A late injury scare to Erling Haaland has soured Enzo Maresca’s seventh straight win as Manchester City manager; while Chelsea goalkeeper Emi Martinez was sent to hospital after a nasty collision.
Meanwhile, an Aussie rising star has endured his toughest challenge yet; Liverpool came from behind in the second half for a vital win over a nine-man Brentford.
All that and more in the latest edition of Premier League Wrap!
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AUSSIE COPS PL REALITY CHECK IN HULL’S LOSS
After a dream first month in the Premier League, Australian rising star Lucas Herrington is beginning to discover how tough life in the top flight truly is.
After not seeing a minute of action last week against Everton, the teen sensation was booked early and then taken off at half time in Hull’s 1-0 loss to the previously winless Fulham.
Alex Iwobi’s 33rd-minute goal clinched a 1-0 victory at Craven Cottage, with the ball deflecting off Herrington to sum up the 19-year old’s day.
The win came as blessed relief for manager Alvaro Arbeloa, who had seen his team spurn five points in consecutive last-gasp fadeouts against Manchester United and Ipswich Town despite holding 1-0 leads in the 88th minute in both.
This time, there was no late equaliser, though a 94th-minute red card to Ryan Sessegnon gave home fans a late scare.
Herrington lacked his usual composure at the back, conceding a yellow card before being taken off as Hull chased the game.
Remarkably, they would finish with just 22 per cent of possession in a match Fulham dominated from start to finish, with the Tigers finishing with only two shots, neither on target.
“That was the worst performance since I’ve been here,” manager Sergej Jakirovic told Hull Live.
“If you ask me about the reasons, I don’t know right now. I have to watch this game again, but we were out of everything in possession, out of possession.
“Fulham were much, much better than us, and congratulations to them. They played an excellent game … we didn’t have even a shot on target, so it’s a pretty bad day for us.
“We were so far off from everything. I can say 1-0 is a good result for us. It was a very tough game for us at every moment.
“They ate us alive.”
The win takes Fulham from last place to outside the relegation zone for the time being.
‘WE’LL SEE’: HAALAND SCARE SOURS MARESCA RECORD
Enzo Maresca is sweating on Erling Haaland’s fitness after the Manchester City striker limped off following his double in Saturday’s 3-2 win against Ipswich.
Haaland netted twice after Daizen Maeda had cancelled out Phil Foden’s opener for City at the Etihad Stadium.
The Norway star’s latest man-of-the-match display took his goal tally for the season to 12 in all competitions.
But there was a concerning sight for City boss Maresca, who became the first manager in Premier League history to win his first seven games at the helm, at the final whistle.
Haaland had taken a blow to the foot late in the game and appeared to be struggling when he left the pitch.
Maresca is hopeful the issue is minor but will await the result of checks on his talismanic forward.
“We will see. I asked him and he said he was OK, so hopefully it is nothing serious,” he said.
The Italian revealed a number of other players had also suffered knocks.
“Unfortunately in 10 minutes we had four of five players, Matheus (Nunes), Kova (Mateo Kovacic), Erling, Antoine (Semenyo) and Nico (O’Reilly) also, but they are inside now and we will see,” he said.
City, who remain unbeaten with 21 of 21 points atop the league table continue to show their defiance in the face of the club’s ongoing crisis following their guilty verdict for breaching Premier League financial rules.
City are appealing against the decision but could face a huge points deduction or even expulsion from the Premier League if they lose the appeal.
Haaland’s future will be plunged into doubt if City are no longer in the top flight, and Maresca acknowledged his importance.
“It’s fantastic for him. He’s not just scoring goals, he’s one of the leaders, he’s one of the captains. He’s doing very well,” he said.
Zian Flemming’s late penalty for Ipswich set up an anxious finish for Maresca, but City held on to bounce back from their midweek Champions League defeat against Paris Saint-Germain.
“We give credit to the players. They are not worried about people who judge from outside,” Maresca said of the flood of criticism for City since the guilty verdict.
“Inside I promise the players are happy, they’re getting credit and I give credit to them.
“It’s a matter of winning games in this business and we were able to win seven in a row.
“What has made me very happy is the day-by-day with the players, the way they are working and how I can see them improving. The game today we completely controlled.”
Maresca also hailed City’s fans, who showed their loyalty by booing the Premier League anthem and waving inflatable bananas in a reference to the late 1980s, when the team retained their backing despite struggling on the pitch.
“The environment was very good. The club, the fans, the players are all together on this journey and this is the best feeling for everyone,” he said.
With City potentially facing a massive points deduction or even expulsion from the top flight if their appeal fails, it remains to be seen whether their results will even matter by the end of the season.
For now, Enzo Maresca’s side are in fine form after bouncing back from their midweek loss to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
There was a defiant mood at the Etihad Stadium, where City fans booed the Premier League anthem before kick-off.
Phil Foden put Maresca’s men ahead in the 19th minute with a sharp turn and finish after Jeremy Doku’s incisive run prised open the Ipswich defence.
Foden’s first goal this season was followed by an Ipswich equaliser in the 21st minute when Daizen Maeda evaded Marc Guehi to fire home.
Haaland restored City’s lead in the 34th minute with a pinpoint header from Mateo Kovacic’s cross.
Haaland killed off Ipswich in the 69th minute, sprinting onto Iliman Ndiaye’s pass and steering his shot past Ipswich goalkeeper Christian Walton.
Zian Flemming’s 90th-minute penalty, awarded for a foul by Guehi, set up a tense finale but City held on.
“Very happy with today’s game, we controlled it for 95 minutes. We create chances, we score. We finish a little bit suffering together but overall, it is good,” Maresca said.
KEEPER HURT IN CHELSEA’S NINE-MONTH PL FIRST
Pedro Neto’s double condemned Everton to a first defeat of the season as Chelsea won 2-0 at the Hill Dickinson Stadium despite the loss of goalkeeper Emi Martinez to a head injury.
The win was the Blues’ first clean sheet in 23 Premier League games, but required two goalkeepers after the Argentine international was involved in a sickening head clash with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite and was taken to hospital.
Back-up keeper Mike Penders replaced him in goal for the remainder of the match, with Martinez booed by Toffees fans as he was carried from the field on a stretcher.
The Belgian had little to do in his first Premier League appearance bar dealing with a few desperate Everton crosses.
Neto opened the scoring inside the first minute of the second half and secured the three points during the 11 added minutes following the lengthy treatment given to the stricken Martinez.
“As far as I know he left the stadium conscious. Right now he’s in the hospital doing the precautionary tests, so let’s see,” Chelsea boss Xabi Alonso said.
A first away win of the season lifts Chelsea above the Toffees into the top four.
“We needed one of these wins away. We have played very professional, very serious, looking solid. It is a very good win,” Alonso added.
“We need to get many more clean sheets for the rest of the of the league games but for sure the first one of the season feels good and now we need to keep going this way.”
After a slow start, a fiery-tempered encounter sparked into life when Everton midfielder Harrison Armstrong launched into a tackle on Josh Acheampong for the first of five first-half yellow cards.
That challenge also enlivened the home crowd and spurred Everton on to their best spell of the game.
Thierno Barry was guilty of another wasteful day in front of goal as the Frenchman planted a header from Jack Grealish’s cross too close to Martinez.
Chelsea have made a habit of fast starts under Alonso, but it took until four minutes before half-time to threaten when Moises Caicedo blasted off the bar from a well-worked corner.
Everton were furious that Morgan Rogers escaped a second booking just before the break after a thunderous clash with England teammate James Garner.
That proved to be a huge decision as the visitors this time flew out of the blocks at the start of the second period.
Jorrel Hato got to the byline and his low cross fell to Neto, who had time to control before firing low past Jordan Pickford.
Chelsea had not kept a Premier League clean sheet since January, but were rarely troubled by an Everton side short on forward options despite the loss of Martinez.
“I just felt that Chelsea had that little bit more flair and ability which we didn’t possess at the right moments today,” Everton boss David Moyes said.
The treatment for Martinez threatened to halt Chelsea’s momentum as they controlled the second half.
Pickford made a fine save to deny Joao Pedro, but Chelsea did get their second goal when Neto coolly stroked into the bottom corner after Jordan Henderson’s free-kick was blocked by the Everton wall.
REDS RECOVER FROM BRENTFORD STUNNER
In west London, Liverpool were stunned when Brentford defender Keane Lewis-Potter looped a header past Alisson Becker from Igor Thiago’s cross in the 44th minute.
But the Bees were reduced to 10 men in first half stoppage-time after Yehor Yarmolyuk’s head made contact with Jeremy Jacquet’s face while they waited for a corner.
Liverpool lost Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong to injuries, but still made their numerical advantage count in the 62nd minute.
Victor Munoz cut inside and slotted a composed equaliser past Brentford’s former Liverpool ‘keeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
Alexander Isak blasted Liverpool’s winner in the 70th minute after Barcola teed up the Sweden striker for his fifth goal this term.
Brentford finished with nine men following Vitaly Janelt’s second booking in stoppage-time.
Beaten by City in their previous league game, Liverpool are up to fifth place after inflicting Brentford’s first league defeat of the season.
“You see the results of Brentford at home and you have to be ready for these kinds of battles. We had 45 minutes to do the comeback and I think we played really well,” Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola said.
“I think there’s still lots to improve. We’re taking steps and we’re grabbing points on the way which is important,” star striker Alexander Isak said after being left to watch the final stages as an anxious spectator after being replaced.
“Us from the bench were screaming for the team to keep the ball and just play out the game.”
Victory lifts Andoni Iraola’s men into fifth in the Premier League and within two points of second-placed Arsenal.
But the Liverpool boss was also frustrated with how his side managed the game after Isak’s 70th-minute winner.
“I think we played really well until the 2-1. After that we started to protect something, I think we didn’t manage the last minutes well,” said Iraola.
“We lacked some composure on the ball. Sometimes it was just about keeping the ball more and not going for the goal with the first chance.”
TOONS’ LAST-MINUTE REJECTOR RETURNS AS FULHAM END WIN DROUGHT
Aston Villa won 1-0 at Newcastle as Johan Manzambi tormented the club he rejected in the close-season.
Villa winger Manzambi headed home from Joao Gomes’s cross in the 33rd minute.
It was a bitter blow to Newcastle, who agreed a deal with Freiburg for Manzambi in the summer before Villa hijacked the deal.
“I knew this team was very good,” he told Sky Sports post-match.
“I played against them in the Europa League final last season. I knew it was a very good team with a big coach. I knew that it was perfect for me.”
The loss marked the Toons’ record 16th consecutive match across all competitions in which they have failed to keep a clean sheet.