Manchester City’s footballers won at home against struggling Luton 5-1 and moved to the top of the incomplete English league table. Top scorer Erling Haaland scored his 20th league goal of the year. Tottenham lost 0:4 in Newcastle and lost fourth place due to the worse score. The home side won despite manager Eddie Howe missing 11 players ahead of the game to move up to sixth place, ten points adrift of tonight’s opponents. Swedish gunner Alexander Isak scored two goals.
Manchester City took the lead against Luton in the second minute thanks to Hashiok’s curious own goal. With an acrobatic overhead kick, Haaland directed the ball directly into the face of the Japanese defender, from whom the ball bounced behind the helpless Kaminski. In the 64th minute, Kovačič increased the score, and twelve minutes later, Haaland completed the second ten league goals thanks to a converted penalty.
In the 81st minute, Barkley reduced the score, but in the end, Doku and Guardiol came through on the other side and sealed the win. City now have a two-point lead over Arsenal and Liverpool at the top of the table, with both teams able to leapfrog them on Sunday. Luton are in the first relegation place, with Nottingham losing a point to seventeenth.
Isak scored against Tottenham for the first time in the 30th minute after taking advantage of Gordon’s pass. He then increased himself two minutes later, and shortly after the break, Isak made his mark again. The 23-year-old striker scored his 17th goal of the year, tied with Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah for third in the scorers’ table, and three goals separates him from leader Haaland. The final result was determined just before the end by a header from a Schär corner.
Manchester United were held to a 2-2 draw at Bournemouth, their fourth straight winless and dropped to seventh place, a point behind Newcastle. The opening goal of the game was provided by Dominic Solanke, who made his seventeenth goal of the season. No Bournemouth player has ever scored so many Premier League goals in one season.
Kluivert responded to Fernandes’ equalizer before the break, but after the change of sides, the visitors’ captain again tied things up, this time from the penalty spot at the hands of Smith. Bournemouth also got the advantage of the penalty kick in the set-up, but after the intervention of the video referee, the home team only kicked a direct free kick. Manchester United lose ten points in the cup standings.
English Football League – Round 33:
Newcastle – Tottenham 4:0
Goals: 30. a 51. Isaac, 32. Gordon, 87. Schär
Brentford – Sheffield United 2:0
Goals: 64th own Arblaster, 90th+3 Onyeka
Burnley – Brighton 1:1
Goals: 75. Brownhill – 79. owned by Murič
Manchester City – Luton 5:1
Goals: 2. own Hashioka, 64. Kovačič, 76. Haaland from pen., 87. Doku, 90.+3 Gvardiol – 81. Barkley
Nottingham – Wolverhampton 2:2
Goals: 45.+1 Gibbs-White, 57. Danilo – 40. a 62. Cunha
Bournemouth – Manchester United 2:2
Goals: 16. Solanke, 36. Kluivert – 31. and 65. from pen. Fernandes
