Premier League 2025-26: Haaland leads Man City to victory over Everton with second-half double

Manchester City’s Erling Haaland kept up his high scoring pace with two goals in five second-half minutes on Saturday, moving City provisionally top of the table with a 2-0 Premier League victory over Everton.

Pep Guardiola’s men have sixteen points after eight games, before Arsenal and Liverpool, now second and third respectively, play their matches this weekend. Everton dropped to 10th place with 11 points.

The 25-year-old Haaland – who scored in his 11th consecutive game for club and country for a season’s total of 23 goals – broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when he headed in Nico O’Reilly’s cross from the left.

The Norwegian doubled City’s lead five minutes later when he latched onto a Savinho cross and struck a blistering left-foot shot from the center of the box, which was slightly deflected by Everton’s James Tarkowski past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Haaland was hungry for a hat-trick, with three brilliant chances in the final minutes, with Pickford rushing out to save two with his legs. Haaland took the ball around Pickford on the third, but his looping shot from an impossibly tight angle fell wide of the net.

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Haaland shook his head in frustration as the crowd chanted «Haaland! Haaland!» for his efforts.

City’s Phil Foden praised Haaland for breaking the deadlock, calling the moment «very important».

“We know he has the quality to time his runs to perfection and be in the right position. If they take him out of the game he is still capable of scoring and we know he only needs one chance to score.”

«He remained very patient; there wasn’t much space for him today. And as you can see, he is always there for us at the right times; that is the sign of a world-class striker.»

There was no emotional homecoming for Everton winger Jack Grealish, who was not eligible to face his parent club. A TV camera showed Grealish during the match, but the absence of the league’s joint assists leader left a gaping hole for David Moyes’ team.

City, who thoroughly dominated in the second half, had 19 shots to Everton’s five and seven on target to the visitor’s.

Everton squandered a handful of chances. Early in the match, Iliman Ndiaye raced down the right before sending a cross to Beto, who slid to just get his foot on the ball but stabbed it wide.

City keeper Gianluigi Donnarumma tapped Ndiaye’s long-range shot over the crossbar later in the first half.

Welbeck brace gives Brighton 2-1 win over Newcastle

Danny Welbeck scored late in each half to give Brighton & Hove Albion a 2-1 Premier League win over Newcastle United on Saturday.

Welbeck put the home side ahead in the 41st minute, grabbing a pass from Georginio Rutter to create a stunning finish, but Newcastle’s big summer signing Nick Woltemade grabbed his side’s first away goal of the season to level in the 76th minute.

Welbeck, 34, came to his side’s rescue again, picking up a loose ball and flashing a shot over Nick Pope and into the Newcastle net in the 84th minute to put his side back in front.

The visitor continued to surge forward but Dan Burn, Woltemade and Harvey Barnes were all unable to convert late chances for Newcastle as the Seagulls held on for the win.

Published on October 18, 2025