Gabriel Jesus scored a stoppage-time winner as Manchester City grabbed a thrilling 2-1 home victory over Swansea City to move up to third in the Premier League.
Pep Guardiola's men leapfrogged Arsenal and Liverpool in the table after winning a third consecutive match in all competitions thanks to Jesus' dramatic double.
The 19-year-old - selected over Sergio Aguero - has now scored in his first two top-flight starts, only the fifth City player to do so.
City dominated the first half and should have reached the break with more than the one-goal advantage given to them by Jesus' early strike.
Swansea improved after the break and Gylfi Sigurdsson had a free-kick pushed onto the post by Willy Caballero, who was again preferred over Claudio Bravo in goal.
And the Iceland international then struck his eighth league goal of the season to seemingly claim a point, before Jesus intervened by scoring in the second minute of added time.
City's last-gasp victory ensures Swansea has now lost on all six of its trips to the Etihad Stadium.
Paul Clement's men had won three of their last four league games, but stay 17th and just one point above the relegation zone after the defeat.
City made a bright start, with Leroy Sane's cross sliced wide by Jesus before the Brazil international had a penalty claim turned down after being challenged by Alfie Mawson.
Eleven minutes in, the hosts moved in front. David Silva easily beat the challenge of Federico Fernandez and, after Martin Olsson tried to intercept his pass to Raheem Sterling, man of the moment Jesus pounced to stab in from inside the six-yard box.
City, who brought Fernandinho and Gael Clichy into its starting XI, threatened again when Lukasz Fabianski made a super one-handed save from Yaya Toure's 25-yard free-kick.
Toure badly miscued a volley as he tried to connect with Silva's corner, before the midfielder tested Fabianski with a better effort from 18 yards.
Sterling was booked for diving just before half-time in an incident which led to Silva's goal-bound effort being hacked clear by Olsson as unchanged Swansea failed to trouble Caballero.
But Caballero was called into action shortly after the break, pushing Sigurdsson's excellent free-kick onto the post after Fernandinho had fouled Olsson.
Sane's cross then hit Fabianksi's near post at the other end, but Swansea continued to improve as Mawson headed a good opportunity wide from Sigurdsson's corner.
City looked content to hold on to its one-goal lead when Kevin De Bruyne was replaced by Pablo Zabaleta, but Swansea soon grabbed an equaliser.
Sigurdsson collected substitute Luciano Narsingh's pass and directed a low finish into the bottom corner from 20 yards to score in his third straight league game with only nine minutes remaining.
But just as it looked like City would be held, Silva delivered a cross from the right which found the unmarked Jesus, who had his header saved by Fabianski before tapping in the rebound to maintain a stunning start to his career at the club.
Key Opta stats:
- Gabriel Jesus became just the third Brazilian to score on his first two Premier League starts, with the other two also playing for Manchester City (Geovanni and Robinho).
- He’s also the first player since Stevan Jovetic to score two goals on his first home Premier League start for Man City.
- Man City has now won 11 home league games in a row against Swansea – it has only had a longer such run against a side twice in their history (13 v Wolves, 12 v Grimsby Town).
- Man City’s winner was the 12th scored in the 90th minute this season – just one fewer than in the whole of 2015-16.
- Indeed, Swansea have conceded a 90th-minute winner in their last two trips to the Etihad, with Kelechi Iheanacho scoring at the death last season.
- Jesus’ goal, and his shot immediately before the goal, were Man City’s only two shots on target in the second half.
Comments
SHARE