LONDON: Manchester City slumped to a fourth consecutive defeat after blowing the lead to lose 2-1 at Brighton on Saturday, allowing Liverpool the chance to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League.
City had not suffered defeat in the league for nearly a year prior to losing at Bournemouth last weekend.
But after also exiting the League Cup to Tottenham and being on the end of a 4-1 thrashing by Sporting Lisbon in the Champions League, Pep Guardiola has lost four straight matches for the first time in his illustrious managerial career.
The English champions looked set to bounce back from their chastening night in Lisbon on Tuesday when Erling Haaland prodded in his 15th goal of the season at the second attempt after his initial effort was saved by Bart Verbruggen.
City, though, were opened up at will in the second half and were finally punished by a pair of Brighton substitutes.
Joao Pedro fired in the equalizer after City failed to clear in a goalmouth scramble.
Matt O’Riley has had to wait for his Premier League debut after suffering a serious ankle injury days after sealing a move from Celtic.
The Danish international marked his bow in style when he slotted in from Pedro’s pass seven minutes from time.
Liverpool can stretch their lead at the top of the table to five points with victory over Aston Villa at Anfield later on Saturday.
Wolves ended a wait since April for a Premier League win by beating fellow strugglers Southampton 2-0 to move off the foot of the table.
Gary O’Neil was under huge pressure to deliver after a 13-game winless run in the top flight and got the perfect start when Pablo Sarabia swept home Matheus Cunha’s pass for Wolves’ fastest ever Premier League goal.
Cunha smashed home a stunning second goal himself early in the second period to give Wolves a vital three points, which sees Southampton replace them at the bottom of the table.
“He’s huge for us. He has such ability,” said O’Neil on Cunha’s influence. “A big win for us and Matheus Cunha had a big say in it.”
Fulham moved into seventh by inflicting more misery on Crystal Palace with a 2-0 win at Selhurst Park.
Emile Smith Rowe pounced on an error from Maxence Lacroix to open the scoring in first-half stoppage time.
The Eagles’ hopes of a fightback were hit when Daichi Kamada saw red for a wild lunge on Kenny Tete.
Harry Wilson came off the bench to score twice in stoppage time to secure a 2-1 win over Brentford on Monday and the Welsh international was an impact substitute again to wrap up the victory seven minutes from time.
Yoane Wissa scored a brace as Brentford twice came from behind to beat Bournemouth 3-2.
Twice the in-form Cherries led through Evanilson and Justin Kluivert.
But the Bees have taken 16 points from a possible 18 at home this season.
Brentford quickly levelled on both occasions through Wissa and Mikkel Damsgaard.
Wissa then completed the comeback with his seventh goal in eight league appearances this season.
West Ham and Everton did little to quell the discontent among both fanbases in a 0-0 draw.
There were loud boos at full-time at the London Stadium from the West Ham support, but a point does edge Everton four clear of the bottom three.
Man City beaten again at Brighton to open door to Liverpool
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Man City beaten again at Brighton to open door to Liverpool
- City had not suffered defeat in the league for nearly a year prior to losing at Bournemouth last weekend
- Pep Guardiola has lost four straight matches for the first time in his illustrious managerial career
Dubai Basketball edge Milan to secure EuroLeague victory
DUBAI: Dubai Basketball strengthened their home-court reputation with a 99-92 win over EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in Round 18 of the EuroLeague at Coca-Cola Arena on Tuesday, cheered on by more than 5,000 fans.
The hosts made a fast start and immediately imposed themselves at both ends of the floor. Canadian center Mfiondu Kabengele and Serbian big man Filip Petrusev controlled the paint early, creating close-range scoring opportunities and forcing Milan into defensive adjustments. With McKinley Wright IV and Dwayne Bacon adding pace and penetration, Dubai surged into a double-digit lead and dictated the tempo of the opening quarter.
Milan struggled to settle and spent much of the first period on the back foot, as Dubai’s advantage stretched to 15 points. Although the visitors steadied themselves as the quarter progressed, the early deficit proved costly.
Dubai head coach Jurica Golemac praised the impact of the home crowd after the game, saying: “Congratulations to the fans. We were missing them for sure in the last home game, and they helped us a lot. In the first quarter, we played one of our best quarters this season. The next game is at home in three days, so there is no time to rest too much. We need to prepare for that game first. We are not thinking three games ahead — we prepare for every game and try to win every game.”
Milan showed improved rhythm in the second quarter, but Dubai responded before the break. Bacon punished defensive lapses from beyond the arc, while Kabengele finished strongly inside to help the hosts take a seven-point lead into halftime.
The final period was defined by composure rather than flair. Milan threatened to draw level on several occasions, but missed free throws and execution errors halted their momentum. Bacon sealed the outcome from the free-throw line in the final two minutes, pushing Dubai back into a double-digit advantage and closing out the contest.
Bacon led all scorers with 25 points, while Wright recorded 19 points and nine assists. Kabengele added 17 points, and Petrusev contributed 13 points and seven rebounds. For Milan, Guduric topped the scoring with 11 points, alongside seven rebounds and seven assists.
Dubai Basketball now turn their attention to the ABA League, where they remain unbeaten. The team return to Coca-Cola Arena to face Slovenia’s KRKA in Round 12 of the competition.
