Record-breaker Erling Haaland was on target again as reigning champions Manchester City returned to the top of the Premier League table with a 2-1 win over Fulham on Sunday.
Victory left Pep Guardiola’s men a point clear of Arsenal and with a game in hand over the Gunners. Meanwhile high-flying Newcastle sent basement club Southampton nearer the drop after a 3-1 success.
Manchester United also remained in the hunt for a top-four finish with a 1-0 win at home to Aston Villa. Bournemouth pulled further clear of the bottom three with a 4-1 defeat of Leeds that left the visitors just a point above the relegation zone.
It took City just three minutes to go ahead with Haaland scoring from the penalty spot at Craven Cottage after Julian Alvarez was brought down by Tim Ream. Haaland’s 34th league goal was a record by a player in a 38-game Premier League season and equalled the number set by Andrew Cole and Alan Shearer in 42-game campaigns. Fulham, however, equalised in the 15th minute with Carlos Vinicius beating Ederson with a powerful first-time shot. But Alvarez, in for Kevin De Bruyne, restored City’s lead nine minutes before half-time with a brilliant whipped shot into the far corner from just outside the box.—AFP
