Pep Guardiola rocked old foe Jose Mourinho as Premier League leaders Manchester City extended their flawless start with a 2-1 win over Manchester United, while Arsenal snatched a dramatic 2-1 victory against Southampton on Saturday. “In the first-half we were better and won a lot of duels against a physically stronger team”, Guardiola said.
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“In the first half we were excellent but it was hard for us after they scored the goal”, said the Belgium worldwide.
Tottenham swept to a 4-0 victory at bottom-of-the-table Stoke as South Korean Son Heung-Min sparkled on his first appearance of the season.
City’s Kevin de Bruyne was at his scintillating best and returned to haunt Mourinho, his former manager at Chelsea, by opening the scoring when he ran onto a flicked header from Kelechi Iheanacho and finished low.
“The kid [Marcus Rashford, who came on at half-time] looks like he is playing for the Under-18s against Salford City”.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic replied for United in the 42nd minute, volleying home after City debutant Claudio Bravo dropped a cross, to set up a thrilling second half of furious, end-to-end action during which De Bruyne struck the post. “We had the courage and the honesty and the dignity to go and chase with pride”. “I like goalkeepers to play in front and after that [Ibrahimovic] goal, he continued playing in our build-up, playing long balls and coming out to pick it up”.
Arsenal enjoyed much of the possession against Southampton but lacked a cutting edge and needed Cazorla’s late penalty to take all three points after Jose Fonte was harshly penalised for tangling with Olivier Giroud.
“It feels very good”, he told Sky Sports. In the first half we were below the level to play this match.
The critics were sharpening their knives when Arsenal fell behind in the 18th minute through a Petr Cech own goal from Dusan Tadic’s free-kick. Roberto Firmino scored twice while Sadio Mane and Adam Lallana also scored at Anfield, which hosted its first game of the season following the completion of work to expand the club’s main stand.
Liverpool midfielder Lucas, playing out of position in central defence, gave Leicester a lifeline with a awful 38th-minute backpass that Jamie Vardy drilled into the empty net. “We had counter-attacks and we didn’t finish”.
Dele Alli bagged Tottenham’s third in the 59th minute and Harry Kane sealed the rout with his first goal of the season in the 70th minute. “So probably in the next big game in the Premier League, I know who can accept the dimension of the game, which is very important”. “It was the ideal result for us”.
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United pressed for an equaliser that never arrived during the second half, with Bravo’s erratic showing giving them continued cause for encouragement, but Mourinho was left to reflect on three Premier League points lost before the interval. “They really worked hard to get the victory today”.
