Winning start over Swansea for new Robins boss Pearson
NIGEL Pearson was provided with a winning start to life as Bristol City manager after Kasey Palmer scored from a corner in a 3-1 Sky Bet Championship victory over Swansea.
The Robins midfielder looked as though he had gifted his old side the three points when he handled in the box to allow Andre Ayew to fire the hosts into a deserved lead.
But Pearson watched his new side fight back to equalise through Nahki Wells, before Palmer looped a corner all the way over goalkeeper Freddie Woodman’s head.
Antoine Semenyo sealed
City’s second win in a week.
Brentford came from behind to strengthen their automatic promotion push with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Stoke.
Vitaly Janelt equalised in the 56th minute after Jacob Brown had put the visitors ahead early on, but Ivan Toney’s 25th goal of the season secured victory for the Bees.
Arnaut Danjuma scored the only goal as Bournemouth picked up a crucial 1-0 win over Watford in an ill-tempered game which saw both teams finish with 10 men.
Danjuma fired the winner 16 minutes into the second half to end the Cherries’ two-match losing streak.
The victory was marred by a multi-player stoppage-time brawl during which saw Watford striker Joao Pedro and Bournemouth midfielder Jack Wilshere both sent off.
Luton produced a sensational comeback to defeat Sheffield Wednesday 3-2 at Kenilworth Road.
They were trailing 2-0 at half-time to Josh Windass’ double but were level after just 15 minutes of the second period, with Kal Naismith and Ryan Tunnicliffe scoring, before Elijah Adebayo headed home a dramatic late winner.
Birmingham scored two late goals in three minutes to earn their first home win in 13 games as they came from behind to beat QPR 2-1 at St Andrew’s.
Alen Halilovic scored a cracker for his first goal for the club after Kristian Pedersen equalised to cancel out Charlie Austin’s opener.
Reading managed to kick-start their season after claiming a narrow 1-0 victory at struggling Rotherham.
Defeat consigned the Millers to a fifth successive loss and they remain deep in relegation trouble.
Matty James’ first goal since March 2017 earned 10-man Coventry a 1-1 draw at Blackburn.
The on-loan midfielder’s hooked finish five minutes after the restart cancelled out Ben Brereton’s second goal in as many games. They held on despite the 83rd-minute dismissal of Leo Ostigard.
Elsewhere, Cauley Woodrow and Michal Helik scored as Barnsley beat Millwall 2-1 at Oakwell, while Brad Potts, Ched Evans and Scott Sinclair were all on target as Preston beat Huddersfield 3-0.
Bristol
A FINE strike from John Stones proved to be the difference as Premier League leaders Manchester City extended their winning streak to 20 matches with victory over West Ham.
Pep Guardiola’s side appear unstoppable at the moment and his central defenders got in on the act as both Ruben Dias and Stones scored in a 2-1 win in the day’s early kickoff.
Dias opened the scoring with his first City goal, heading home a fine Kevin De Bruyne ball into the box.
In-form West Ham did not let their heads drop, Michail Antonio pulling them level by turning home Jesse Lingard’s cross-shot.
But the Hammers would ultimately leave the Eithad Stadium empty-handed as Stones showed a striker’s instincts to drive home a Riyad Mahrez ball and keep City’s run going.
There was plenty of controversy in a key game at the other end of the table as Sam Allardyce picked up his first home win as West Brom boss with victory over Brighton, who missed two penalties at the Hawthorns.
Kyle Bartley’s first-half header was enough to give the Baggies a 1-0 win, but the game will be remembered for the drama which ensued.
Okay Yokuslu was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box as referee Lee Mason’s busy afternoon began with a check of the pitchside monitor, with Pascal Gross rattling the crossbar with the resulting penalty.
Mason then caused utter confusion as he at first disallowed and then allowed a quickly-taken Lewis Dunk free-kick before VAR finally ruled the goal out during a chaotic five minutes.
Mason had blown his whistle to let Dunk proceed, but then immediately blew again with the ball heading towards goal because Baggies goalkeeper Sam Johnstone was not ready.
West Brom’s luck continued in the second half as substitute Danny Welbeck missed a second spot-kick for the Seagulls, hitting a post with 15 minutes to go after Gross had been tripped by Conor Townsend.
Anwar El Ghazi hit the only goal of the game as Aston Villa won at Leeds.
The Holland winger was sent off on his last appearance at Elland Road, sparking a mass brawl in a Sky Bet Championship draw, but this time he struck after just five minutes to give Dean Smith’s men a 1-0 win.
Leeds could have moved above Villa in the table with a win but rarely tested Emiliano Martinez in the visitors’ goal, with Villa now six points behind fourth-placed West Ham with two games in hand.