goal

Unai Emery’s side get first league win of season with goals from Johan Manzambi, Nicolas Jackson and Emi Buendia.

48he end to Tottenham’s Premier League goal drought came too late as Aston Villa won 3-2 in north London to compound a miserable start for Roberto De Zerbi’s men.

Spurs remain without a league win this season and only netted their first goals of the campaign after the visitors had surged into a 3-0 lead on Saturday.

Villa had also struggled for goals themselves since the side that won the Europa League last season was torn apart during the transfer window.

But new signings Johan Manzambi and Nicolas Jackson struck either side of half-time to give Unai Emery’s new-look team their first league win before Emi Buendia’s wonder strike.

Even Tottenham’s first late consolation needed the aid of a Villa deflection when Conor Gallagher’s effort went in off Matty Cash before Jan Paul van Hecke headed home in stoppage time.

Spurs splashed out more than 300 million pounds ($400m) on new players to try and avoid a repeat of the battle for survival they endured last season.

Yet there remains little return on that investment.

In keeping with recent performances, Spurs started brightly before fizzling out.

Twice in a matter of seconds, Savio was kept out by Suzuki before the Japanese goalkeeper spread himself to turn behind Archie Gray’s powerful strike.

Villa had picked up just one point from their opening four league games but have missed their club record signing Manzambi for most of that period.

The Swiss international opened his Villa account when he tapped home Boubacar Kamara’s cross.

However, Tottenham will protest about new laws that force a player off the field for at least a minute after receiving treatment for an injury.

A head knock to centre-back Micky Van de Ven left them a man down at the back when Manzambi swept home.

Spurs only had themselves to blame for the second goal as van Hecke failed to deal with a long ball straight down the middle.

Jackson did well to evade the Dutch defender and then fired down into the ground and past Antonin Kinsky.

The Czech goalkeeper was powerless to stop Villa’s third 11 minutes from time when Buendia took aim from long range and brilliantly picked out the top corner.

A chorus of boos greeted Buendia’s strike as thousands of home fans headed for an early exit.

But those that left missed finally have something to celebrate.

Fine persistence from Mohammed Kudus teed up Gallagher to find the bottom corner via the outstretched foot of Cash.

Van Hecke then bulleted in from Andy Robertson’s free-kick with virtually the last touch of the game.

Spurs now must stew on another defeat for a three-week international break while rooted in the relegation zone.

Villa, by contrast, will hope victory can prove the catalyst to storm up the table as they did last season.

Emery’s men failed to win any of their first five league games a year ago, but ultimately finished fourth.

Erling Haaland’s goal for Man City should not have been overturned by VAR in derby at United, admits referee body.

Professional Game Referees (Pro Ref) admitted on Sunday that the decision to allow Erling Haaland’s winner in Manchester City’s 1-0 victory over Manchester United was an “error of judgment”.

With City down to 10 men after Phil Foden’s dismissal for kicking Bruno Fernandes, Haaland netted on the hour mark with a close-range finish from Josko Gvardiol’s cross.

The goal was initially disallowed for offside against Haaland, but VAR eventually overturned that decision, even though City midfielder Enzo Fernandez was in an offside position and attempted to reach the ball before the Norwegian forward.

Fernandez did not touch the ball, so the goal was given, allowing Haaland to celebrate his ninth league strike in Manchester derbies.

Premier League Match Centre posted on social media after the goal to say the VAR “determined that Haaland was in an onside position” and “deemed that while in an offside position, Fernandez didn’t play the ball”.

However, Pro Ref later on Sunday said the VAR “did not recognise the likely impact” of the Argentine midfielder’s position and “should have recommended an on-field review”.

“Contact has been made with Manchester United this evening to acknowledge what we deem is an error of judgment. A review of the incident will take place,” the statement added.

After the match, United manager Michael Carrick said it was “worrying” that a team of officials had come to the conclusion that Haaland’s goal should stand.

Lisandro Martinez was the United defender at the centre of the controversy.

The Argentine said he was clearly impacted by the presence of his international teammate Fernandez and branded the City goal an “injustice”.

“I went to him because he was in front of me. That’s why Haaland was free at the back,” Martinez told Sky Sports.

“Five or six people [officials] doing this kind of mistake in the Premier League is unacceptable.

“We have to go home with this injustice.”

With Haaland’s goal settling the match, United were unsurprisingly disappointed by the decision.

“I think it was offside,” said Martinez. “And what I can’t understand is the rules. I want to be calm now, I want to control myself.

“It’s so hard because you lose a derby, you lose three points at home, and every season they’re [referees] coming to our club, they explain for one hour the rules, and they look so confident with that, and then after [there are] five or six people doing these kind of mistakes in the Premier League – it’s unacceptable.

“It’s the best league in the world, you have the best teams in the world, the best players in the world, and now we have to go home with this injustice.”

United boss Carrick also expressed his confusion.

“We put things in place in the game now, we have people in offices with all the screens for this decision,” he said.

“It’s more worrying about if that’s the interpretation of football now. If that’s the interpretation of not interfering in the game now, that’s really worrying for me. It’s a staggering explanation.

“The decision isn’t going to change the season, but it’s had a major impact on the game.”

Wayne Rooney, part of the BBC’s MOTD2 team, said: “Surely it’s offside. Martinez is impacted by Fernandez’s movement, and he is offside.”

Gary Neville said on Sky Sports: “I think we’ll see some sort of apology from the referee’s association, there’s no doubt Fernandez is playing that ball and is trying to put off Martinez. I think it’s one they’ll recognising they got wrong.”

Micah Richards added: “I think it’s been a bad day for referees. They got the Foden decision wrong and the Fernandez decision wrong. I think they got it so wrong but I don’t think it takes anything away from City’s performance.”

Meanwhile, City boss Maresca said: “I think it was onside clearly so it’s good.”

Angel City and the Denver Summit played to a 3-3 draw at BMO Stadium on Friday.

Angel City (9-8-6) opened the scoring in the 45th minute when defender Sarah Gorden intercepted the ball and immediately played it to Maiara Niehues for a goal. The midfielder matched the club record with her eighth goal of the season.

Denver forward Yuzuki Yamamoto scored for the third straight game in the 49th minute with a shot from inside the box. A minute later, Lindsey Heaps scored her first goal for the Summit (8-8-7) on a rebound.

Janine Sonis added a long-range goal for the Summit in the 61st minute to give Denver a 3-1 lead.

On a breakaway in the 63rd minute, Angel City’s Sveindís Jonsdottir passed the ball to Prisca Chilufya for a tap-in. It was initially ruled offside but video review overturned the call.

Later, Denver defender Ayo Oke’s high boot in the box caught Angel City midfielder Ally Sentnor in the face. Sentnor converted on the ensuing penalty kick for the final goal in the 74th minute.

Ashley Sanchez scored twice to break the single-season goals record for the North Carolina Courage in a 2-0 victory over Angel City on Wednesday night.

The former All-American at UCLA leads the National Women’s Soccer League in scoring this season with 15 goals.

Sanchez scored her 14th goal in the 41st minute, tying Lynn Biyendolo’s record for the North Carolina set in 2019. Evelyn Ijeh’s backheel flick found a charging Sanchez, who blasted it into the far corner.

Sanchez added her record-breaker in the 78th, running down a long ball sent forward by Courage goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan and out-running three Angel City defenders before burying her shot. Sheridan, who got the assist, ran up the field after the goal to celebrate with Sanchez.

Sanchez also had a pair of goals in the Courage’s 2-1 victory over the Boston Legacy on Saturday. North Carolina has won (11-3-7) has won five of its last six games.

The loss ended a four-game streak of draws for Angel City (7-6-7). Angel City played to a scoreless tie at home with Gotham on Sunday.

North Carolina’s Maycee Bell made her 50th NWSL regular-season appearance but she was injured early in the second half and had to be stretchered off with an apparent arm injury.