Manchester City get Premier League title defense back on track

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MANCHESTER, England, Oct 21, (AP): Manchester City got their Premier League title defense back on track with a 2-1 win over Brighton built on early goals by Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland on Saturday.
City had lost its last two league games – to Wolverhampton and Arsenal – and were looking to avoid three in a row for the first time under Pep Guardiola.

Alvarez put the champions ahead in the seventh minute by turning in a cut-back from Jeremy Doku, who was a danger every time he got the ball on the left wing.
Haaland added a second goal, and his ninth in the league this season, after he latched onto Carlos Baleba’s errant back-pass and smashed a low shot into the net from just outside the area in the 19th.
Brighton pulled a goal back through Ansu Fati in the 73rd minute.

The visitors had left back Solly March carried off on a stretcher in stoppage time, during which City defender Manuel Akanji was sent off for picking up a second yellow card.

Jacob Murphy scored an early goal and set up two others as Newcastle routed Crystal Palace 4-0 .
Sandro Tonali came on as a second-half substitute for Newcastle. The 23-year-old Italy midfielder is facing a lengthy ban as part of a betting investigation in his home country.

Anthony Gordon, Sean Longstaff, and Callum Wilson also netted at St. James’ Park as the Magpies extended their unbeaten run in the league to five games – four of them shutout victories.

Murphy’s lob – possibly an intended cross – went over goalkeeper Sam Johnstone and inside the far post in the fourth minute. The winger then crossed for Gordon to fire home shortly before the break.
Newcastle went into halftime 3-0 ahead after defender Marc Guehi misplayed a ball, allowing Longstaff to collect it and score in stoppage time.

Wilson completed the scoring in the 66th when he caught up to Murphy’s long, curling pass from the right side and beat Johnstone.

Newcastle are unbeaten in eight games in all competitions.
Mid-table Palace has won just one of its past five league matches.

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