The highly anticipated weekend clash turned out to be a completely lopsided affair as Erling Haaland scored twice to reach double figures for Premier League goals this season, with Phil Foden also finding the back of the net for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Liverpool solidified their spot in the top four with a comfortable 3-0 home victory against Nottingham Forest, while Aston Villa, in fifth place, notched their 12th consecutive home league win with a convincing 3-1 triumph over struggling Luton Town.
Everton enjoyed a poignant 1-0 victory at West Ham United, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin scoring the lone goal at the London Stadium. The win moved Everton up to 15th in the standings.
In the day’s other match, Brighton & Hove Albion and Fulham played to a 1-1 draw, extending Brighton’s winless run to four games.
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| Soccer Football – Premier League – Liverpool v Nottingham Forest – Anfield, Liverpool, Britain – October 29, 2023 Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring their third goal with Darwin Nunez and Harvey Elliott. Photo: Reuters |
City’s victory propelled them to 24 points, on equal footing with Arsenal who thrashed Sheffield United 5-0 on Saturday. They remain two points behind the surprise leaders, Tottenham Hotspur, who defeated Crystal Palace on Friday.
United, on the other hand, sit in eighth place, trailing City by nine points, and based on Sunday’s performance, that gap is only set to widen.
“There’s a clear disparity. The United players are lacking in every aspect, technically and tactically. This team has a long way to go,” former United captain Roy Keane told Sky Sports.
Erik Ten Hag’s side seemed to have turned a corner with narrow league wins over Brentford and Sheffield United, as well as a Champions League victory against FC Copenhagen.
However, those wins merely masked the underlying issues, and City ruthlessly exposed them in a dominant display that handed United their fifth defeat in their first 10 Premier League games of the season—the most since 1986-87.
Haaland Makes His Mark at Old Trafford
The match began with touching tributes to Manchester United legend Bobby Charlton, who passed away the previous weekend. However, any hopes of United putting on a performance reminiscent of the iconic Charlton quickly evaporated.
Haaland opened the scoring with a 26th-minute penalty, marking his first goal at Old Trafford. The penalty was awarded after United striker Rasmus Hojlund was penalized for pulling down Rodri. Shortly after the break, Haaland found the back of the net again with a header from Bernardo Silva’s cross, recording his 11th league goal of the season. He also turned provider, setting up Foden to complete United’s misery as the rain came pouring down.
“This is definitely one of our best wins. To win 3-0 away with this crowd, it’s definitely one of our standout performances,” Haaland said.
Liverpool cruised to victory over Forest with goals from Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez, and Mohamed Salah. However, the win was overshadowed by off-field events.
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| Soccer Football – Premier League – Aston Villa v Luton Town – Villa Park, Birmingham, Britain – October 29, 2023 Aston Villa’s Moussa Diaby scores their second goal past Luton Town’s Thomas Kaminski. Action Images via Reuters |
After scoring the opening goal, Jota held up the shirt of his teammate Luis Diaz, who was absent from the game due to the kidnapping of his parents in his native Colombia.
“Luis was with us in the hotel, but then he had to go home. It’s an incredibly difficult situation, and I can’t even imagine how anyone would react if it happened to them,” Jota told the BBC.
While the victory was important, manager Juergen Klopp expressed that his thoughts were with Diaz.
“The preparation for this game was the most challenging I’ve ever experienced. We didn’t expect it, and we couldn’t prepare for it. We’re doing everything we can to support Lucho (Diaz),” he said.
Aston Villa continues to establish their stadium as a fortress, with Luton becoming their latest victims.
John McGinn gave Unai Emery’s side the lead in the 17th minute, and Moussa Diaby unleashed a powerful shot four minutes into the second half. A Tom Lockyer own goal just past the hour mark put Villa in complete control.
The only blemish on Villa’s record came in the form of an own goal, as a defensive header struck the crossbar and rebounded into the net off goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
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