Honors even

Source: AFP Published: 2020/11/9 15:23:40

De Bruyne misses penalty as Man City held 1-1 by Liverpool


Kevin de Bruyne of Manchester City misses a penalty during the match against Liverpool at Etihad Stadium on Sunday in Manchester, England. Photo: VCG

 

Kevin de Bruyne missed a penalty as Manchester City squandered the chance to close the gap on Liverpool on Sunday while Tottenham's Harry Kane celebrated joining the Premier League's 150-goal club.

A win at the Etihad would have taken the Reds to the summit but the battle between the two dominant powers of recent seasons ended 1-1.

That meant Leicester clung onto top spot after leapfrogging Spurs, who beat West Brom 1-0, after a 1-0 win of their own at home to Wolves.

In the late evening kickoff, Aston Villa hammered Arsenal 3-0, condemning Mikel Arteta's men to their fourth defeat in six league games.

Jurgen Klopp's champions made an aggressive start against City, with Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota all in a fearsome-looking starting lineup.

The visitors went ahead in the 13th minute when Salah converted a penalty after Kyle Walker clipped Mane in the box but City drew level just after the ­half-hour mark through Gabriel Jesus.

The home side were awarded a penalty themselves just before the interval after a VAR check but de Bruyne skewed wide. 

The draw left Liverpool in third place on 17 points after eight games, one point behind Leicester and five clear of City, who have a game in hand.

Earlier, Kane headed in a late winner in a 1-0 victory against struggling West Brom to briefly lift Jose Mourinho's side to the top of the table after their fourth win in five league games.

Only Alan Shearer and Sergio Aguero have scored 150 Premier League goals in fewer appearances than Kane, who reached the landmark in his 218th match.

Mourinho was effusive in his praise for his star striker, who also has 10 ­assists in all competitions this season.

"Harry Kane, you have to say, has this many goals, this many assists, this number of balls recovered, this number of duels won, this number of balls that he saved his team in a defensive set piece," he said.

"This is Harry Kane. It's goals plus this and this and this and that."

But Spurs' stay at the top of the Premier League was short-lived as Jamie Vardy netted his eighth Premier League goal of the season for Leicester.

Vardy scored the decisive goal from the penalty spot in the 15th minute - following a VAR check - after Wolves' Max Kilman handled Dennis Praet's cross in the area.

He missed another spot kick late in the first half but Brendan Rodgers' team held on to take all three points.

"We couldn't have asked for a better start," said Rodgers, whose side travel to Liverpool after the international break.

"I have always said failure is learning and if anyone says us not getting into the Champions League last season was failing then, OK. For us it was about learning and developing."



Posted in: SOCCER

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