Haaland Sends Man City to the Top of the Premier League

Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Southampton - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - October 26, 2024 Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after the match REUTERS/Molly Darlington
Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Southampton - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - October 26, 2024 Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after the match REUTERS/Molly Darlington
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Haaland Sends Man City to the Top of the Premier League

Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Southampton - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - October 26, 2024 Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after the match REUTERS/Molly Darlington
Soccer Football - Premier League - Manchester City v Southampton - Etihad Stadium, Manchester, Britain - October 26, 2024 Manchester City's Erling Haaland celebrates after the match REUTERS/Molly Darlington

Even if Erling Haaland is expected to miss out on the Ballon d'Or next week, his campaign to win it in 2025 is well underway.
Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior is the favorite to take soccer's most prestigious individual prize on Monday in Paris, but Haaland has been in near-unstoppable form this season.
The Norwegian goal machine scored for the 14th time in 13 games for Manchester City to send the defending English Premier League champion to the top of the standings after beating Southampton 1-0 on Saturday, The Associated Press reported.
He needed just five minutes to produce the decisive goal at Etihad Stadium, following on from his double against Sparta Prague in the Champions League on Wednesday, which included a spectacular heel volley.
His close-range effort against Southampton was more routine, but it was enough to send City two points clear of second-placed Liverpool, which plays Arsenal on Sunday.
On a day of late drama, Aston Villa was third but dropped points after Evanilson scored in the sixth minute of added time to earn Bournemouth a 1-1 draw. Bryan Mbeumo also scored in added time to seal a 4-3 comeback win for Brentford against Ipswich, while winless Wolverhampton scored twice late on to draw at Brighton 2-2.
Unstoppable Haaland City manager Pep Guardiola described Haaland as a “guarantee for us” after the forward sealed three points against a Southampton team that has yet to win in the league since its promotion last season.
The league top scorer for the past two seasons leads the way again with 11 goals. Mbeumo is second with eight and Nottingham Forest striker Chris Wood has seven.
Villa slips Leading the way in the Champions League, Villa was moments away from moving within a point of Liverpool after Ross Barkley's goal in the 76th looked like being enough to beat Bournemouth.
But Evanilson dashed those hopes.
Also US international Tyler Adams come off the Bournemouth bench to make his first appearance since the Copa America after back surgery.
Villa still moved up to third and a point ahead of fourth-placed Arsenal.
Late drama Mbeumo's goal in the sixth minute of added time sealed a 4-3 win for Brentford against Ipswich. Brentford trailed 2-0 early on and blew a 3-2 lead before Mbeumo's winner.
“Let’s put it this way, when we play it is exciting,” Brentford manager Thomas Frank said.
Wolves staged a dramatic fightback of its own by scoring in the 88th and three minutes into stoppage time to salvage the draw at Brighton.



Real Boss Ancelotti Rues Missed Chances in 4-0 Loss against Barca

 Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti looks from the bench before a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP)
Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti looks from the bench before a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP)
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Real Boss Ancelotti Rues Missed Chances in 4-0 Loss against Barca

 Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti looks from the bench before a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP)
Real Madrid's head coach Carlo Ancelotti looks from the bench before a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Madrid and Barcelona at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024. (AP)

Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti lamented his side's missed opportunities in their stunning 4-0 home defeat to bitter rivals Barcelona in a LaLiga Clasico on Saturday but said it was not all doom and gloom despite the result.

"It was an evenly played match, until they scored their first goal. We played with intensity in the first half but lacked a bit of accuracy. We had chances to take the lead but they scored two goals, which sapped our energy. That's when another game started," Ancelotti told a press conference of Robert Lewandowski's quick-fire double early in the second-half to set the LaLiga leaders Barca on course for a 4-0 thrashing.

Prior to that, the home side had dominated possession and missed various chances, mainly through off-form Kylian Mbappe. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha wrapped Barca's win later.

"We are hurt, it's a tough moment, but I want to thank the fans for their support. We don't have to throw everything away, because there is nothing to throw away," added a downhearted Ancelotti.

"We have to forget the last 30 minutes. The season is very long, we must not give up. We have to learn from it. It's time to bounce back. The season is long. We must not throw everything away. The team can do better and we will."

Ancelotti said he thinks Real Madrid deserved better and that he didn't believe the result told the true story of the match, but acknowledged that his team paid the price for missing so many chances.

"The result doesn't reflect what happened on the pitch. We couldn't take the lead and they went ahead and took it. The game, until the first goal, was very even and we had more chances," Ancelotti said, before commenting on Mbappe's lackluster performance, being caught offside nine times.

"It was known that Barca use a high defense and we barely took advantage of it. (Mbappe) had chances and sometimes was offside, but he had three or four chances where he needed to be more accurate..."

Barca stretched their lead at the top with 30 points, six above Real who saw their 42-game unbeaten LaLiga run come to a bitter end after 13 months, leaving them one tantalizing positive result away from equaling the Catalans' league record of 43.