Erling Haaland once again set the standard as Manchester City surged to the top of the Premier League table with a dominant victory over West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium. Pep Guardiola’s side looked in control from the opening moments and never loosened their grip, extending their winning streak and underlining their title credentials.
City wasted no time asserting themselves. Inside the opening five minutes, Haaland pounced after his initial strike was pushed away by Alphonse Areola, showing sharp instincts to turn the rebound home. The Norwegian striker remained a constant menace, narrowly missing a second moments later when his close-range header drifted wide. West Ham struggled to cope with City’s relentless pressure, and their resistance finally broke again just before half-time. Tijjani Reijnders finished off a flowing move, rifling the ball into the net after being picked out by Haaland to double the advantage.
The visitors showed greater urgency after the restart, with Jarrod Bowen coming closest to offering a response, but City’s defensive shape remained solid. Any lingering hopes of a comeback were extinguished when Haaland struck again late on, sealing a convincing 3-0 win and capping off a miserable afternoon for West Ham, who remain stuck near the foot of the table. The result lifted City a point above Arsenal, albeit temporarily, pending the Gunners’ clash with Everton.
Elsewhere, Wolverhampton Wanderers’ nightmare season continued as Brentford claimed a 2-0 away victory at Molineux. After a tight first half, Keane Lewis-Potter broke the deadlock when Wolves failed to clear a speculative delivery from Vitaly Janelt. The forward struck again late in the game with a calm finish to put the result beyond doubt. Wolves’ troubles deepened further when Jorgen Strand Larsen saw his late penalty saved by Caoimhin Kelleher, extending the club’s top-flight losing run to a worrying ten matches and leaving them cut adrift at the bottom.
On the south coast, Brighton & Hove Albion were frustrated by a resilient Sunderland side in a goalless draw, the first Premier League meeting between the two clubs. Sunderland looked the more threatening in the opening period, while Brighton goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was called into action after the break to deny Omar Alderete with an excellent stop. Brighton’s failure to end their winless run in December leaves them in mid-table, while Sunderland continue to impress following promotion, climbing to fifth place.
There was late drama at the Vitality Stadium, where Burnley finally brought an end to a seven-match losing streak. Bournemouth appeared set for victory after Antoine Semenyo curled in a fine opener—his eighth league goal of the season—but Burnley refused to fold. Their persistence paid off in the dying moments when Armando Broja rose highest to nod home a crucial equaliser, earning the visitors a hard-fought point.
At St James’ Park, Chelsea demonstrated their fighting spirit with an entertaining 2-2 draw against Newcastle United. The hosts looked comfortable at the interval after Nick Woltemade struck twice, but the momentum shifted early in the second half when Chelsea captain Reece James bent a superb free-kick into the top corner. Controversy followed as Newcastle were denied a penalty, and Chelsea capitalised on the reprieve. Joao Pedro, returning to familiar surroundings, pounced on a defensive error to level the scores. Newcastle nearly snatched it late on, but Harvey Barnes dragged his effort wide, leaving Eddie Howe visibly frustrated as the points were shared.
Overall, the weekend delivered a mix of title momentum, relegation anxiety, and late twists—further proof of the Premier League’s relentless unpredictability.
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