Jesus saves Man City with last-gasp winner

MANCHESTER: Gabriel Jesus scored two goals including an injury-time winner as Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City recorded a dramatic 2-1 victory over struggling Swansea City at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.

The home side looked in complete control during a dominant first-half showing only to surrender an 81st-minute equaliser to Gylfi Sigurdsson.

The Iceland international capitalised on some poor defending, collecting Luciano Narsingh’s pass, switching the ball to his left foot and scoring with a brilliant low drive from just outside the area.

But deep in injury time, David Silva’s right-wing cross found Jesus and after his initial header had been saved by Lukasz Fabianski, the 19-year-old Brazilian tapped the rebound into an open goal.

Jesus, a January arrival from Palmeiras, had required just 11 minutes of his full home debut to score the first of what City supporters hope will be many goals for them.

The goal was created by the excellence of Silva, who beat defender Federico Fernandez along the byline before pulling the ball back towards Raheem Sterling.

Martin Olsson managed to block the England forward on the six-yard line, but Jesus reacted like lightning, pouncing on the loose ball and making no mistake with a close-range volley.

City’s first-half dominance was complete and Willy Caballero, continuing to deputise for the dropped Claudio Bravo in the home goal, had not one moment of concern.

The afternoon might have been put beyond the grasp of Swansea, showing signs of improvement under new manager Paul Clement, had referee Mike Dean judged that Alfie Mawson had fouled Jesus in the area on seven minutes.

Shortly after the goal, Yaya Toure almost doubled the lead from a 25-yard free-kick that was heading into the top left-hand corner until Fabianski made a superb diving save.

Fernandinho, playing at right-back, sent Sterling away and his cross was almost converted by Jesus, who was only denied by a fine piece of defending from Fernandez.

From Silva’s resulting corner, Toure should have made better contact with an unmarked shot that passed harmlessly wide.

Kevin De Bruyne then fired into the side-netting and Toure’s 18-yard shot was smothered, at the second attempt, by Fabianski.

A long Silva pass played Sterling in on goal just before the interval, although the City forward fell while rounding Fabianski and was harshly booked for simulation for his trouble.

However, City’s supporters would have been forgiven for wondering if their failure to score more than one goal would come back to haunt them as Swansea made an improved start to the second half.

Sigurdsson threatened to equalise in the 49th minute with a magnificently struck free-kick that was kept out by a combination of the leaping Caballero’s right glove and his right-hand post.

Leroy Sane sped down the other end in response and delivered a low cross which hit the foot of Fabianski’s post.

But the longer City went without adding a second goal, the more the anxiety grew at the Etihad, especially when Mawson headed just wide from Sigurdsson’s corner.

The Swansea defender was pressed into action at the other end when he blocked a dangerous low cross from Sterling.

It came at the expense of a corner from which De Bruyne picked out Aleksandar Kolarov, whose header flew harmlessly wide.

Mawson again came to his team’s rescue after 72 minutes, producing a well-timed block to stop a Silva shot, set up by Jesus’s superb flick, which had looked destined for the back of the visitors’ net.

On Saturday night, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool hit a new low in a 2-0 defeat at Hull City.

At the KCOM Stadium, Liverpool fell behind in the 44th minute when Alfred N’Diaye took advantage of goalkeeper Simon Mignolet’s poor handling to bag a debut goal.

Klopp’s side were finished off in the 84th minute when on-loan Everton striker Oumar Niasse raced clear to boost third bottom Hull’s survival bid.

Second-placed Tottenham are Chelsea’s closest challengers and their 1-0 victory against Middlesbrough meant they are still nine points behind.

When Son Heung-Min was fouled by Bernardo in the 58th minute at White Hart Lane, Tottenham striker Harry Kane stepped up to convert the penalty for his 16th goal of the season.

It was a first win in three league games for Mauricio Pochettino’s team, who are unbeaten in their last nine.

Sunderland stunned former boss Sam Allardyce with a first-half goal rush to demolish fellow strugglers Crystal Palace 4-0 at Selhurst Park.

Lamine Kone, signed by Palace chief Allardyce when he was in charge at Sunderland, swept home after Palace goalkeeper Wayne Hennessey dropped a 10th minute free-kick.

The Black Cats were two up in the 43rd minute through Didier Ndong’s first goal for the club. Jermain Defoe put the result beyond doubt with two goals in first-half stoppage time.

Sunderland remain bottom of the table but they are level on points with Palace, who dropped to 19th place.

Romelu Lukaku scored four times in Everton’s 6-3 victory against Bournemouth at Goodison Park.

Ronald Koeman’s side were ahead after just 31 seconds as Belgian forward Lukaku started his goal spree.

Everton doubled their advantage through James McCarthy in the 23rd minute and Lukaku notched his second six minutes later.

Bournemouth’s Josh King set up a tense finale as he netted in the 59th and 70th minutes.

Lukaku struck again in the 83rd and 84th minutes to cap his memorable afternoon before Harry Arter’s 90th minute reply and Ross Barkley’s sixth for Everton.

West Ham bounced back from their mauling by Manchester City with a 3-1 win at Southampton thanks to goals from Andy Carroll, Pedro Obiang and Mark Noble.

Watford consigned 10-man Burnley to a seventh successive away league defeat with a 2-1 success at Vicarage Road. West Bromwich Albion beat Stoke 1-0 thanks to James Morrison’s sixth-minute goal.