26 January 2021

Manchester City thrash West Brom to go top of Premier League

26 January 2021

Manchester City moved to the top of the the Premier League with a 5-0 thrashing of relegation-threatened West Brom at the Hawthorns.

Ilkay Gundogan registered a brace, either side of a Joao Cancelo goal, and Riyad Mahrez was also on the scoresheet as City netted four times before the interval.

Raheem Sterling added a fifth for City in the 57th minute as they recorded a seventh successive league victory in emphatic fashion.

Pep Guardiola’s side are now a point clear at the summit of second-placed Manchester United – the Red Devils host rock-bottom Sheffield United on Wednesday.

West Brom remain 19th, six points adrift of safety. They have lost five of their seven league games so far under boss Sam Allardyce and their goals against tally for the campaign is now 48 from 20 matches.

Arsenal bounced back from Saturday’s FA Cup loss at Southampton by coming from behind to beat the Saints 3-1 at St Mary’s.

Nicolas Pepe swiftly cancelled out Stuart Armstrong’s early opener for the hosts and Bukayo Saka then put Arsenal in front in the 37th minute. Alexandre Lacazette extended the advantage with 18 minutes of normal time to go.

It sees Arsenal go above Southampton in the table, with them now lying eighth and 11th respectively.

Tomas Soucek's brace helped West Ham move into the top four (PA Wire)

West Ham are up to fourth after Tomas Soucek’s brace helped them come from behind and win 3-2 at Crystal Palace.

After Wilfried Zaha had given Palace the lead in the third minute, Soucek equalised with a ninth-minute header and then put the Hammers ahead midway through the first half.

Craig Dawson then added a header to make it 3-1 in the 65th minute, before substitute Michy Batshuayi pulled a goal back for the hosts in stoppage time.

David Moyes’ side have won each of their last six games in all competitions.

Meanwhile, it is now 11 matches in all competitions without a win for Steve Bruce’s 16th-placed Newcastle after they were beaten 2-1 at home by Leeds.

Leeds went 1-0 up through a 17th-minute Raphinha finish. Miguel Almiron replied in the 57th minute, but Jack Harrison restored the away side’s lead with a sweet strike just four minutes later.

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