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• Manchester City 2-1 Brentford: Haaland brace seals comeback victory

  Erling Haaland continued his sensational start to the new Premier League season with a brace that helped Manchester City come from behind to beat Brentford 2-1 on Saturday.

  Haaland, the Premier League Player of the Month, had netted hat-tricks in his prior two appearances but had to settle for just the two goals at the Etihad Stadium, moving to 99 in City colours in all competitions.

  Yoane Wissa had stunned City in the first minute after capitalising on a defensive mix-up, but Haaland was not kept quiet for long.

  City’s master marksman had Pep Guardiola’s side back on terms in the 19th minute, before scoring what proved to be the winner before half-time.

  Haaland came close to completing another treble and bringing up his City ton, but the champions had to survive a nervy finish to preserve the Premier League’s only 100% record at the top of the table, with Brentford back in seventh place.

  Data Debrief: Haaland closing in City ton

  While the combination of the post and the palms of Mark Flekken stopped Haaland from netting his 100th City goal and a third consecutive hat-trick, you feel it is only a matter of time before the Norwegian achieves his landmark moment. 

  Haaland has now taken his tally to nine goals in the first four league games this season, the most of any player in the opening four matches of a Premier League campaign (overtaking Wayne Rooney in 2011-12 - eight in first four).

  It was also the Norwegian's 50th appearance for City at the Etihad. The striker has been directly involved in more home goals than any other Premier League player across all competitions since his home debut in August 2022 (70 – 59 goals and 11 assists).

  But Guardiola's side had to come from behind to secure the triumph, with Wissa's goal after 22 seconds was the fastest ever scored in the Premier League against the reigning champions, while it was the first time that City have ever conceded in the opening minute at home in the competition.

• David, King demand more from Soca Warriors in October window as League A survival on the line

  Trinidad and Tobago’s interim head coach Derek King and captain Aubrey David were left ruing the Soca Warriors’s sub-par performances in the September window, which has their Concacaf Nations League, League A survival in the balance.

  The Soca Warriors, who lost their opening contest 0-4 away to Honduras, were heavily favoured to take three points off French Guiana in the following encounter at home, but they were instead held to a goalless stalemate.

  This was much to the disappointment of King, David, and the many spectators that flocked the Dwight Yorke Stadium, as that result left the Twin Island Republic sitting at the foot of Group B on a point. Jamaica (four points), Nicaragua (four points), Honduras (three points), Cuba (two points), and French Guiana (one point) complete the group.

  The Soca Warriors now face a must-win scenario in their next two fixtures against Cuba on October 10 and 14 to have a slim chance at making the top two for a quarterfinal berth, but more importantly to avoid relegation to League B.

  Having made the quarterfinal in the previous edition of the Concacaf Nations League, David believes there is a need for individual and collective introspection as they need to raise the standard of their game.

  

  "It was a sad result for us. It's a draw, but it feels like a loss for us because three points would have put us in a good position in the group once again. Unfortunately, we didn't get going. We need to reset again because we have two important games coming up,” David said as he reflected on the outcome of their contest against French Guiana.

  "I think we as a team have to look at ourselves in the mirror and go back to the drawing board and look at the things that brought us success in the last campaign. I think we need to be humble and have that hunger to get good results,” he added.

  Alvin Jones echoed similar sentiments.

  "I think each and everyone has to look in the mirror and decide what they want—whether we want to play big football or we just want to compete. I think we have a lot of work to do mentally and physically. Each and every player,” he noted.

  Meanwhile, King, who was appointed ahead of the tournament following the dismissal of Angus Eve, felt his team could have done more to secure the three points against French Guiana.