/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/4SEFHBIQFRLS7KGDCZ5A664QWY.jpg "Man City back in groove, Liverpool rule Merseyside")
Soccer Football – Premier League – Manchester City v Brighton & Hove Albion – Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain – October 21, 2023 Manchester City’s Erling Braut Haaland celebrates scoring their second goal with Jeremy Doku Action Images via Reuters/Jason Cairnduff Acquire Licensing Rights
Soccer: Manchester City Beat Brighton to Return to Top of Premier League
Manchester City avoided a third successive Premier League defeat as they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 to return to the top of the table. Liverpool also secured a win over Everton in the Merseyside derby with a 2-0 victory. Chelsea led Arsenal 2-0 but had to settle for a 2-2 draw. Newcastle United had a dominant 4-0 win against Crystal Palace, while Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers also secured wins. The restart of Premier League action was overshadowed by the news of Bobby Charlton’s death. Manchester United’s game against Sheffield United will be sombre in light of the news.
Manchester City took an early lead in their match against Brighton with Julian Alvarez scoring in the 7th minute. Erling Haaland ended his goal drought with a left-foot finish in the 19th minute. Brighton pulled one back with Ansu Fati’s goal in the 73rd minute, but City held on to secure their 21st consecutive home win, despite Manuel Akanji receiving a red card in stoppage time.
In the Merseyside derby, Liverpool had the advantage of Everton’s Ashley Young being sent off in the first half. Mohamed Salah scored a penalty in the 75th minute, and added a second goal in stoppage time to secure a 2-0 victory for Liverpool, extending their unbeaten record against Everton to 29 games.
Chelsea looked set for a victory against Arsenal with a 2-0 lead, thanks to goals from Cole Palmer and Mykhailo Mudryk. However, Arsenal came back with goals from Declan Rice and Leandro Trossard to salvage a 2-2 draw.
Newcastle United had a dominant performance against Crystal Palace, winning 4-0. Jacob Murphy opened the scoring in the fourth minute, and also assisted Anthony Gordon’s goal. Sean Longstaff and Callum Wilson added two more goals to secure the win.
Other results include Wolves’ 2-1 victory over Bournemouth with a late goal from Sasa Kalajdzic, and Brentford’s 3-0 win against Burnley. Luton Town secured a dramatic late 2-2 draw against Nottingham Forest.
Manchester City and Arsenal currently have 21 points each at the top of the Premier League table, but City has a superior goal difference. Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur both have 20 points, with Spurs having the chance to go top if they win against Fulham.
Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond