one of eight newcomers signed by Eriksson in the offseason -- scored the game-winner in the 31st minute, moving City two points up on Chelsea and into first place in the EPL.
City also got a superb performance from young English defender Micah Richards, who controlled the backline throughout, belying his 19 years of age.
Blackburn Rovers 1, Arsenal 1
Another game with multiple yellow cards and an unsatisfying result for the home side was the 1-1 draw between Arsenal and Blackburn at Ewood Park on Sunday.
After trailing for much of the game, an attacking Blackburn finally equalized on Arsenal goalie Jens Lehmann's misplay in the 72nd minute. Blackburn were the aggressors for much of the second half, and could have taken the points but for a bounce here or there. Still, despite 34 fouls and nine cards, it ended up all knotted.
In other EPL action this weekend, Portsmouth toppled Bolton 3-1, West Ham finally broke through with a win and Reading kept up their strong start with a 1-0 win against Everton, with U.S. goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann recording his second shutout in three games.
Spanish La Liga
Sevilla took home the first trophy of the Spanish season when they downed Real Madrid 5-3 (6-3 on aggregate) on Sunday to capture the Supercopa.
Renato scored twice and Frederic Kanoute added a strike as Sevilla downed the defending Primera Liga champions in advance of the season's opening games on August 25.
Mexican League
Pachuca kept up the pace with a 1-0 win against Atlas, Christian Giménez scoring just before halftime. The win keeps the defending champs atop Clausura Group 1 with an undefeated 3-0 start. Only Santos, 2-0 winners against Veracruz in Group 2, is similarly without a loss.
German Bundesliga
Bayern Munich got goals from Luca Toni and the Frenchman Franck Ribéry in a 4-0 wipeout of Werder Bremen. The win kept the German powers atop the topsy-turvy Bundesliga standings, tied with Hamburg SV at 2-0.
Elsewhere in Germany, Hamburg SV stopped Bayer Leverkusen by 1-0, Hertha Berlin was a 3-1 winner over VfB Stuttgart and Schalke 04 put a hurt on winless Borussia Dortmund, 4-1.
U-17 World Cup
The action got underway in South Korea over the weekend, as the world's best teenaged footballers took the field. Early results were a mix of predictable and surprising, with Brazil punishing New Zealand with seven goals from seven players in a 7-0 win and England being shocked by a 90th-minute goal to draw with North Korea 1-1.
In Sunday matches, Syria earned the scoreless draw against favorite Argentina, while Spain stopped Honduras and Nigeria edged France 2-1.
The tournament continues Monday, with the USA taking on Tajikistan and Germany battling Colombia.
Around the globe ...
British Premier League newcomers Derby County completed a signing of U.S. international Eddie Lewis over the weekend. The former Leeds and Fulham wing inked a two-year deal with the club. ...
The French Ligue 1 has been dominated by Olympique Lyonnais in recent years, so much so that a 2-1 win by Lorient against Lyon on a pair of Marama Vahirua goals warrants raised eyebrows. The victory put Lorient at the top of the Ligue 1 table at 3-1 with fellow upstarts AS Nancy-Lorraine and Le Mans, both of whom earned draws this weekend. Traditional powers Lyon and Marseille are now four points off the pace. ...
In the Scottish League, Rangers demoralized Falkirk 7-2. Celtic were 3-1 winners against Aberdeen. ...
FC Porto was a 2-1 victor over Braga in their Portuguese Liga opener, joining Sporting Lisbon and Maritimo as the only teams to emerge with wins in Round 1.
