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maltatoday SUNDAY, 1 OCTOBER 2017 Sport 56 FOOTBALL City stay ahead of United with win over champions Chelsea MANCHESTER City stayed ahead of age-old local rivals Manchester United at the top of the Premier League on Saturday with a deserved 1-0 win away to champions Chel- sea. After Jose Mourinho's United romped to a 4-0 victory over bot- tom club Crystal Palace, City had much the better of the late game at Stamford Bridge. A second-half goal by former Chelsea forward Kevin de Bruyne won it and left them just ahead of United on goal difference. Chelsea, starting the day three points behind the Manchester pair in third place, dropped to fourth after two more goals from Harry Kane helped Tottenham Hotspur to a comfortable 4-0 win away to Hud- dersfield Town. United's win left Palace rooted to the bottom of the table after a re- cord seventh successive defeat with- out a goal to start the season. Beaten 5-0 away by City in their last game, Palace avoided a rep- etition but became only the second team since the Premier League be- gan to lose their first seven games. Unlike Portsmouth in 2009-10, though, they have not scored a sin- gle goal. Romelu Lukaku's late strike meant that free-scoring United have hit four goals in a game six times this season. Juan Mata and Marouane Fellaini scored before halftime and when Fellaini headed in his second just after the interval, the points were made even more secure. "We started strong and we fin- ished strong," said Mourinho. England striker Kane continued his astonishing run by following up a Champions League hat-trick in midweek with two more goals as Spurs went 3-0 up by halftime at promoted Huddersfield. Ben Davies scored the other first-half goal and Moussa Sissoko added a fourth just before the final whistle. Kane, having failed to score at all in August once again, made it 13 for club and country during September."Goals to games it is probably the best month I have had, especially after August," he said. Watford recovered from two goals down at West Bromwich Albion to go fifth after the home team scored twice in three minutes in the first half through Salomon Rondon and Jonny Evans. Abdoulaye Doucoure kept Wat- ford in contention and Brazilian Richarlison headed an equaliser in the final minute of added time. Substitute Peter Crouch earned Stoke City a 2-1 win at home to Southampton after Maya Yoshida had equalised Mame Biram Diouf's opener. Earlier Saido Berahino, who has not scored for 30 games, missed a penalty conceded by Southamp- ton's Virgil van Dijk, playing his first game of the season. In two key games at the wrong end of the table, West Ham United had a late 1-0 win over Swansea City to move above them but Bournemouth were held at home by Leicester City. West Ham relieved some of the pressure on manager Slaven Bilic when two of his substitutes com- bined for a dramatic winning goal. Arthur Masuaku crossed for Dia- fra Sakho to score, taking the Lon- don side out of the bottom three and putting Swansea there instead. "It was a difficult atmosphere in some ways," West Ham goalkeeper Joe Hart said of a home crowd who grew increasingly restless. "I'm never going to criticise the fans, they pay their money and have a right to their opinion." Bournemouth stay bottom but one after dominating against Leicester but failing to score. Jermain Defoe came closest in the second minute, hitting the bar. In Sunday's three matches, sixth- placed Liverpool meet up with their former manager Rafa Benitez, now in charge of Newcastle United; Ar- senal host Brighton and Everton are at home to Burnley. Kevin de Bruyne celebrates Manchester City's winner Liverpool match 'special' for me, says Newcastle manager Benitez RAFA Benitez's Newcastle Unit- ed host Liverpool in Premier League today and the manager said playing against his former side will be a special and emo- tional experience. The Spaniard was in charge of the Merseyside club for six years from 2004 and guided them to their fifth Champions League title in his debut season. After spells at Inter Milan, Chel- sea, Napoli and Real Madrid, Be- nitez was brought in to save New- castle from relegation in March last year. He did not succeed but helped them back into the top flight im- mediately and faces his old side to whom he has not lost in two previ- ous meetings. "It's a special game for me. It will be emotional, because I spent so many years there, and have so many good memories. My family still live in Liverpool, so it is my home," Benitez told Newcastle's website (www.nufc.co.uk). "I have a lot of positive, very good relationships with Liverpool fans, (including) the families connected to Hillsborough. There are a lot of connections, and it will be very emotional." Nostalgia aside, Benitez said he is focused on ensuring his team get all three points against Liv- erpool. Newcastle are 10th in the league with nine points from six games. "I have to concentrate on New- castle United, trying to win," he said. Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp seeks his first victory over New- castle to stay close to the four teams above his side in the league table.