Jesus rediscovers goal touch with a little help from Mum
chatting, laughing, making jokes, but it will be good for him having his family here. Being alone, a young player – I don’t think he’s got a girlfriend, he’s not married – so to have his family here will be important. I think it’s going to help him.”
There was a conviction to the way Jesus took both his goals – sweeping one shot inside Jordan Pickford’s near post and later powering a header past the Everton goalkeeper – that has seldom been in evidence of late. Everton did rally, pulling a goal back through Dominic Calvert-lewin, before Raheem Sterling restored City’s twogoal cushion three minutes after coming on, but the visitors squandered chances late on.
It was around this time last year that Jesus’s troubles began with a knee injury sustained against Crystal Palace. Soon after, a couple of family members had to return to Brazil due to visa issues and while City would go on to win the title in record-breaking fashion, Jesus disappointed at the World Cup and those struggles continued this season. It seemed a reflection of his
Carlton Cole gave Hammers fans a Christmas treat by turning up at the “away pub” before Saturday’s London derby at Fulham, resplendent in festive jumpers and Santa hats. They gave a lusty rendition of
Maybe not a Christmas No1 contender, but it still went down a storm. poor form that, in the absence of the injured Sergio Aguero, Guardiola elected to start Sterling at centre-forward over Jesus against Chelsea, but the Everton match saw a striking return to form.
It is a relatively minor point, but Guardiola also thought it was telling that Jesus chose the week his family set up in Manchester to conduct his first interview in English. “I insist on the players having to learn English because sometimes I have the feeling he maybe doesn’t understand me when I speak in English, so it’s important to have that feeling that he’s speaking English much better,” Guardiola said.
Jesus’s return to form coincided with Kevin de Bruyne’s comeback as a substitute from a six-week injury lay-off. With Aguero also on the bench after missing the past four matches with a muscle problem, Guardiola has the cavalry coming back for Christmas.
De Bruyne can see the title race going to the wire with Liverpool. “I think they will go on to the end,” he said. “They’ll try to keep pace with us and vice versa, but it’s still early.”
Manchester United at Anfield, Marouane Fellaini sent a shot at goal so wide it knocked over a steward sitting on a stool near the corner flag (left). A penny for Jose Mourinho’s thoughts.
“It’s too cold, but if it means we win all our games when the weather’s like this then the weather doesn’t matter.”
Wolves secured their third successive top-flight victory for the first time since 1980 and never looked in trouble against Eddie Howe’s injury-ravaged team.
Jimenez gave the hosts a 12thminute lead with a close-range strike, before Tyrone Mings added to Howe’s injury list by limping off with a back problem.
Though Bournemouth did improve, they never appeared capable of troubling goalkeeper Rui Patricio and Wolves substitute Ivan Cavaleiro raced clear in added time to put the result beyond doubt.
Bournemouth have lost six of their past seven games and face Chelsea in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.
Nathan Ake, the defender, said: “It’s a tough one to take, but it’s one where we have to learn and take it into next week.
“It’s hard to say what has changed since the start of the season. We still have a good enough team, we have shown that before, so we just need to pick ourselves out of this hole and get it going.”