Premiership: Arsenal Go Top With Havertz’s Late Goal Against Brentford
- Man City draw Liverpool 1-1 at Etihad
- Barcelona escape humiliation at Rayo Vallecano
BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI – Arsenal on Saturday moved to the summit of the English Premiership table courtesy of Kai Havertz’s late goal that earned them a 1-0 victory at Brentford.
The Gunners’ new position was enhanced by the Champions, Manchester City’s slip earlier in the day as they drew 1-1 with Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium.
That result enabled the Mikel Arteta-tutored side to leapfrog both clubs after grinding out an unlikely result from a match that they did not look capable of winning for some long spell.
Arsenal keeper, Aaron Ramsdale, who was recalled to the side, got away with a huge mistake in the first half, while the visitors had a goal by Leandro Trossard ruled out for offside by VAR
The match hero, Havertz, who came on as a substitute, eventually broke the deadlock with a close-range header in the 89th minute and the victory sent the Gunners to the first spot with 30 points from 13 games, with City a point behind and two ahead of Liverpool.
Own Goal Saves Barca’s Blushes
In Spain, a late own goal rescued a draw for La Liga defending champions, FC Barcelona at Rayo Vallecano as they remained third on the log
Barca, who dominated the game, especially in the second half in which they missed good opportunities, trailed at the break. No thanks to Unai Lopez’s ferocious right-foot effort midway through the first half that left second-choice Keeper Inaki Pena, who stood in for the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen, stranded on his line.
Respite finally came for Coach Xavi’s (Xavier Hernández Creus) men when Florian Lejeune bundled the ball into his own net under pressure from Robert Lewandowski.
The Blaugrana made six changes from the side that came from behind to beat Alaves before the international break, with goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen absent through injury.
Frustrated by a disjointed display, and despite taking 10 shots to Rayo’s three after the break, Barca were quite unconvincing and had to rely on Lejeune who clumsily steered the ball past his own goalkeeper in the 82nd minute to stalemate matters at one-all. – With agencies’ reports
