MY ACCOUNT
Marcus Rashford hit the winner and played a part – some might say – in Manchester United’s first goal as the Red Devils beat City in Saturday’s derby.
The in-form England international moved into early-career Cristiano Ronaldo territory by scoring in a seventh consecutive game for United, who have won nine in a row across all competitions.
Elsewhere in the Premier League, Liverpool’s campaign continued to unravel as they were battered 3-0 at Brighton and Hove Albion, and their neighbours Everton remain in deep relegation trouble after a home loss to fellow strugglers Southampton.
Another derby saw Nottingham Forest get the better of Leicester City, with Steve Cooper’s team beginning to get a foothold in mid-table.
With the help of Opta data, Stats Perform examines key statistics from the Saturday’s standout Premier League games.
Manchester United 2-1 Manchester City: Making his Marc again
Rashford has been a shining light for United since returning from the World Cup, scoring in all seven games for Erik ten Hag’s team.
He is the first United player since Ronaldo in March-April 2008 to put together such a streak, while his run of goals in nine consecutive games at Old Trafford makes him the club’s first player since Teddy Sheringham in September-November 2000 to enjoy that level of home form.
Bruno Fernandes got the equaliser, after an opener from City’s Jack Grealish, with Rashford not flagged offside in the build-up after chasing the ball but not getting a touch prior to his Portuguese team-mate lashing past Ederson.
Rashford’s close-range winner soon after, in the 82nd minute, was set up by Alejandro Garnacho, who at 18 years and 197 days became the youngest player to provide an assist in a Premier League Manchester derby.
City had just one shot on target, their joint-fewest in a Premier League match under Pep Guardiola.
Kevin De Bruyne set up Grealish’s headed opener, reaching double figures in Premier League assists for a fifth season, with only Cesc Fabregas (6) doing so in more campaigns, but that was of no consolation as City saw their title hopes dented.
Brighton and Hove Albion 3-0 Liverpool: Worth the wait for Seagulls
Jurgen Klopp’s reaction summed it up, when he said: “I think everybody with a Brighton shirt on or a Brighton heart enjoyed the game a lot and I don’t think anybody with a Liverpool heart enjoyed it for a second.”
This was a horror show for the Reds, suffering their first league defeat at Brighton since January 1961 (3-1). Liverpool had gone 10 unbeaten away to the Seagulls in the league before Solly March’s double and Danny Welbeck’s sublime goal left them reeling.
Liverpool have suffered six defeats now in 18 games in the competition this term, three times as many losses as they incurred in the entire 2021-22 Premier League campaign. It was a fifth league loss away from Anfield, their worst season total since also losing five in 2017-18. This season is not yet at its halfway point for Liverpool, who sit ninth.
This game kicked off at 3pm locally. It was the first Saturday 3pm league game Liverpool have lost since going down 2-0 to Hull in February 2017, ending a 32-game undefeated streak in that slot.
March has four goals in his last four games, which is as many as he managed in his first 156 in the Premier League.
Everton 1-2 Southampton: Ward-Prowse piles on misery for Lampard
Sitting second-bottom now, Everton are having a dismal time of it under Frank Lampard’s leadership, losing four league games in a row at home for the first time since a seven-game streak in 1958. They are winless in seven in the league, their worst run since an eight-game sequence under Rafael Benitez in October-December 2021.
Amadou Onana put the hosts ahead, becoming the fourth Belgian player to score for Everton in the Premier League, after Romelu Lukaku, Kevin Mirallas and Marouane Fellaini.
But Saints captain James Ward-Prowse then took over, netting twice including the 16th direct free-kick goal of his Premier League career, putting him just two behind David Beckham’s competition record.
It was his 12th such goal in away games, more than any player has managed in the Premier League, and only Matt Le Tissier (44) has managed more away goals in the Premier League era for Southampton than Ward-Prowse’s haul of 28.
Nottingham Forest 2-0 Leicester City: Johnson’s derby delight
Brennan Johnson hit both goals in the East Midlands showdown, doubling his Premier League tally for the season and becoming the second-youngest Forest player to score twice in a Premier League game (21y 236d). Roy Keane, who struck a double against Leeds in December 1992 (21y 117d), remains the youngest.
Morgan Gibbs-White, at 22 years and 352 days, became the youngest to have two assists in a Premier League game for Forest.
Leicester are free-falling, with this a fourth consecutive league defeat. Remarkably, it is not yet their worst run of the campaign, having lost six in a row in August and September.
They have yet to win a point this season from a losing position, the only Premier League team to fail on that count.
