Manchester City end six-match winless streak
Manchester City ended a sixmatch winless streak by duly thumping West Bromwich Albion 4-0 in the English Premier League on Saturday.
West Brom hasn't won in the league since mid-September, and was outgunned by the leagueleading visitors.
Sergio Aguero and Ilkay Gundogan scored twice each to bring an emphatic end to Pep Guardiola’s longest winless run in his managerial career.
Aguero scored twice in the first half, and set up the third for Gundogan after the break when West Brom was threatening. Gundogan's second in the last minute capped a flattering scoreline for City, which edged Arsenal on top of the standings on goal difference. Giroud’s 1st Arsenal goals of season add to Sunderland woes
Olivier Giroud scored his first goals of the season as Arsenal beat Sunderland 4-1, leaving the beleaguered northeast team with only two points after 10 Premier League games.
The France forward struck twice within five minutes of being introduced as a 69th-minute substitute to kill off hopes of Sunderland’s fightback after Jermain Defoe’s penalty had cancelled out Alexis Sanchez’s first-half opener for Arsenal.
The Gunners have now gone 14 games unbeaten in all competitions since the opening day of the season.
Sunderland lacked both the defensive resilience and the raw pace to compete, further weakening David Moyes’ hold on the Sunderland job.
The other Arsenal goals were scored by Alexis Sanchez, the first after 19 minutes. He converted from close range after Gibbs’ shot had come back off the post to complete a miserable afternoon for Sunderland.
Liverpool compensated for its defensive errors with a fine attacking display to beat Crystal Palace 4-2 and remain among the leading pack.
Only an inferior goal difference means Liverpool is behind Manchester City and Arsenal at the top of the standings.
Emre Can, Dejan Lovren, Joel Matip, and Roberto Firmino inflicted Palace’s third successive loss.
Liverpool’s Alberto Moreno replaced the absent James Milner to secure his first league start since losing his place after the opening day of the season, and he required only 16 minutes to exert his influence setting Can to shoot first time from inside the area beyond goalkeeper Steve Mandanda into the bottom right corner.
But two minutes later Lovren, under little pressure, sliced a clearance back toward his own goal. James McArthur capitalised and equalised.
It took only three minutes for Liverpool to restore their lead through Lovren.
Amid more unconvincing defending in the 33rd, McArthur again brought Palace level.
But from another Coutinho corner in the 44th, Lovren’s central defensive partner, Joel Matip, headed Liverpool back into the lead.
Then in the 71st, Jordan Henderson’s long-range, classy throughball sent Firmino one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and the Brazilian responded by superbly chipping Mandanda to double Liverpool’s lead.
Jose Mourinho watched from the stands in the second half as Manchester United endured a goalless draw in the English Premier League on Saturday, despite 37 attempts on goal, with 'keeper Tom Heaton helping Burnley snatch a point against his former club.
United bounced back from a humiliating defeat at Chelsea with an English League Cup derby win against Manchester City midweek, but hopes of a follow-up victory in the league were thwarted by Heaton, a United academy graduate.
Heaton left United six years ago without a first-team appearance to his name and, now 30, returned to haunt United on Saturday, producing a stunning display in the Burnley goal as a pulsating match ended 0-0.
Referee Mark Clattenburg gave Ander Herrera a harsh-looking second yellow card, having already sent off Mourinho.
United manager Mourinho was furious at his side not receiving a penalty after Jon Flanagan's challenge on Matteo Darmian just before halftime. Mourinho settled in the directors' box after hopping around seats near the dugout.
Five months after collecting the English Premier League trophy, Claudio Ranieri was ecstatic just to see Leicester collect a point at Tottenham on Saturday.
Celebrating a 1-1 draw — after Leicester forward Ahmed Musa canceled out Vincent Janssen's penalty — was not demeaning for the Leicester manager. Far from it.
Defending the title won so unexpectedly by the club for the first time last season was always an unlikely proposition as rivals have strengthened.
Ranieri's early target is the same as last season's: Stay in the Premier League.
While the Italian was underplaying the strength of Leicester's position a year ago to alleviate the pressure on his players, slipping into a relegation dogfight has looked possible this season. Especially with Jamie Vardy, last season's top scorer on 24 goals, extending his drought to 10 games at White Hart Lane.
But after four successive losses on the road in the league, Leicester has its first point away from King Power Stadium and is up to 11th.