Man City back on top of Premier League, briefly
Eriksen saves third-place Spurs with injury-time goal
Facing opposition decked out in royal blue for the second week running, Manchester City avoided any surprises this time.
After watching his side crash to its first English Premier League soccer defeat at Chelsea last weekend, Pep Guardiola was looking for a positive reaction from City on Saturday. And the home team responded in style by defeating Everton, 3-1.
Gabriel Jesus chose the perfect occasion to score in the league for the first time since August when he grabbed a double while Raheem Sterling, allegedly racially abused in the loss at Chelsea, ended a difficult week on a happy note when he wrapped up victory with the third goal.
The win took City back to the top of the standings, for one day anyway, until Liverpool won its game against rival Manchester United, 3-1, at Anfield on Sunday. This put Liverpool up by one point overall.
“The players responded in a marvellous way,” Guardiola said after chalking up his 100th victory for the club.
“Everton are a top side. Today was tricky, a dangerous, dangerous game.”
Tottenham, six points off the pace in third position after Sunday, needed an injury-time goal from substitute Christian Eriksen to defeat struggling Burnley, 1-0.
City slickers
Manchester City took the lead against Everton when Jesus pounced on a through pass from Leroy Sane to slide the ball under England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford midway through the first half.
The Brazil forward made it 2-0 with a powerful close-range header from another assist from Sane in the 50th minute, but Dominic Calvert-Lewin gave Everton hope of mounting a comeback when he nodded in a cross from Lucas Digne 15 minutes later.
Substitute Sterling quickly restored City’s two-goal advantage with his first touch of the ball, heading in a centre from Brazil midfielder Fernandinho.
Jesus, who signed for City in 2017, has recently been joined in Manchester by his mother. “My confidence is back because my family is here with me,” he said.
Last-gasp Spurs
Burnley proved almost as difficult an opponent for Spurs as Barcelona did in the Champions League in midweek before Eriksen’s last-gasp goal clinched victory for the London club.
Eriksen won the game in the first minute of time added on when he coolly clipped the ball home after being teed up by England captain Harry Kane.
Palace forgets Zaha absence
Crystal Palace showed it can cope without Wilfried Zaha, the club’s most influential player, when the London team edged Leicester. The Ivory Coast forward was sidelined through suspension.
Wolves hat-trick
An early goal from Raul Jimenez and a late strike by substitute Ivan Cavaleiro guided Wolverhampton past Bournemouth.