Yaya Toure made a sensational return to the Manchester City ranks, scoring twice on his comeback to inspire the title contenders to a 2-1 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday.
The Ivorian powerhouse was in the City line-up for his first league appearance of the season, back in the fold after recently making a public apology following comments the player’s agent had made about the club and manager Pep Guardiola.
Injury-prone City captain Vincent Kompany had to go off with injury after a collision with his own keeper Claudio Bravo but Toure was soon back in business when his 39th minute shot, via a deflection, flew past Wayne Hennessey.
After Palace equalised in the 66th minute with a Connor Wickham strike, Toure struck seven minutes from time to consign the home side to their fifth consecutive defeat, slotting home from a low corner delivered expertly by Kevin de Bruyne.
Liverpool meanwhile missed a chance to go clear at the top after squandering a string of chances in a dull 0-0 draw against Southampton in driving rain at St Mary’s Stadium on Saturday.
Liverpool have 27 points from 12 games, ahead of City on goal difference. Third-placed Chelsea, on 25, can leapfrog both of them when they visit struggling Middlesbrough on Sunday.
Two goals from Victor Anichebe and another from Jermain Defoe gave Sunderland a deserved 3-0 win over fellow strugglers Hull City as David Moyes’ side registered back-to-back wins for only the third time in 2016.
Anichebe, who netted his first goal in 546 days against Bournemouth last time out, grabbed two more in 22 minutes after Defoe had opened the scoring from a Duncan Watmore knockdown with his 150th Premier League strike.
A power failure led to a delay of several minutes at the start of the second half but there was no stopping Anichebe who produced a sharp left-foot shot after 62 minutes before thumping his third goal in two games to seal the win on 84.
The only sour note for Sunderland, who moved off the bottom of the table, was the late sending-off of defender Papy Djilobodji for a needless second yellow card.
Roberto Pereyra scored a spectacular goal after setting up Watford’s first-minute opener to secure a 2-1 win over champions Leicester City in an entertaining Premier League clash.
The outcome left Leicester in 14th position on 12 points from as many games, only two above the relegation zone, as their poor away form continued with a fifth defeat in six games.
Just when Bob Bradley thought Swansea had secured their first win under his management, Seamus Coleman produced an 89th-minute header to give Everton a deserved 1-1 draw at Goodison Park.
Bradley made eight changes in a bid to kick-start his side’s spluttering season and when Gylfi Sigurdsson scored from the penalty spot, after having been brought down by Phil Jagielka in the 41st minute, it was the first time they had even led under the American.
The goal stunned Everton, still smarting from their 5-0 drubbing by Chelsea before the international break, and Yannick Bolasie went close after the interval as Everton went all out for the equaliser.
After spending almost the entire second period in their own half, Swansea eventually buckled when Coleman headed home in the 89th minute, although the draw means Everton have only won one of their past seven league games.
Bournemouth won their first Premier League match on the road this season thanks to Nathan Ake’s second league goal and a penalty miss from Stoke’s Bojan Krkic on Saturday.
Dutchman Ake proved the Cherries’ courageous first-half hero, picking himself off the ground after a tough challenge from Wilfried Bony and heading home straight away from a Junior Stanislas cross.
