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The most expensive teenager in soccer history, Anthony Martial, scored on his debut in Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Liverpool, and Arsenal comfortably beat Stoke 2-0.
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GLYN KIRK / AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Manchester City's Kelechi Iheanacho scores the winning goal against Crystal Palace during Premier League play on Saturday.
LONDON—Manchester City enjoyed a perfect ending Saturday in the English Premier League when nothing went right for title rival Chelsea.
City produced a 90th-minute winner to beat Crystal Palace 1-0 and secure a fifth consecutive victory from as many matches, while champion Chelsea slumped to a 3-1 defeat at Everton that sealed its worst start in the league.
To round off a miserable day for Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, there were victories for two other title hopefuls.
The most expensive teenager in soccer history, Anthony Martial, scored on his debut in Manchester United’s 3-1 win over Liverpool, and Arsenal comfortably beat Stoke 2-0.
Martial, whose fee from Monaco could rise to $90 million, was not the only teenager to make headlines.
City’s 18-year-old Kelechi Iheanacho came off the bench in the 89th and poked the ball into the Palace net a minute later. The Nigerian forward played competitively for City only once before, and that, too, was as an 89th-minute substitute, against Watford in August.
The game also witnessed a promising debut for club record signing Kevin de Bruyne from the bench, albeit after striker Sergio Aguero left the pitch with what seemed a worrying injury.
Aguero later took to Twitter to allay fears over his fitness, saying: “Thanks everyone for your concern. I got a hard hit and it prevented me from playing more. It doesn’t seem to be a serious injury though.”
Off the field, there was a mild altercation between the managers following Yaya Toure’s late tackle on Palace’s James McArthur, with City’s Manuel Pellegrini tugging back Palace’s Alan Pardew. The exchange finished with a handshake.
There was more than just frustration, though, for Mourinho after Chelsea was torn apart by hat-trick scorer Steven Naismith.
Having gone on as a ninth-minute substitute for the injured Muhamed Besic, Naismith headed Everton into the lead and quickly scored his second with a low drive from outside the area.
Nemanja Matic pulled a goal back for Chelsea with a long-distance effort before the break, but Naismith put the result beyond doubt by squeezing an angled shot through the legs of goalkeeper Asmir Begovic in the 82nd.
Mourinho was defiant about his side’s latest result, and his own position.
“I don’t think there is a better manager than me to come to Chelsea and to do my job. I’m the man for the job,” he said.
Despite what he described as “the worst results ever in my career,” Mourinho was convinced Chelsea’s fortunes will change and that his players were just having a run of bad luck.
“The way they are playing is not so bad as the results,” he said. “But in every game everything goes against (us).”
Chelsea was 11 points behind City, which was also reveling in a five-point lead over United and Arsenal.
There was plenty for United fans to celebrate at Old Trafford, with David De Gea making his first appearance of the season in goal after signing a new contract, and Martial signalling his arrival with a superb solo goal to make it 3-1.
Daley Blind and Ander Herrera had United up 2-0 when Christian Benteke pulled one back with a stunning overhead kick in the 84th. Martial then weaved through the Liverpool defence to seal the result.
“He scored a marvelous goal and I have seen also, physically, he can play in the Premier League,” United manager Louis van Gaal said.
After some mediocre early season form, Arsenal dominated Stoke at Emirates Stadium and could easily have won by a tennis score.
Instead, just two goals from strikers Theo Walcott and Olivier Giroud sealed the points.
Walcott ran onto a perfect through ball from Mesut Ozil, and Giroud went on as a substitute to put the result away in the 85th.
Watford won its first league match of the season, 1-0 over Swansea, despite being reduced to 10 men. Striker Odion Ighalo scored in the 59th but five minutes later Valon Behrami was sent off for a violent tackle on Andre Ayew.
Wes Hoolahan inspired Norwich to a comfortable 3-1 first home league win, making one goal and scoring another against Bournemouth, while West Brom drew 0-0 at home to Southampton.
Vancouver-born teen learning with Manchester United under-21 team
Adept, ball-handling forward, who holds three passports, is training with legendary English Premier League club’s under 21 team.
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Just 18, Josh Doughty is rubbing shoulders with some of soccer’s elite.
The Vancouver-born forward is honing his skills in England with Manchester United’s under-21 team. Doughty signed in January 2014, eventually joining the storied club in November after getting his international clearance.
“It was a dream come true,” Doughty said after a recent training session with the Canadian under-20 team. “It’s what I expected. It’s really high-level, challenges you every day. It’s a great place to learn.
“So it’s the right place to be if you want to improve your game.”
Practice can involve lining up with members of the first team squad.
“You start to get used to it, but, at the beginning, I was thinking ‘Oh, my God!’ You’re in close proximity with all these great players and you can just learn off them, playing with and against them, so it’s great.”
Born in Canada to British parents, Doughty was four when he moved to Arizona where he grew up. His father’s work with an aerospace company took him to Canada and the U.S.
As a result, Doughty holds three passports.
“I probably have some choices to make in the future, but, for now, I’m just focused on Canada,” he said.
Canada clearly wants to keep the lanky Doughty wearing the Maple Leaf.
“He’s very light of foot, a very technical player,” said under-20 coach Rob Gale. “Great in close quarters.”
The teenager can also play a variety of roles, including forward or No. 10, and as a box-to-box midfielder.
“He’s almost in that Berbatov mould,” he said, referring to Bulgaria and PAOK star Dimitar Berbatov, a former Man. U. player. “In close control, tight quarters, (he) works the ball very nicely.”
Gale, who holds British and Canadian citizenship himself, says he has a good relationship with the Doughty family. He hopes Canada’s commitment to and investment in Doughty and others will reap rewards.
Doughty joined Real Salt Lake’s residential developmental academy, which was based in Arizona. He spent two seasons there, helping Salt Lake to the U.S under-16 title in 2012-13, and was spotted by Manchester United at the Generation Adidas Cup, MLS’s youth championship.
He went over for a trial and signed. His family is now in the process of joining him in England.
In addition to Canadian-based talent, Gale’s under-20 player pool includes Harry Paton from Fulham’s under-18 academy and Yuri dos Santos, who is in the Ajax system. He also has players in the Chelsea and Stoke systems who were unable to attend the most recent camp.
Gale’s team is working towards qualification for the FIFA U-20 World Cup Korea Republic 2017.
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