Erling Haaland scored twice as Manchester City netted five goals against Sparta Prague in their UEFA Champions League League Phase match. The victory brings City to seven points, placing them third in the table after three games. Liverpool and Aston Villa, City’s Premier League rivals, are the only teams with a perfect record in the competition. Manchester City now holds an unbeaten streak of 26 matches in the Champions League.

Erling Haaland netted an impressive brace as Manchester City cruised to a dominant 5-0 victory over Sparta Prague. Haaland's two goals came within a 10-minute span in the second half, following Phil Foden's opener in the first half.

John Stones and a penalty from Matheus Nunes rounded off the scoring, securing a dominant victory for Manchester City. Despite controlling possession, Pep Guardiola was visibly frustrated at halftime, with only Phil Foden’s goal to show for their efforts.

In the second half, Erling Haaland opened his account with a stunning acrobatic finish, sending the ball over the goalkeeper. After that, City surged ahead, with Haaland scoring again after an impressive team move, followed by Stones heading in the fourth. Late in the game, Nunes was fouled in the box and calmly converted the penalty.

City's win extended their unbeaten run in the Champions League to 26 matches, surpassing Manchester United's previous record of 25.

The result puts Guardiola's team in third place in the Champions League standings with seven points from their first three matches, trailing Liverpool and Aston Villa. City will face Southampton at home in the Premier League on Saturday at 15:00 UK time.

PLAYER RATINGS

Manchester City: Ortega 7, Lewis 8, Stones 8, Akanji 7, Ake 7, Silva 7, Gundogan 7, Nunes 9, Savinho 8, Haaland 8, Foden 8. Subs: Dias 7, Gvardiol 7, Kovacic 7, McAtee 8, O'Reilly 7.

Sparta Prague: Vindahl 8, Vitik 6, Panak 6, Sorensen 6, Preciado 7, Laci 6, Kairinen 6, Rynes 6, Birmancevic 6, Olatunji 6, Haraslin 6. Subs: Danek 6, Krasniqi 6, Rrahmani 6, Solbakken 6, Wiesner 6.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS 

AL FOR AKE: Foden’s corner causes chaos in Sparta Prague’s defense. Haaland flicks the ball towards Ake, who knocks it into the net, but the ball hits Ake’s wrist. After checking VAR, the goal is disallowed for handball.

58 - GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 2 (HAALAND) SPARTA PRAGUE 0: Savinho sends a great pass to Haaland, who surprises everyone with an amazing flying kick. The ball bounces off the ground and over the goalkeeper.

65 - GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 3 (STONES) SPARTA PRAGUE 0: Nunes curls the ball into the box, and Stones heads it over the goalkeeper and into the net.

68 - GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 4 (HAALAND) SPARTA PRAGUE 0: City counterattack quickly, with Lewis passing to Stones, then to Savinho, who sets up Haaland to calmly finish the play.

88 - GOAL! MANCHESTER CITY 5 (NUNES) SPARTA PRAGUE 0: Nunes drives into the box and is fouled by Preciado. The referee gives a penalty, and Nunes confidently smashes the ball into the net.

 Jeremy Clarkson recently opened up about a frightening health scare that almost cost him his life. He shared that during a holiday in the Indian Ocean, what started as a simple swim left him struggling to climb stairs. Things took a turn for the worse when he got home, and suddenly, he found himself feeling clammy, with tightness in his chest and tingling in his left arm. Alarm bells rang when he heard about former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond’s fatal heart attack, and Clarkson decided it was time to see a doctor.

In a candid piece for The Sunday Times, Clarkson revealed that he was rushed to John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. After undergoing a series of tests—an electrocardiogram (ECG), blood work, and X-rays—doctors thankfully ruled out a heart attack. But the situation was still serious. After further checks, he was taken to the operating room, where the medical team told him he was just "days away" from becoming gravely ill. 

The diagnosis? One of the arteries that supplied blood to his heart was completely blocked, and another one wasn’t far behind. Clarkson described how, in just two hours, doctors fitted a stent, a tiny device that improves blood flow and can prevent future heart attacks. He described the procedure as more "odd" than painful and couldn’t help but reflect on how close he came to a more dire outcome, thinking, "Crikey, that was close."

Since then, Clarkson has started contemplating some lifestyle changes. In typical Clarkson fashion, he’s been humorously wondering what water really tastes like and whether there’s any way to make celery remotely appealing. These thoughts hint at him possibly cutting down on his beloved meat-heavy diet. This wouldn’t be his first big health shift; he previously had to quit smoking after contracting pneumonia during a holiday in Spain.

Clarkson ended his reflection with gratitude for the well-wishers who sent him messages of support, reassuring everyone that he’s doing just fine—though he now has a doctor's note excusing him from any heavy lifting or dishwasher duty for the next four years, at least according to his interpretation of the doctor's advice.