Julian Alvarez on Target as Manchester City defeat Newcastle

• Manchester City hosted Newcastle United in their first home match of the season
• City came in just two days after winning the 2023 UEFA Super Cup
• A sole goal from Julian Alvarez settled the tie as City made it two wins in two Premier League matches

Julian Alvarez was the hero for Manchester City, as his brilliant striker fired the treble-winners to a hard-fought victory over Newcastle United. This victory ensured Manchester City maintained their flawless start to the new Premier League season.

In a closely contested match at the Etihad Stadium, it was the World Cup-winning maestro, Julian Alvarez, who lit up the game. After 31 minutes of intense play, he executed a masterful curling shot into the top corner of the net, clinching a 1-0 win for his team and securing three valuable points.

Eddie Howe’s Newcastle side had arrived with optimism, buoyed by their stunning 5-1 triumph over Aston Villa the previous weekend. However, they departed the Etihad Stadium empty-handed. The Manchester City players displayed commendable stamina, especially considering their midweek exertions in winning the UEFA Super Cup in Athens just days earlier.

Manchester City forward Julian Alvarez celebrates after scoring the winner against Newcastle United in a Premier League clash on Saturday, August 19, 2023. | PHOTO: Sky Sports |

READ: Key matches on Manchester City journey to Premier League title

Meanwhile, in a thrilling clash, Ange Postecoglou, the new manager of Tottenham Hotspur, witnessed his side clinch a memorable victory against Manchester United. Pape Sarr’s strike and Lisandro Martinez’s own goal were the decisive moments in an exhilarating encounter.

Tottenham, a team that had faced challenges in the latter part of the previous season, compounded by the departure of their homegrown star Harry Kane to Bayern Munich, outperformed a lackluster Manchester United. This win was a testament to Postecoglou’s early influence on the team, as his new-look side secured a 2-0 victory with Sarr’s goal and a late Martinez own goal.

In another Premier League clash, Liverpool faced Bournemouth and had to overcome adversity. Despite Mo Salah’s penalty miss and Alexis Mac Allister’s red card, Liverpool triumphed with a 3-1 victory. Bournemouth had taken an early lead through Antoine Semenyo, but Liverpool’s Luis Diaz equalized before Salah converted the rebound after his initial spot-kick was saved. The summer signing, Mac Allister, may have departed early, but Diogo Jota secured the crucial points for Liverpool.

Furthermore, Brighton made a remarkable climb to the top of the Premier League table following a superb 4-1 win against Wolves. Solly March was the star of the show, scoring twice, while goals from Kaoru Mitoma and Pervis Estupinan put Brighton in charge. Despite a late effort from substitute Hwang Hee-chan and Matheus Nunes being sent off, Brighton held on to secure a dominant victory.

Lastly, Bryan Mbeumo was the hero for Brentford as they impressively dispatched Brentford with a 3-0 win. Yoane Wissa opened the scoring, and Mbeumo converted a penalty after Tim Ream was sent off before adding a second goal in stoppage time.