LONDON: Manchester United crashed to a last-gasp 2-1 defeat against Brighton & Hove Albion and an Erling Haaland’s hat-trick fired Premier League champions Manchester City to a 4-1 win against Ipswich Town on Saturday.
Erik ten Hag’s side were left shell-shocked by Joao Pedro’s winner five minutes into stoppage-time at the Amex Stadium.
United fell behind to a 32nd minute goal from Danny Welbeck, who poked in Kaoru Mitoma’s cross for his sixth goal in 16 appearances against his former club.
Amad Diallo equalised for United after an hour, cutting inside for a shot that deflected in off Brighton defender Jan Paul van Hecke.
Joshua Zirkzee prevented Alejandro Garnacho from putting the visitors ahead in the closing stages when the United forward touched home his team-mate’s finish on the line.
Zirkzee, a close-season signing from Bologna, was in an offside position and VAR ruled out the goal.
Left completely unmarked at the far post, Brazilian striker Pedro rubbed salt into United’s wounds as he headed home from Simon Adingra’s cross to ensure Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler maintained his 100 per cent start following last weekend’s win at Everton.
The 31-year-old German is the youngest permanent manager in Premier League history after arriving from St Pauli to replace Roberto De Zerbi in the close-season.
“My team deserved to win. These moments make memories and we have to enjoy it,” Hurzeler said.
Ten Hag added: “Both goals are very soft. As a team, we should have done better. We have to be more clinical in both boxes.”
At the Etihad Stadium, City scored three times in four minutes to survive an early scare against promoted Ipswich.
Sammie Szmodics, signed from Blackburn in the close-season, gave Ipswich a shock lead in the seventh minute, running on to Omari Hutchinson’s pass and squeezing his shot through Ederson’s legs.
City levelled when Leif Davis’s 12th minute foul on Savinho conceded a penalty that Haaland dispatched with ease.
Ipswich keeper Arijanet Muric spent four years with City before leaving in 2022 and he returned with a gift for his old club, dwelling in possession in the 14th minute as Kevin De Bruyne stole the ball and slotted home.
City made it three when the unstoppable Haaland flicked De Bruyne’s deft pass past Muric.
German midfielder Ilkay Gundogan came off the bench for City in the second half after rejoining his former club from Barcelona on a one-year contract on Friday.
Haaland completed his treble in the 88th minute with a typically predatory finish for his fourth goal already this season.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Yves Bissouma got back in favour with boss Ange Postecoglou as his superb strike inspired a 4-0 rout of Everton in north London.
Postecoglou picker Bissouma following a one-game suspension after posting a social media video that showed him inhaling nitrous oxide.
“You know what it’s like when you punish your child and they do everything right for the next two days?” Postecoglou had said of Bissouma’s return.
The Mali international made the most of his reprieve in the 14th minute, lashing home from the edge of the area for his first league goal for Tottenham in his 52nd appearance.
Son Heung-min doubled Tottenham’s lead in the 25th minute, forcing Jordan Pickford into an embarrassing mistake as the Everton keeper was robbed by the South Korean for a simple finish.
Cristian Romero headed Tottenham’s third in the 71st minute. Son bagged his second with a clinical finish six minutes later.
West Ham United boss Julen Lopetegui earned the first win of his reign as second half goals from Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen sealed a 2-0 victory at Crystal Palace.
Alex Iwobi’s 70th minute goal clinched Fulham’s 2-1 win against Leicester City at Craven Cottage after Emile Smith Rowe’s first half opener for the hosts was cancelled out by Wout Faes.
Nottingham Forest won 1-0 at Southampton thanks to Morgan Gibbs-White’s 70th minute strike.
Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2024
