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City kick off champions league campaign with 2-0 victory over 10-man Napoli

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Manchester City launched their latest Champions League campaign with a commanding 2-0 win over Italian champions Napoli at the Etihad Stadium, capitalizing on their numerical advantage after Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo was sent off.

The red card, issued for a foul on Erling Haaland, left Napoli with 10 men for over an hour, tilting the game firmly in City’s favor.

READ ALSO: City dent United 3-0 in Sunday’s Manchester derby 

Despite dominating the first half, City were frustrated by Napoli goalkeeper Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, who made several key saves to keep the scoreline level.

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The breakthrough came in the 56th minute when Haaland made history, becoming the fastest player to reach 50 Champions League goals with a clinical header from Phil Foden’s chipped pass.

Shortly after, Jeremy Doku sealed the victory with a dazzling solo run, weaving through Napoli’s defense to score a superb second goal.

City’s dominance was reflected in the stats, with an expected goals (xG) tally of 2.18 compared to Napoli’s meager 0.17.

The hosts controlled possession and played patiently to see out the game, though the absence of former City star Kevin De Bruyne, who was substituted after Di Lorenzo’s dismissal, raised questions about how the match might have unfolded with both teams at full strength.

Napoli, under Antonio Conte, now have until Monday to regroup for their next fixture against Pisa in Serie A.

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Meanwhile, Pep Guardiola’s side face a stern test of their Premier League title credentials, traveling to Arsenal on Sunday in a high-stakes showdown.

This comfortable victory sets a positive tone for Manchester City’s European campaign, with Haaland’s record-breaking strike and Doku’s flair signaling their intent to go deep in the competition.

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Diallo’s stunning volley earns United late 2-2 draw on Amorim’s anniversary 

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Manchester United salvaged a point against Nottingham Forest with Amad Diallo’s spectacular volleyed 2-2 equalizer in the closing stages, marking exactly one year since Ruben Amorim took charge of the club.

The visitors opened the scoring through Casemiro’s header following a disputed corner decision.

READ ALSO: United secure back-to-back EPL victories with a dramatic 4-2 win over Brighton 

Officials ruled that Nicola Savona’s clearance of Bryan Mbeumo’s delivery had crossed the touchline, though video evidence appeared inconclusive about whether the entire ball had gone out of play.

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Despite holding their interval advantage, United’s hopes of climbing to second place evaporated early in the second period. Forest overturned the deficit within five minutes through Morgan Gibbs-White, who converted Ryan Yates’ cross, before Savona capitalized on defensive confusion to put the hosts ahead—ending their four-game scoring drought.

Rather than collapse, Amorim’s men responded with 81 minutes played when Amad struck brilliantly from distance after Forest partially cleared a set piece. United nearly snatched victory in stoppage time, but Amad’s goal-bound effort was hacked away on the goal line.

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Palace end winless run with dominant victory over Brentford

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Crystal Palace snapped their winless streak with a convincing 2-0 triumph over Brentford, who had been enjoying strong form.

Jean-Philippe Mateta broke the deadlock with an exquisite arcing header that sailed beyond Caoimhin Kelleher’s reach into the far corner, adding spark to an otherwise dull opening period.

READ ALSO: Palace edge Liverpool in shootout to win Community Shield 

The striker had previously netted three times in Palace’s thrilling stalemate with Bournemouth two weeks earlier.

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Despite defeating Liverpool in their previous outing, Brentford struggled throughout the first half. Their best opportunity to level came when Mikkel Damsgaard stepped up to take a free kick from a promising position after Daichi Kamada’s foul, but he blazed his attempt well over.

Brentford’s misery deepened shortly after halftime when Nathan Collins deflected Jefferson Lerma’s long delivery past his own goalkeeper, doubling Palace’s advantage.

Collins nearly compounded his error by surrendering possession to Ismaila Sarr in a dangerous area, though the Senegalese forward’s shot struck the woodwork.

Reiss Nelson tested Dean Henderson late on with a curling strike, but Oliver Glasner’s side comfortably preserved their clean sheet.

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Relentless Arsenal cruise past Burnley to seal ninth straight win 

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Arsenal maintained their perfect winning streak with a dominant away performance against Burnley, extending their run to nine consecutive victories across all competitions.

Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice found the net as the league leaders secured their fifth straight league triumph, establishing a seven-point gap at the summit, though some rivals have matches in hand.

READ ALSO:  Eze shines as Arsenal claim shock victory over Palace at Emirates

Mikel Arteta’s men overcame a Burnley outfit known for defensive resilience and riding high after successive wins. Arsenal’s set-piece prowess—league-leading this campaign—proved decisive when Gyokeres tapped home from Rice’s corner delivery.

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Martin Dubravka denied Bukayo Saka with an acrobatic stop before Leandro Trossard saw his attempt cleared off the line. Rice then doubled the advantage before halftime, meeting Trossard’s lofted pass with a powerful header.

The hosts enjoyed greater possession after the restart and threatened through Florentino Luis, whose close-range header sailed over, while Marcus Edwards rattled the frame of the goal with a late free kick.

Beyond that brief scare, Arsenal cruised through their eighth victory in ten league matches this season. The 2-0 defeat leaves Burnley hovering just four points above the relegation zone in seventeenth position.

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