EPBL: Liverpool Stops Manchester City Again
By Tanko Bauka
Liverpool FC have further put a dent on the paths of Manchester City who are seeking to win the English Barclays Premier League for the 5th time in a row.
The match, which was the top of the week 14 encounter between the two football giants as well as the football powerhouse, lived up to the billings and expectations of football fans all over the world.
Liverpool FC made their intention known at the blast of the whistle by the centre referee, signalling the commencement of the match as they dominated their opponents in the first ten minutes dictating the pace, and their constant pressure paid off in the 12 minutes of the first half through Gody Gakpo after wave of attacks upon attacks.
The first half ended 1-0 in favour of the home team, but on resumption of the second half, Liverpool FC continued laying siege at the goal mouth of Manchester City, pounding and knocking for the second goal, which came in the 68 minutes via a spot kick by Mohammed Salah.
Never in the history of Manchester City nor the rich managerial career of Pep Guardiola as this is the first time he has lost four consecutive league games.
Manchester City are now winless in seven games in all competitions.
But looking at the pedigree of Pep Guardiola, he is capable of turning things around, but for now, he is behind league leader Liverpool with 11 points.
Second-placed Arsenal FC, who are trailing Liverpool FC by 9 points, seems to have recovered from their slumber as they have now scored a total of 13 combined goals as they put 5 past their London neighbours West Ham United after three against Nottingham Forest and 5 against Sporting CP in the Champions League.
The Arteta boys are playing with the flare and precision that have been their Hallmark.
Manchester United dispatched Everton by 4 goals to nothing in what seems to be Ruben Amorim’s first win in the Premier League, with Joshua Zirkzee and Marcus Rashford running riot at Everton as both of them scoring 2 goals each.
Chelsea FC also made a statement about their credentials to go for the league as they made life difficult for Unai Emery Aston Villa with their talisman Nicolas Jackson setting the pace in a 3-0 hammering of their visitors to Stamford Bridge while Tottenham Hotspur inconsistency continues as they were held to a one-all draw at home by 10 man Fulham.
In the Spanish LA Liga FC Barcelona continued to lose ground as they were beaten 2-1 by relegation-threatened Las Palmas; a result which has thrown the league wide open as their arch-rival Real Madrid who are the league defending Champion have found a way back to contention, reducing the gap between them to just only one point with Real Madrid having one outstanding match to play against Valencia.
Real Madrid dispatched Getafe 2-0, with Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe getting on the score sheet.
While in the German Bundesliga, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich had to settle for a one-all draw, Bayern Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt continued to mount more pressure on the league leader by winning their respective matches.
In the Italian Serie A, Napoli continued their fine form as they pipped Torino 1-0 to remain top of the league table, AC Milan hammered Empoli 3-0 as Lacce and Juventus settled for one all draw.
Results across Europe.
English Barclays Premier League
Brighton 1- Southampton 1
Brentford 4- Leicester 1
Crystal Palace 1- Newcastle 1
Nothingham 1- Ipswich Town 0
Wolves 2- AFC Bournemouth 4
West Ham 2- Arsenal 5
Chelsea 3- Aston Villa 0
Manchester United 4- Everton 0
Tottenham 1- Fulham 1
Liverpool 2- Manchester City 0
Spanish LA Liga
Mallorca 2- Valencia 1
FC Barcelona 1- Las Palmas 2
Deportivo Alaves 2- Laganes 1
Espanyol 3- Celta Vigo 1
Real Valladolid 0- Atlectico Madrid 5
Villarreal 2- Girona 2
Real Madrid 2- Gatafe 0
Rayo Vallacano 2- Athletic Bilbao 2
Real Sociedad 2- Real Betis 0
Italian Serie A
Cagliari 1- Hellas Verona 0
Como 2- AC Monza 1
AC Milan 3- Empoli 0
Bologna 3- Venezia 0
Udinese 0- Genoa 2
Parma 3- Lazio 1
Lacce 1- Juventus 1
German Bundesliga
FC St Pauli 3- Holstein Kiel 1
RB Leipzig 1- Wolfsburg 5
Werder Bremen 2- Stuttgart 2
SC Freiburg 3- Monchenglabach 1
FC Augsburg 1- VFL Bochum 0
Union Berlin 1- Leverkusen 2
Dortmund 1- Bayern Munich 1
Mainz 05 2- Hoffenheim 0
Heidenheim 0- Eintrach Frankfurt 4.
