Aguero scores hat trick, Man City beats Huddersfield 6-1
Sergio Aguero scored a hat trick, with one of the goals set up by his own goalkeeper, as Manchester City turned on the style in a 6-1 thrashing of Huddersfield in the Premier League yesterday.
High up on the highlight reel in the latest exhibition by City was a 70-meter pass from goalkeeper Ederson Moraes from his own penalty area that found Aguero running behind Huddersfield’s high line.
Aguero cut inside and chipped Huddersfield’s stranded ‘keeper Ben Hamer, setting City on its way to its second straight win to open the season. With eight goals already, it’s an ominous start by the defending champions.
City’s other scorers were Gabriel Jesus, who started up front alongside Aguero in a 3-5-2 formation, and long-serving playmaker David Silva, who curled in a delightful free kick. A miserable afternoon at Etihad Stadium for Huddersfield was wrapped up by Terence Kongolo’s 84th-minute own-goal.
It was Aguero’s ninth Premier League hat trick, bettered only by Alan Shearer’s 11.
City began its title defence by beating Arsenal 2-0 away last weekend.
With sloppy defending, Man United loses 3-2 to Brighton
Manchester United conceded three goals in a 20-minute span in the first half in a 3-2 loss to Brighton.
A few hours after Manchester City strolled to a 6-1 win over Huddersfield, United showed the gulf that currently exists to its fierce rival by succumbing meekly to its first loss of the season.
Glenn Murray marked his 200th Brighton appearance with the opening goal in the 25th minute, before further goals from Shane Duffy and Pascal Gross from the penalty spot - left United reeling.
Romelu Lukaku scored for United to make it 2-1 and captain Paul Pogba converted a stoppage-time penalty with virtually the last kick of the game. By then, a battling Brighton side had done enough to earn a second straight home victory over Jose Mourinho’s side.
A surly Mourinho spent the buildup to this clash choosing to criticise rivals Manchester City’s fly-on-the-wall documentary released this week, saying “you can’t buy class” in reaction to the behind-the-scenes account of last season at the Etihad Stadium. When Brighton’s fans sang "Your city is blue" in the final moments of the game, humiliation for United and Mourinho was complete.
This was just the 10th time in Premier League history that United conceded three first-half goals, and the first time since their 3-0 defeat at Arsenal in October 2015. It punctured any optimism created by the 2-1 win over Leicester last week.
Brighton toppled United 1-0 on the south coast in May en route to a 15th-place finish in last season's Premier League and was at it again three months down the line.
Murray conjured a tidy finish to put the hosts ahead, the 34-yearold striker flicking home a finish at the near post.
Two minutes later, Duffy slotted in from close range after United failed to clear a corner.
Lukaku made no mistake with his second chance, after fluffing an early opportunity, but just when United was expected to force its way back into the game, more poor defending cost the visitors again.
Bailly upended Gross from behind to concede a penalty that the Austrian converted past David De Gea.
Mourinho used the interval to remove Juan Mata and Andreas Pereira, with England internationals Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard entering as United sought an injection of pace.
Mourinho then threw on Marouane Fellaini in place of Anthony Martial on the hour, but still United continued in listless fashion.
Pogba converted his second penalty in as many games after Duffy upended Fellaini, but it was too little, too late for United.
Mourinho will now demand an instant reaction when United hosts Tottenham in its next game.
Watford maintains perfect start with 3-1 win over Burnley
Watford cruised to a 3-1 victory over Burnley yesterday to extend the London side’s perfect start to the season and a place among the Premier League’s early pacesetters.
Watford took an early lead through Andre Gray, who opened the scoring in the third minute when he converted Troy Deeney’s cross into the bottom right corner. Burnley equalised three minutes later when James Tarkowski headed in from close range.
Burnley, which was playing in a sixth competitive match in 25 days as it attempts to qualify for the Europa League group stage, fell off the pace early in the second half.
Watford retook the lead three minutes after the break at Turf Moor when Deeney steered the ball in from the centre of the box and doubled its advantage in the 51st through Will Hughes.
Watford beat Brighton 2-0 in its first league game.