(Reuters) – Manchester City roared back to the top of the Premier League with a 6-1 thrashing of Bournemouth after Manchester United steadied the ship with a last-gasp win at Fulham on Saturday.
Young Belgian winger Jeremy Doku was outstanding for champions City, opening the scoring and creating two more goals as struggling Bournemouth were hammered at The Etihad.
Pep Guardiola’s team have 27 points after 11 matches, one more than Tottenham Hotspur who host Chelsea on Monday.
Arsenal could join City on 27 points if they win at Newcastle United in Saturday’s late kick off.
At the bottom, Sheffield United earned their first win since being promoted as they edged Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 with a last-gasp penalty but Burnley suffered a sixth successive home defeat as they went down 2-0 to Crystal Palace.
Doku’s goal in the 30th minute opened the floodgates for Guardiola’s treble winners who scored three goals in seven minutes to all but put the game away.
He then assisted on two more goals while Bernardo Silva fired a brace for the rampant hosts.
“What surprised me the most is how clever he is when he has to take a decision, it’s really good,” Guardiola said of Doku.
“He applies feedback immediately, he understands the game really well. I don’t want to change how he is, every game he has played he has played well especially here at home.”
United have suffered their worst start to a season since 1962 with eight defeats from 15 matches in all competitions leaving manager Erik Ten Hag under intense pressure.
His side were lacklustre at times against Fulham in the day’s early kickoff and needed some fine goalkeeping by Andre Onana to keep on level terms in the second half.
But with 90 minutes on the clock captain Bruno Fernandes fired a winner that sparked massive celebrations amongst the visiting players and fans at Craven Cottage.
“It’s a good feeling of course. If you win it always is. But the performance was good. It’s a massive win and a solid performance,” Dutchman Ten Hag said.
Eighth-placed United have 18 points from 11 games.
Sheffield United have endured a torrid start to life back in the top flight but claimed a morale-boosting victory thanks to an Oliver Norwood penalty 10 minutes into stoppage time.
The Blades had gone ahead in the 72nd minute when Cameron Archer sprinted to the edge of the area and unleashed a shot that went in off the bar but Jean-Ricner Bellegarde equalised for the visitors a minute before the end of normal time.
A late own goal by Everton’s Ashley Young rescued a point for Brighton & Hove Albion in their 1-1 draw at Goodison Park after a rare Vitaliy Mykolenko strike had put the home side ahead early in the contest.
Burnley’s home woes continued as they lost to Palace, with Jeffrey Schlupp and Tyrick Mitchell on target. Vincent Kompany’s strugglers are level on four points with bottom side Sheffield United. Luton Town, who host Liverpool on Sunday, have five.
West Ham United suffered a third successive league defeat as they went down 3-2 at Brentford who have won three on the bounce to move into the top half of the table.
West Ham led 2-1 with a Mohammed Kudus scissor kick and tap-in by Jarrod Bowen after Neal Maupay gave the hosts the lead. But a Konstantinos Mavropanos own goal after halftime and Nathan Collins’ header in the 69th secured the points for Brentford.
(Reporting by Lori Ewing and Martyn Herman; editing by Ken Ferris)
