Haaland nets twice on debut as City edge West Ham
LONDON, Aug 7, (AP): Erling Haaland scored twice on his Premier League debut as Manchester City opened its title defense with a 2-0 win over West Ham on Sunday, showing just why Pep Guardiola spent big to bring in the striker this offseason.
Haaland needed 35 minutes to open his City account from the penalty spot after being brought down by the goalkeeper in the area, and then netted with a clinical low finish in the 65th minute to double the lead.
After Liverpool were held to a draw by Fulham on Saturday, City sent an early warning that they remain the team to beat in England.
City led the league in scoring last season with 99 goals as it edged Liverpool to the title by one point, despite often playing without a recognized striker up front. Having the towering Haaland in the middle only makes Guardiola’s attack look even scarier.
After City struggled to break down West Ham’s defense in the opening 30 minutes, Haaland showed his speed to accelerate away from two defenders as he ran onto a pass into the box from Ilkay Gundogan and was brought down by substitute goalkeeper Alphonse Areola as they vied for the ball.
He calmly dispatched the penalty by sidefooting into the left corner and then sat down cross-legged in a meditative pose - his trademark goal celebration that could become a frequent sight in the Premier League.
Areola, who had to come on in the 29th after Lukasz Fabianski picked up a knock, couldn’t do much to prevent the second goal, either.
Haaland timed his run perfectly to meet a through ball from Kevin de Bruyne and then used his left foot to slot the ball inside the far corner.
Haaland scored 86 goals in 89 games during his three seasons at Borussia Dortmund to establish himself as one of the most-wanted players in Europe before opting to move to City, where his father Alfie played between 2000-03.
Alfie Haaland celebrated in the stands as his son became just the second City player to score twice on his Premier League debut, after Sergio Aguero did so in 2011.
He was taken off in the 78th to a standing ovation, having missed out on a hat trick when his header sailed high.
Judging by this performance, though, it won’t be long before the next goal comes along for Haaland.
New manager, same old problems for Manchester United.
United slumped to a 2-1 loss against Brighton at Old Trafford on Sunday in Erik ten Hag’s first Premier League game in charge, dispelling any notion that the Dutch coach could provide an instant fix to the many issues that plagued the team last season.
United looked vulnerable in defense - with Pascal Gross scoring twice in the first half to put Brighton in control - and toothless in attack until Cristiano Ronaldo came on early in the second half.
And the questions about Ronaldo’s future at the club remain.
Ten Hag decided to leave Ronaldo out of his starting lineup after the Portugal star only played 45 minutes in preseason amid reports he wants to leave for a Champions League club.
But it’s clear why Ten Hag wants to keep the 37-year-old forward as United looked much more dangerous with him on the field, although the hosts needed a goalkeeping error to pull a goal back.
Robert Sanchez failed to punch away a corner and then got in the way of Alexis Mac Allister, who tried to clear the ball only to send it into his own net in the 68th.
United continued to push forward but never came close to an equalizer as Brighton held on for a first win at Old Trafford in the club’s history.
While United improved in the second half, the first 45 minutes showed just how big a task Ten Hag is facing to turn around a club that finished sixth in the Premier League last season.
While the hosts dominated possession, the only good chance they created came in the sixth minute when a cross was deflected into the path of Bruno Fernandes, who sent his shot well high of the bar.
Brighton took the lead in the 30th when Danny Welbeck made a run into the area to collect a pass from Leandro Trossard near the byline and then squared the ball across goal for Gross to tap into an empty net.
The second goal came after a quick counterattack, with Gross on hand to tap in the rebound after Solly March cut inside and saw his shot parried by David de Gea.
Ronaldo instantly gave United a jolt when he came on in the 52nd and set up Marcus Rashford for a one-on-one against Sanchez in the 60th but the goalkeeper blocked the forward’s shot. The offside flag was up against Ronaldo, but replays hinted he had stayed onside.
That was the closest Ronaldo came to making an impact, though, and Ten Hag said the five-time Ballon d’Or winner remains short of match fitness after missing most of the team’s preseason preparations.
United’s players were booed off at halftime and at the final whistle, with Ten Hag looking grim-faced as he walked off the field.
Substitute Josh Dasilva’s late strike salvaged a point for Brentford as the visitors came from two goals down to draw 2-2 in their opener at Leicester.
Dasilva curled home the equalizer with four minutes remaining for Brentford, which had been outplayed for most of the match.
Leicester had taken a well-deserved 2-0 lead after goals in each half from Timothy Castagne and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall
before Ivan Toney pulled one back in the 62nd minute.
Leicester dominated the first 45 minutes to such an extent that the lead could have been much bigger than 1-0 at the interval.
After Brentford forward Bryan Mbeumo volleyed straight at Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward in the 10th minute it was one-way traffic.
Brentford goalkeeper David Raya had to parry a swerving effort from Wilfred Ndidi before James Maddison headed Youri Tielemans’ cross just wide. Maddison was the provider when the Foxes took the lead in the 33rd minute as Castagne rose highest to powerfully head home a corner.
Raya was beaten again three minutes before halftime but Tielemans’ 25-yard shot bounced off his righthand post, and the Foxes doubled the lead just 30 seconds after the restart.
Jamie Vardy teed up DewsburyHall 25 yards from goal and the homegrown midfielder rifled a low shot into the bottom corner.
A comeback looked unlikely but Toney handed the visitors a lifeline in the 62nd minute after a rare foray forward.
Toney controlled Rico Henry’s ball into the edge of the six-yard box and, after holding off Daniel Amartey’s challenge, he hooked the ball home.
Leicester responded through Wesley Fofana’s header from Maddison’s free kick, which hit the post before Raya pushed the rebound clear.
As the game entered the final quarter, Brentford continued to improve and went close to leveling when Toney escaped his marker at the far post and headed a deep cross inches wide.
But, out of nowhere in the closing stages, Dasilva slammed home a shot from the edge of the penalty area to equalize after cutting inside on to his left foot.
Jorginho’s late first-half penalty was enough to give Chelsea a 1-0 victory over Everton in for the London club’s first win at Goodison Park in five visits.
It was far from a convincing performance from Thomas Tuchel’s team, though, against an Everton side that was playing without a recognized striker and lost two players to injuries.
Ben Godfrey was carried off on a stretcher early in the first half and taken to hospital with a serious-looking lower leg injury, while center back Yerry Mina also exited in the second half.