Chelsea and Manchester City didn’t discipline a acknowledged striker between them for his or her Premier League video games.
It didn’t cease them combining for 11 targets in ominous shows by the 2 title contenders.
Missing injured strikers Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner, Chelsea nonetheless powered to its greatest win of the season — 7-0 towards Norwich — with playmaker Mason Mount scoring a hat trick.
Chelsea’s Mason Mount celebrates scoring their seventh aim and his hat-trick. (Reuters)
City doesn’t have an out-and-out striker in its squad after failing to signal a like-for-like substitute for Sergio Aguero within the offseason however that isn’t stopping the champions scoring freely this season.
A 4-1 victory at Brighton, secured primarily thanks to 2 targets by Phil Foden, adopted a 5-1 win at Club Brugge midweek within the Champions League. It was the sixth time in 14 video games in all competitions that City has scored three or extra targets.
Chelsea will spend one other week main the league — it’s two factors forward of City and 4 away from Liverpool, whose recreation in hand is at Manchester United on Sunday — and the power in depth within the squad ought to guarantee Thomas Tuchel’s workforce maintains a title problem this season.
There have been 16 totally different scorers for Chelsea in all competitions this season, with Callum Hudson-Odoi, Reece James and Ben Chilwell additionally netting towards last-place Norwich alongside Mount’s first Premier League hat trick.
That bodes effectively for the leaders whereas Lukaku (ankle) and Werner (hamstring) are out of motion after sustaining accidents in midweek.
City is in a wealthy vein of kind, too, particularly with Foden taking up the scoring and inventive mantle whereas enjoying within the false-nine function.
The 21-year-old England worldwide transformed a move from Jack Grealish on the finish of a breakaway, then noticed a shot from Gabriel Jesus deflect in off his heel to make it 3-0 at halftime, with Ilkay Gundogan having set City on its means with the opener at fourth-place Brighton.
Foden arrange Riyad Mahrez for the fourth aim in second-half stoppage time.
Ranieri’s first win
It has been fairly the trip for Claudio Ranieri to date at Watford.
Manchester City’s Jack Grealish in motion with Brighton & Hove Albion’s Joel Veltman. (Reuters)
Having began with a 5-0 loss at dwelling to Liverpool final weekend, Ranieri — who turned 70 on Wednesday — noticed his new workforce beat Everton 5-2 due to a hat trick by Josh King that was accomplished amid a rush of 4 targets from the 78th minute for Watford at Goodison Park.
“It was important to show the character, the strength, and to react to the result,” Ranieri stated. “We were playing well but suddenly we score in nine minutes three times — it was amazing.”
Joy for Ranieri however despair for Everton supervisor Rafa Benitez, whose workforce was jeered off the sphere after a second straight dwelling loss. It won’t be lengthy earlier than supporters flip towards Benitez, a contentious appointment for some given his hyperlinks to native rival Liverpool.
“I understand the frustration of the fans,” he stated. “We have to make sure we show something in every game, more character, more personality.”
Overhead kick
Newcastle remains to be ready for a primary win underneath the membership’s new Saudi possession.
A primary level arrived, although, due to a aim from an overhead kick by Callum Wilson in a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace. Christian Benteke had given Palace the lead and had a late aim disallowed for a foul within the build-up.
Newcastle is in next-to-last place and going through a relegation battle this season.
Late aim, massive harm
Leeds was ready to find the extent of a concerning-looking left ankle harm to star winger Raphinha that he sustained in a 1-1 draw towards Wolverhampton.
Brighton & Hove Albion’s Alexis Mac Allister in motion with Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva (Reuters)
The Brazil worldwide was already off the sphere along with his harm when Rodrigo earned Leeds a degree with a penalty within the fourth minute of stoppage time. That canceled out Hwang Hee-chan’s Tenth-minute opener for Wolves.
Raphinha was harm in a problem from Wolves defender Romain Saiss and appeared in ache as he was helped down the tunnel at Elland Road, seemingly unable to place full weight on his ankle.
Leeds solely has one win in its opening 9 video games amid harm points for supervisor Marcelo Bielsa.
In the day’s different match, Ivory Coast winger Maxwel Cornet scored two targets for Burnley — together with the equalizer — in a 2-2 draw at Southampton.
