City top EPL as Liverpool surge into second

Reigning champions Manchester City claimed top spot in the Premier League for the first time this season as Bernardo Silva scored twice in a 3-1 victory at Watford on Saturday.

Raheem Sterling’s early header paved the way to a comfortable win for Pep Guardiola’s side who made the most of morning leaders Chelsea’s 3-2 defeat at West Ham United.

Silva fired in from a tight angle in the 31st minute and put City in cruise control just past the hour mark when he curled a delightful effort into the top corner.

In truth City’s winning margin should have been bigger against a struggling Watford side who were given some late hope when Cucho Hernandez pulled a goal back.

City’s fifth successive league win lifted them to 35 points from 15 games, one point ahead of Liverpool and two ahead of Chelsea in what is shaping up to be a three-way title tussle.

Earlier, Liverpool’s Divock Origi came off the bench to score a brilliant injury-time winner and briefly send his side top of the Premier League with a 1-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Origi picked up a cross from Mohamed Salah before swivelling and drilling the ball home in the 94th minute, sending the Liverpool fans into raptures and sparing his usually lethal fellow strikers’ blushes after they missed a hatful of chances.

Newcastle United finally won their first game of the season, beating bottom-three rivals Burnley 1-0 at St James’ Park thanks to a 40th-minute goal from Callum Wilson.

Eddie Howe’s side made a poor start to the game with the visitors well on top until an error by Burnley keeper Nick Pope gifted Newcastle the lead.

A 98th-minute goal by Brighton & Hove Albion’s Neal Maupay cancelled out Southampton forward Armando Broja’s first-half strike as the south-coast rivals played out a 1-1 draw.

Brighton, down to 10 men after Leandro Trossard was carried off the pitch with an arm injury after the team had used up all their substitutes, snatched a point when Maupay equalised from close range after being played onside by James Ward-Prowse following a free kick.

Broja had put Southampton ahead in the 29th minute with his fifth goal in all competitions this season, as the on-loan Albanian collected Nathan Redmond’s headed pass and dodged Brighton’s Shane Duffy to score with the outside of his foot. (Reuters)