Manchester City suffered their first Premier League defeat of the season as they were beaten 2-1 by Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.
Goals by Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah also saw Liverpool come from behind to defeat Brighton 2-1 at Anfield and move top of the Premier League.
Antoine Semenyo and Evanilson struck to seal a deserved victory for Bournemouth who had never before beaten City in the league in their entire history.
Bournemouth smelled blood from the off. Inside two minutes, Ederson was forced into a double save to first deny Semenyo and then Justin Kluivert from the follow-up and, after the lively start continued, the laser-focused Semenyo turned and tucked home his fourth of the season after being picked out by Milos Kerkez.
City lacked any sort of fluency going forward and ended the first half, uncharacteristically, without a shot on target. Kerkez bravely blocked a drive from Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland skewed wide, but that was as good as it got.
A last-ditch save from Ederson prevented Evanilson from doubling the hosts’ lead shortly after the start of the second half, but the Brazilian did just that after 64 minutes, making early contact with a wicked Kerkez ball to catch the City stopper out.
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Amazingly, it could have been three when the Cherries broke again within minutes, but Marcus Tavernier struck the post before Adam Smith somehow blazed the rebound over with the goal gaping.
City, however, got a consolation goal as Josko Gvardiol got on the end of an Ilkay Gundogan cross to loop in a header.
Liverpool scored two goals in three minutes in the second half after Ferdi Kadioglu put Brighton ahead early on.
Seeking revenge for their midweek Carabao Cup defeat to the same opposition, Brighton dominated the early stages. Kadioglu’s breakthrough goal was one that involved 21 passes before he drilled his side into the lead with just 13 minutes played.
Following continued Liverpool pressure, Gakpo followed up his brace in midweek with the leveller before Salah whipped in the winning goal.
Victory for Liverpool means they find themselves top of the league – two points ahead of City, who lost at Bournemouth. Defeat for Brighton denied them a place in the top four and leaves them in seventh.
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