The Malta Independent on Sunday

Man City beaten 2-1 by United in blow to title defense

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Manchester City fans hurled objects at Manchester United midfielder Fred as their Premier League title defense faded further with a 2-1 loss in the city derby on Saturday.

In the same incident, as Fred prepared to take a corner with United leading 2-0, a fan was caught on camera appearing to mimic a monkey at the Etihad Stadium.

City's problems were not just coming from their fans.

The champions were torn apart by the fifth-place visitors in the first half, conceding goals in a sixminute span from Marcus Rashford's penalty and Anthony Martial's strike.

Although Nicolas Otamendi's header reduced the deficit in the 85th, City couldn't prevent United from claiming only a second away win of the season.

It left City with as many losses — four — as last season. And Pep Guardiola's side fell 14 points behind Liverpool, which is 11 points ahead of Leicester.

Salah on target as leader Liverpool beats Bournemout­h 3-0

Mohamed Salah's 10th goal of the season capped Liverpool's 30 win at Bournemout­h on Saturday that sent the Premier League leaders 11 points clear.

The three goals came in the space of just 19 minutes either side of halftime, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlai­n and Naby Keita netting before the break.

The move that led to the opener in the 35th minute started with Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker.

After receiving the ball from his goalkeeper via Dejan Lovren, midfielder Henderson deceived Bournemout­h center back Chris Mepham with a long, diagonal pass. That allowed Alex OxladeCham­berlain to volley his sixth goal of the season beyond goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.

There was a blow with Lovren forced off injured before the lead was extended.

Keita, making his first league start of the season, received the ball from Salah's back-heel before taking a touch and calmly prodding past Ramsdale from 10 yards (meters) out.

Calamitous home defending led to the result being put beyond doubt just nine minutes into the second half.

Inexperien­ced center back Jack Simpson gave the ball away to Keita. The Guinea internatio­nal then advanced to slip in Salah, who raced away from Mepham to roll home past Ramsdale and atone for a close-range miss in first-half stoppage time.

Liverpool's lead at the Premier League summit will be reduced again to eight points if Leicester beats Aston Villa on Sunday.

Everton beats Chelsea 3-1 as Ferguson takes temporary charge

Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored twice as Everton beat Chelsea 3-1 in the Premier League on Saturday to give caretaker manager Duncan Ferguson a winning start.

Richarliso­n scored the opening goal after just five minutes, rising above the defense to head home and send the animated Ferguson charging down the touchline.

It set the tone for a performanc­e unrecogniz­able from the final games under Marco Silva, who was fired on Thursday.

Calvert-Lewin netted twice in the second half, either side of Mateo Kovacic's first Premier League goal for Chelsea.

Chelsea is fourth in the standings, while Everton moved to two points above the relegation zone.

Everton lost its last three games under Silva, including 5-2 to Liverpool on Wednesday, but showed much more fight in the first game under Ferguson, the former striker who played 239 league matches for the club.

Ferguson didn't have to wait long before he was punching the air and running down the touchline to celebrate Richarliso­n's close-range header from Djibril Sidibe's cross.

The hosts continued to impress as Theo Walcott's low cross just evaded Richarliso­n at the far post and Calvert-Lewin shot straight at Kepa Arrizabala­ga.

Everton then doubled its lead four minutes into the second half. Andreas Christense­n and Kurt Zouma, who was on loan at Everton last season, failed to deal with a high ball and Calvert-Lewin capitalize­d.

But Kovacic pulled one back within three minutes with a firsttime shot from outside the box after the ball was cleared into his path.

Both sides missed further chances as Walcott skipped past N'Golo Kante but shot at Kepa after ignoring Richarliso­n alongside him, while Christian Pulisic steered wide from Kante's knockdown.

Calvert-Lewin made the win safe when he poked a loose ball between Kepa's legs in the 84th, with Ferguson celebratin­g by hoisting a ball boy into the air.

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