Without the injured Erling Haaland and trailing 1-0 to Luton at half-time, Manchester City were in danger of sliding into a full-blown crisis approaching the midway point of their Premier League title defence.
The defending champions turned things around, as goals from Bernardo Silva and Jack Grealish in the space of three minutes sealed a 2-1 win on Sunday, ending a four-game winless run and closing the gap on first-place Liverpool to four points.
Had it not been for the recovery in the second half, City coach Pep Guardiola would have stumbled into the worst run of results in his coaching career, having never gone five matches without a win.
That was the bleak scenario facing Guardiola and City after striker Elia Adebayo headed home Andros Townsend’s cross at the back post in the second minute of first-half stoppage time to give Luton the lead at Kenilworth Road – five days after the promoted hosts blasted a 3-goal lead. -2 Advance against Arsenal to lose 4-3.
Haaland was sidelined with a foot injury, so City were without the league’s top scorer as they attempted to produce a fightback.
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However, Rodri returned from suspension, and when the Spanish midfielder’s progress into the box was halted by a well-timed challenge, Silva was there to pounce on the loose ball and slot it into the bottom corner in the 62nd minute.
Grealish then converted a cross from Julian Alvarez in the 65th minute.
City remained in fourth place, with Guardiola saying Haaland would be assessed before the Crystal Palace match on Saturday.
Injuries are piling up for Saudi-owned Newcastle, and so are losses.
With the 4-1 defeat at Tottenham, Newcastle have lost more Premier League games – six – than they have in the entire 2022-23 season.
Three of them came in the last five matches and away from home, as Newcastle coach Eddie Howe struggles to achieve a balance between domestic play and the Champions League amid an injury crisis that has led to him playing with the same starting lineup in five consecutive matches. Next up is his biggest game of the season, at home to Milan on Wednesday when Newcastle’s Champions League hopes are on the line.
Destiny Odije scored for the first time in the Premier League, Richarlison added goals at both breaks and Son Heung-min scored a late penalty for Tottenham, who have not won since October 27 – when the team were unbeaten and top of the table. Ranking.
There have been four defeats and a draw since then, with Spurs taking the lead in each of those matches but failing to hold on. Not this time, though, as Joelinton scored an honorable goal for Newcastle in stoppage time.
Everton is moving away from the relegation zone, less than a month after falling to the bottom three after deducting 10 points due to financial mismanagement.
The 2-0 win over Chelsea marked a third successive win for Everton, who moved four points clear of third place behind Luton.
Abdoulaye Doucoure scored for the third time in five matches, taking advantage of the rebound in the 54th minute after Dominic Calvert-Lewin had a shot blocked by Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez. Louis Dupin added the second goal in the second minute of stoppage time.
After spending around $1 billion on players in the last three transfer windows, Chelsea are not even in the top half after losing three of their last four matches.
The visitors also lost right-back Reece James to another injury after he was forced off in the 27th minute with a hamstring problem.
Raul Jimenez is enjoying a new decade of life at Fulham.
The Mexico international has been through some tough times after suffering a career-threatening head injury while playing for Wolves in November 2020. Once one of the most sought-after strikers in the Premier League, he appeared to have lost all confidence and was sold to Fulham in July.
Thanks to his 22nd-minute goal in Fulham’s 5-0 win over West Ham, Jimenez has scored four goals in his last five matches and is leading a mid-season revival from the London club.
Willian and Tosin Adarabioyo added goals in the first half, while Harry Wilson and Carlos Vinicius added more after the break, so Fulham scored at least three goals for the fourth match in a row, after that against Wolverhampton, Liverpool and Nottingham Forest.
This is the second successive 5-0 win, after defeating Forest by this score in midweek.
Marco Silva’s side now sit in 10th place, just three points behind ninth-placed West Ham, whose four-game unbeaten run in the league has ended.
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In a thrilling turn of events, Manchester City secured a crucial victory over Luton, bringing an end to their winless streak of four matches. Despite the absence of star striker Erling Haaland, City managed to put on an impressive performance, with goals from other key players sealing the much-needed win. Meanwhile, Tottenham also delivered a commanding 4-1 victory over Newcastle, further adding to the excitement of the weekend’s football action. Both teams showcased their skills and determination, making for an exhilarating display of Premier League football.