Premier League: Haaland early strike helps Man City win

England, October 26

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland scored an early goal to take the champions provisionally top of the Premier League with a 1-0 victory over lowly Southampton at Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola’s team have 23 points after nine games, two ahead of Liverpool, who visit Arsenal on Sunday. Southampton are still without a win in their first season back in the top flight after a season away and sit second-bottom on one point.

Haaland he had gone three Premier League games without a goal but ended that drought in the fifth minute on Saturday.

Wrestling with defender Jan Bednarek, the Norwegian stabbed the ball into the roof of the net with a toe while falling onto his backside. Southampton had a terrific chance to level right before the break but Cameron Archer smashed his shot against the bar. — IANS

Wasteful Villa held by Bournemouth

High-flying Aston Villa had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Bournemouth after a last-gasp Evanilson header cancelled out Ross Barkley’s opener for the dominant hosts in the Premier League on Saturday. Though devastated to concede at the death, Unai Emery’s team nevertheless moved up to third in the table with 18 points and extended their unbeaten run to 11 games in all competitions. Buoyed by another Champions League win in midweek, Villa peppered Bournemouth’s goal from the off, squandering a host of chances before second-half substitute Barkley hooked in from close range in the 76th minute from a Leon Bailey knock-down.