker Alexander Isak was gifted a couple of goals as he grabbed a hat-trick and McKenna's Ipswich charges were often either caught flat-footed or froze completely in the box as wingers Jacob Murphy and Anthony Gordon ran riot.
"Today we did not hit a good level, it's difficult when they score early in the game, but we can still overcome that," McKenna said after his side conceded 26 seconds into the game.
"Our game management was not good enough. We needed to stay more solid in difficult periods to give us a chance to stay in the game, we did not do that," he added.
Solidity was sorely lacking as Newcastle raced into a 3-0 lead by halftime and effectively ended the contest when Isak scored his third goal nine minutes into the second half.
Despite his treble, Isak was also uncharacteristically wasteful as he missed a number of chances and plenty of other Newcastle players could have added to the tally as the Ipswich rearguard found itself run ragged.
The win takes Newcastle up to seventh spot on 26 points, five points off the top four.
Kudus earns West Ham home draw with Brighton
West Ham United midfielder Mohammed Kudus headed home in the second half to salvage a point in a lacklustre 1-1 Premier League draw with Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
The result leaves the Hammers 14th with 20 points after 17 games, while Brighton are ninth on 25. It was a fitting outcome for two teams in uninspiring form with Brighton winless in their last five league games and West Ham with one victory from five.
Mats Wieffer put Brighton ahead in the 51st minute with his first Premier League goal when goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski fell under the challenge of Lewis Dunk whose header fell for the Dutch midfielder to fire home with his first touch.
There was a lengthy VAR check for offside and a foul before Brighton could really celebrate at the London Stadium.
West Ham, whose manager Julen Lopetegui has been under pressure, have now conceded their most top flight goals in a single calendar year, with 74, since 1967 (85).
Brighton's lead lasted just seven minutes, though, as their keeper Bart Verbruggen did well to bat away Jarrod Bowen's shot before a sprinting Kudus arrived just in time to head home for his third goal of the season.
Kudus has become popular for parking himself on a stool for his goal celebrations but changed it up on Saturday when he pulled out a wooden stool of a carved elephant before sitting down alongside team mate Crysencio Summerville.
"It's a special stool, a stool from Ghana," said Kudus. "I thought it would be nice to share a little bit of life from where I'm from."
What was a largely dull game ended with fireworks as both teams squandered terrific chances.
Forest hand Brentford first home defeat of season
Nottingham Forest will celebrate Christmas in the Premier League's top four after they handed Brentford their first home defeat of the season with an impressive 2-0 victory at the Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday.
Although Brentford dominated possession, Forest put in the hard yards before goals from Ola Aina and Anthony Elanga helped the visitors move provisionally up to third with 31 points.
Brentford were unbeaten at home in 10 games in all competitions, which included nine victories, but the loss leaves them 12th in the standings with 23 points.
Brentford gave Forest an early scare when they nearly went ahead in the fourth minute after Mikkel Damsgaard found space in the box to shoot, forcing goalkeeper Matz Sels into a save.
But Forest gradually grew into the game and nearly took the lead when top scorer Chris Wood tested Mark Flekken with a header that forced the goalkeeper into a reaction save.
Forest went ahead in the 38th minute when a cross from Neco Williams went through the Brentford defence with the centre backs marking Wood and the ball fell to an unmarked Aina, who fired into the bottom corner to make it 1-0.
"It's a bit of a dream (to be in the top four). It's good to get the three points and good for the fans. They deserve it as well," Aina said.
"We're working well as a group. (Manager Nuno Espirito Santo) has his philosophy and he's brought that into the club."
They doubled their lead six minutes into the second half when Brentford defender Keane Lewis-Potter had a heavy touch and Elanga pounced to steal the ball from him near the box before guiding his shot into the far corner.
That goal woke Brentford up and they had a spell of possession where Bryan Mbeumo created several opportunities, with one of his headers falling to Kristoffer Ajer who had his shot parried away by Sels.
Brentford threw everything they had at Forest late in the second half but Espirito Santo, who was celebrating a year in charge, ensured Forest kept the Bees at bay for the rest of the game to seal the three points.
