The Sunday News
RUNAWAY Premier League leaders Manchester City overcame defensive problems to reach another landmark with a 2-0 victory at Leicester City on Saturday.
Pep Guardiola’s side made it 11 wins from 12 matches to equal the record start to their 2011-12 title triumph under Roberto Mancini.
Even the loss of John Stones to injury and an unsettling return to action for Vincent Kompany could not stop them sweeping aside Leicester with goals either side of half-time from Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne.
City finished the game with two defenders — Kompany and Eliaquim Mangala — who have just eight appearances between them this season at the heart of their back four.
But it did not deter them in the slightest as they brought Leicester’s six-match unbeaten run to an end at the King Power Stadium.
Kompany could have been sent off in the second minute for a last-man foul on Jamie Vardy, but even after losing Stones to an apparent hamstring injury later in the first half, City made their dominance count.
One change had been forced upon Guardiola by Nicolas Otamendi’s suspension, but he also left Sergio Aguero on the bench after his health scare while on international duty with Argentina.
Otamendi’s absence opened the door for Kompany’s return after an 11-week absence with a calf strain, but his comeback could have been over before it had begun.
City’s skipper scythed down Vardy as he burst through the middle, leaving referee Graham Scott with a big call to make.
He chose to issue a yellow card and television replays showed Vardy was not clean through and Stones was in close proximity.
Though the leaders dominated the early possession, Leicester were able to deal with any threat and looked typically menacing on the counter-attack.
Kasper Schmeichel was called upon to make his first save of note in the 20th minute when Leroy Sane picked out David Silva, whose first-time shot was tipped over the bar at full stretch.
There was another anxious moment for the home side when the dangerous Sane whipped a teasing cross into the danger area from the left and the diving Raheem Sterling was only inches from getting his head to it.
Stones went down clutching his hamstring as he attempted to put the brakes on when chasing back in the 28th minute.
With Mangala introduced into a much-changed defence, Claude Puel’s Leicester sensed an opportunity to put their opponents under pressure.
Mangala’s first contribution was hardly convincing, but Guardiola’s men recovered their composure to finish the first half on a high note.
Silva was the instigator of a move that unlocked the Leicester defence and left Jesus with the simplest of tap-ins when the Spaniard squared it to him on the edge of the six-yard box.
Leicester must have known it was not going to be their afternoon when, within seconds of going close to an equaliser, they found themselves two goals down in the 49th minute.
The post was still rattling at one end from Harry Maguire’s shot when De Bruyne fired a stunning left-foot shot into the top-left corner, leaving Schmeichel grasping at thin air.
The visitors seemed in a hurry to wrap up the three points as first Jesus and then Sane went close to adding a third.
There was a warning sign for City when Kyle Walker had to produce an acrobatic goal-line clearance to keep out Vardy’s header after a Wilfred Ndidi shot had been deflected into the striker’s path, but Guardiola’s men closed out a comfortable win.
Controversial goals from Shkodran Mustafi and Alexis Sanchez gave Arsenal their first Premier League success against Tottenham for over three years as the Gunners won 2-0 in a heated north London derby on Saturday.
Arsene Wenger’s side ended a six-match winless run against their hated rivals thanks to a pair of fiercely debated first-half goals at the Emirates Stadium.
Tottenham were furious that referee Mike Dean awarded a free-kick for Davinson Sanchez’s challenge on Alexis Sanchez and their indignation grew louder when, from the resulting set-piece, Mustafi headed Arsenal’s opener from what the visitors claimed was an offside position.
Mauricio Pochettino’s men felt hard done by again when Sanchez doubled Arsenal’s lead by converting a pass from Alexandre Lacazette, who looked offside in the build-up to the goal.
Arsenal’s first league win over Tottenham since March 2014 was a welcome tonic after their chastening loss at leaders Manchester City before the international break.
Arsenal move within one point of Tottenham and, even if City remain a distant speck on the horizon, proving the balance of power in north London hasn’t completely shifted to their neighbours was cause enough for jubilation among Gunners fans.
Having finished above Arsenal for the first time in 22 years last season, Tottenham missed a chance to underline their ascendency and remain without a win at the Emirates since 2010.
It was a major blow to their title hopes and Pochettino must be concerned that Harry Kane and Dele Alli looked rusty after missing England’s friendlies due to injury.
When Kane wasted his only decent chance in the opening moments — firing too close to Arsenal goalkeeper Petr Cech — it was a sign of the angst to come for Tottenham.
Despite a largely frustrating time in 2017, Arsenal remain a potent force on home turf, where they have now won their last 11 league games.
Driven on by the effervescent Sanchez, they had no trouble turning the screw on Tottenham and almost took the lead when Aaron Ramsey’s exquisite pass caught Tottenham left-back Ben Davies out of position.
Gunners defender Hector Bellerin met Ramsey’s ball and whipped over a cross that narrowly eluded the lunging Lacazette in the six-yard box.
Lacking the hunger that inspired their famous win over European champions Real Madrid, Tottenham had reverted to the diffident mood that has often marred their trips to top-six rivals since Pochettino took charge.
Against the run of play, Christian Eriksen could have put Tottenham ahead when his low shot clipped the outside of a post.
But the momentum remained with Arsenal and the dam broke at last as they opened the scoring in the 36th minute.
When Sanchez was harshly penalised by Dean for a challenge on his Arsenal namesake, Mesut Ozil lofted a free-kick towards Mustafi, who got in front of Jan Vertonghen to loop a header past Hugo Lloris into the far corner.
If Tottenham felt injustice over that one, there was worse to come five minutes later.
Bellerin’s pass found Lacazette playing on the shoulder of the Spurs defence and, when the offside flagged stayed down again, he raced away and picked out Sanchez.
The Chile forward took a touch before smashing his shot into the roof of the net from close range for only his third Arsenal goal this season.
Pochettino’s assistant Jesus Perez was furious with Dean as he stormed down the tunnel at half-time, but in truth Tottenham had only themselves to blame for allowing Arsenal to seize the initiative.
Although Tottenham played with more purpose after the interval, their luck was out as Kane’s goal-bound effort was blocked by Mustafi.
Sanchez almost made it three when his strike was repelled by Lloris and Cech’s fine save from Eric Dier’s header ensured there would be no late Tottenham revival.
Arsenal 2 – 0 T ottenham Hotspur
Leicester City 0 – 2 Manchester City
West Bromwich 0 – 4 Chelsea
Liverpool 3 – 0 Southampton
Crystal Palace 2 – 2 Everton
Burnley 2 – 0 Swansea City
AFC Bournemouth 4 – 0 Huddersfield Town
Manchester Unte 4- 1 Newcastle — SuperSport
