Differing tactics benefit City and United
LIVERPOOL, England — The goals finally dried up for Manchester United in the English Premier League, but they are flowing more than ever at title rival Manchester City.
Hours after United’s cautious approach eked out a 0-0 draw at Liverpool on Saturday, City produced an attacking masterclass in a 7-2 home win over Stoke — the biggest victory in the league this season.
The standard of opponent was vastly different, but it was hard to escape the contrast between the top two teams, who many are tipping to be vying for the title.
After eight rounds, the Manchester rivals remain unbeaten, but City has taken the outright lead for the first time by two points from its neighbour.
City is setting new standards in attacking play. Its goal tally of 29 is the most by a team in the first eight league games of a top-flight season for 123 years. Before its trip to Anfield, United had 21 goals from seven games.
There was finally something to celebrate for Crystal Palace, which registered its first points and goals of the season in a surprise 2-1 win over Chelsea.
With Chelsea losing for the second straight game, thirdplaced Tottenham leads the chase to the Manchester clubs after beating Bournemouth 1-0 for a first league win at its temporary home of Wembley Stadium in four attempts.
Arsenal conceded in injury time to lose 2-1 at Watford.
Twelve months after a 0-0 draw in what has traditionally been regarded as the biggest fixture in English soccer, Liverpool and Man United played out another goalless draw at Anfield.
Afterward, coaches Juergen Klopp and Jose Mourinho defended their respective footballing philosophies, aiming little digs at each other and claiming private victories.
The loser was a global television audience that expects more quality from England’s most decorated and illustrious clubs.
United defended in numbers and had goalkeeper David De Gea to thank for preserving a point in the game’s most significant incident, the Spain goalkeeper sticking out his left boot to keep out Joel Matip’s effort from point-blank range.
Liverpool controlled possession, but couldn’t pierce the wall of white United jerseys set up by Mourinho.
City didn’t even need top scorer Sergio Aguero in its latest attacking clinic. The Argentina striker stayed on the bench on his return to the squad after sustaining a broken rib in a car crash. He watched as City’s freescoring attack — a front three of Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane and Raheem Sterling, with David Silva and Kevin De Bruyne orchestrating behind them — ran amok at Etihad Stadium.
On his 100th appearance for City, De Bruyne had a hand in four of the goals, including a threaded ball that took out four Stoke players for Sane to score.
Gabriel Jesus scored twice and Sterling, David Silva, Fernandinho and Bernardo Silva also netted for City, which has at least five goals in its last three home league games.
City has won seven of its eight games.
“We’re Crystal Palace, we score when we want,” sang the fans as the league’s bottom club found the net for the first time this season — in its eighth game.
Invariably, it was an own goal, by Chelsea defender Cesar Azpilicueta, in the 11th minute, but it sparked a surprisingly impressive display by Palace at Selhurst Park.
Tiemoue Bakayoko equalized for the champions with a header from a corner in the 18th but Palace responded on the stroke of halftime through winger Wilfried Zaha, who was back in the team for the first time since getting injured on the opening weekend.
Burnley came back to draw 1-1 against West Ham and Swansea beat Huddersfield 2-0.