MANCHESTER – 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.
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The Norwegian goal machine scored for the 14th time in 13 games in all competitions for Manchester City to send the defending English Premier League champion to the top of the standings after beating Southampton 1-0 on Saturday.
He needed just five minutes to produce the decisive goal at Etihad Stadium, following 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.
Everton followed suit when Beto equalized in stoppage time to draw with Fulham 1-1.
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 and he might have added to that total if he had been more clinical with further chances against Southampton. 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 U.S. 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.
“At the last moment we didn’t control the match,” Villa manager Unai Emery said. “It’s painful but we have to accept it.”
Late drama
Brentford has been known for its fast starts this season after becoming the first Premier League team to score in the opening minute in three consecutive games.
Against Ipswich, however, Thomas Frank’s team had to rely on a last-gasp goal from Mbeumo to seal a comeback 4-3 win.
Mbeumo’s second goal of the match came in the sixth minute of added time and settled a thriller, in which Brentford went 2-0 down early and blew a 3-2 lead.
“Let’s put it this way, when we play, it is exciting,” Frank said.
More fightbacks
Wolves staged a dramatic fightback of its own by scoring in the 88th and in stoppage time to salvage the draw at Brighton.
After experiencing the agony of going down to John Stones’ late winner for Man City last week, Wolves responded impressively.
Gary O'Neil's team went behind to goals from Danny Welbeck in the 45th and Evan Ferguson in the 85th, but staged an improbable comeback through Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Cunha.
Wolves is second from bottom with two points, one ahead of last-placed Southampton.
Everton was minutes away from seeing its five-game unbeaten run broken when trailing 1-0 to Fulham after former player Alex Iwobi's goal in the 61st.
But Beto's header leveled the game four minutes into added time at Goodison Park and lifted the Merseyside club five points clear of the relegation zone.
Fulham's winless run in the league was extended to three games.
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James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer