“Hat Trick” is a column by Marco Haynes about the English Premier League in which he breaks down the week’s three most consequential results.
Foden’s heroic brace gives the blue side bragging rights
Manchester City’s title push retained the pressure on Liverpool by defeating their neighbors, Manchester United, at Etihad Stadium in a 3-1 victory.
The 192nd Manchester derby opened in surprising fashion, with United captain Bruno Fernandes laying off a pass 25 yards out to winger Marcus Rashford to strike a thunderbolt, crashing underneath the crossbar for 1-0 inside of 10 minutes.
Minutes before the half-time whistle, striker Erling Haaland was unmarked inside the 6-yard box, receiving Phil Foden’s headed pass only to miss a wide-open goal.
The Citizens earned their breakthrough with Foden’s stunning edge-of-the-box, top-left corner strike to equalize 1-1. City continued to pile on the pressure, taking the lead through Foden again in the 80th minute when he played a one-two with forward Julian Alvarez, then hit a low shot at the far post for 2-1.
In added time, Haaland found the scoresheet after an error from midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, as the Norwegian made his way inside the box to wrap up the derby win and score his 18th of the season.
The surprising opener didn’t stop Man City from taking the three points, moving one point behind league leaders Liverpool and for the team’s third win in a row. This was the sixth time the Citizens have done the double over their rivals in the Premier League — half of them have been under manager Pep Guardiola.
Man-of-the-match Foden now has 18 goals in all competitions, his career high for a campaign — and it’s still early March. His teammate Haaland leads the Premier League Golden Boot race, ahead of Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins by two goals.
Man City’s next action comes against F.C. København on Wednesday in the Champions League, before facing Liverpool at Anfield over the weekend, which will likely help decide the title.
Manchester United succumbed to its first defeat when ahead at the break in a league game since Leicester City beat them 5-3 on September 21, 2014, breaking a 143-game streak of such games. Having lost back-to-back league games, the Red Devils remain sixth in the table, six points off fifth-placed Tottenham.
During the game, Man United only managed three shots which is concerning for the under-pressure manager Erik Ten Hag, who was without injured forward Rasmus Højlund in this high-stakes game.
Manchester United will be aiming to turn around their recent form against Everton at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Captain Son completes late victory for top-four chasing Spurs
In a London derby, Spurs came out on top late, winning 3-1 over a resilient Crystal Palace at home.
Spurs struggled in the first half to find the opener, wasting opportunities and feeling that they should’ve had a penalty for Daniel Munoz clipping Timo Werner’s heels. However, VAR overturned the initial call and awarded a corner-kick instead.
In the second half, the Eagles stunned the Lilywhites when playmaking midfielder Eberechi Eze scored a free kick from 20 yards out on the left side, firing the ball into the right-side netting, after winning the free kick himself.
Spurs found a leveler in the 77th minute, though. Winger Brennan Johnson dribbled into the right side of the penalty box and picked out Werner’s far post run, with the German striking the ball to center of the net for his first Tottenham goal.
The momentum continued for the hosts. In the 80th minute, midfielder James Maddison lobbed a cross into the center of the box to find the head of defender Cristian Romero, bouncing the ball toward the far post to go up 2-1.
Moments before added time, a through ball from Johnson found the feet of forward Son Heung-Min dribbling 30 yards towards the goal to bury the shot bottom right and get all three points for Tottenham.
Tottenham stays in fifth place, five points from a Champions League position, and return to winning ways after its 2-1 home loss to Wolves on February 17. In the Spurs’ last five league matches, they have won three, and drawn and lost one each. In their last 11 Premier League home matchups against Crystal Palace, Spurs have won nine and drawn two, winning their last eight games against the Eagles by an aggregate scoreline of 17-1.
The captain Son has been involved in 19 goals in his last 20 appearances, scoring 13 and assisting six — a ridiculously strong record. Werner’s opener was his first Premier League goal since April 20, 2022, when he still played for Chelsea.
Tottenham travels to Villa Park in a prominent top-four decider against Aston Villa on Sunday.
Crystal Palace — who defended for much of the game, failing to create many chances — now find themselves eight points away from the relegation zone in 14th. New manager Oliver Glasner has now won one and lost one in his first two games in charge and has a lot of work to do, as Palace has failed to win away from home since early November. Additionally, the Eagles have won only once in their last 18 London derbies on the road.
Eze’s superb freekick was his sixth goal in his 17 games this season.
Crystal Palace returns to Selhurst Park facing relegation contenders Luton Town on Saturday.
Núñez’s dramatic last-minute winner saves Liverpool
League leaders Liverpool scraped a last-gasp victory after controversially winning in injury time 1-0 against Nottingham Forest at City Ground.
In the first half, the home team frustrated the EFL Cup champions, but neither side could find a breakthrough, with the best chance falling to the hosts. Divock Origi played a through ball from the center circle to winger Anthony Elanga, creating a one-on-one for the Swede that required a save by the out-stretched foot of goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher.
The game remained scoreless until added time, despite Liverpool racking up 2.07 expected goals and 22 shots total. But in the 99th minute, forward Darwin Núñez became the Reds’ savior, heading in a shot at the far post to the bottom-right corner from Alexis Mac Allister’s cross.
The away fans and players went wild after securing a last-minute victory, while the Forest players complained to the referee for allowing more than the scheduled eight minutes of stoppage time, arguing that the final whistle should’ve blown.
But Liverpool just seems to be ticking along in their push to win the league in manager Jurgen Klopp’s final season at the club. Liverpool remains at the top of the table, one point ahead of Manchester City on the back of its fourth consecutive win.
Making his first appearance after suffering a foot injury, Núñez’s goal, which occurred at 98 minutes and 35 seconds, is the latest goal ever scored by a Liverpool player and the 10th-latest in Premier League history. The Uruguayan also scored his 10th of the season, with three in his last three appearances.
Star forward Mohamed Salah has missed four games from a muscle injury and left back Andrew Robertson was left out against Forest with an illness.
Liverpool returns to Anfield for two home clashes during the week, first against Sparta Prague in the Europa League and then it hosts Manchester City in a huge top-of-the-table clash on Sunday.
Questions will be raised about the added time in Forest’s defeat, which left them 17th, four points away from the relegation zone as they also await a decision on their financial breach case. This was the home side’s second consecutive defeat and the first time in 10 league games under manager Nuno Espirito Santos that the team failed to score. To make matters worse, first-team coach Steven Reid was shown a red card for dissent toward the referee after the game.
Forest will make a trip to American Express Stadium against Brighton & Hove Albion on Sunday for their next match.
“Hat Trick” runs every Tuesday.