Arsenal join City at top of EPL
MANCHESTER, England (AP): WELCOME TO the Premier League, Bob Bradley. The first American coach in the 24-year history of the Premier League got a taste of the frantic nature of England’s top division in his debut match in charge of Swansea, a 3-2 loss at Arsenal yesterday.
Lots of goals, a red card, momentum swings, a nervewracking finish. It was some first game for Bradley, but ultimately, a sixth loss in the last seven league games for Swansea and a reminder of the scale of the task facing the much-travelled 58-year-old coach.
“That was an exciting game,” Bradley said, “but it didn’t finish the way we wanted.”
Defensive mistakes by Swansea allowed Theo Walcott to score twice and put Arsenal 2-0 ahead by half-time at Emirates Stadium. Bradley’s new team showed spirit to fight back against the league’s most in-form team, with Gylfi Sigurdsson making it 2-1 and Borja Baston setting up a tense ending with a 66th-minute goal to make it 3-2.
In the end, Mesut Ozil’s stunning volley in the 57th minute was the difference between the two teams, earning Arsenal a sixth straight win that left them tied on 19 points with firstplace Manchester City after eight games.
Arsenal finished with 10 men after midfielder Granit Xhaka’s 70th-minute red card.
City stayed in top spot despite a 1-1 draw at home to Everton. Tottenham missed the chance to take over in first place after also drawing 1-1 at West Brom.
MAN CITY 1 EVERTON 1
After starting his City tenure with 10 straight wins, Pep Guardiola has now gone three matches without a victory after this draw at Etihad Stadium. City will wonder, though, how they failed to beat Everton.
City had two penalties saved – by Kevin De Bruyne and Sergio Aguero either side of half-time – and needed a 72ndminute goal by substitute Nolito to earn a point from a game they dominated.
Everton went ahead in the 64th through Romelu Lukaku, his sixth goal in the last five league games.