Sundowns stay top as Pirates close the gap in busy weekend across Europe

Mamelodi Sundowns maintained their strong start to the Betway Premiership over the weekend, while Manchester City, Barcelona and Atlético Madrid all posted notable results in Europe.

Orlando Pirates strengthened their position near the top of the table with a 2-0 win over Marumo Gallants on Sunday, keeping them within touching distance of leaders Sundowns.

Golden Arrows and Kaizer Chiefs played out a goalless draw, the KwaZulu-Natal derby between Milford FC and Durban City ended 1-1, and Chippa United edged TS Galaxy 1-0. Sundowns lead the table on 20 points from eight matches, with Pirates second on 19 from seven.

In the Motsepe Foundation Championship, Magesi FC's unbeaten record ended with a 1-1 draw against Hungry Lions, though they remain top; Real Native moved into second after a 2-0 win over Venda FC. Upington City and the University of Pretoria shared six goals in a 3-3 draw, while Cape Town City were held 0-0 by NWU.

In England, Manchester City produced the Premier League's highest-scoring match of the weekend, beating Sunderland 5-3 despite a hat-trick from Sunderland's Brian Brobbey, and kept their perfect start to the season intact. Liverpool beat Bournemouth 1-0, Manchester United drew 1-1 at Fulham, and Leeds United and Crystal Palace shared a goalless draw.

Brighton & Hove Albion produced Saturday's biggest surprise with a 3-0 win over Arsenal, while Aston Villa came from behind to beat Tottenham Hotspur 3-2, leaving Spurs still without a league win this season. Everton beat Ipswich Town 1-0, Newcastle United defeated Hull City 2-1, and Coventry City beat Nottingham Forest 1-0.

In Spain, Barcelona beat Sevilla 3-1 away, while Atlético Madrid won 2-1 away to derby rivals Real Madrid. Celta Vigo thrashed Racing Santander 5-0, Villarreal beat Levante 3-1, Real Sociedad beat Valencia 3-2, and Athletic Club and Alavés drew 0-0.