Man City wins after dropping Haaland and Liverpool loses on stoppage-time goal

Dropping Erling Haaland worked out just fine for Manchester City.

The Premier League's most fearsome striker and top scorer was relegated to the bench on Saturday after scoring just one goal in his previous eight games, and City responded to alarming back-to-back defeats with a 2-0 win over last-placed Wolverhampton.

Liverpool's 13-match unbeaten run ended, though, after conceding off virtually the last kick of the game to lose 3-2 at Bournemouth.

Without Haaland, Omar Marmoush and Antoine Semenyo played as high wingers in a tweaked tactical setup and scored first-half goals for City. It was Semenyo’s third goal in four games since joining from Bournemouth in an $87 million deal and he also hit the crossbar in the second half.

Marc Guehi started after completing his move from Crystal Palace on Monday and helped to shore up City’s defense that was creaking in woeful losses to Manchester United and Bodø/Glimt over the past week.

Haaland entered as a substitute in the 73rd minute but didn’t have a clear-cut chance. He is likely to return on Wednesday for City's vital Champions League game against Galatasaray — unless, that is, Guardiola liked what he saw against Wolves without his star player.

“The energy was really good in the first half," Guardiola said. "The last 20-25 minutes were a bit flat but, considering the amount of games, it was a good result and hopefully we can take good energy for our game on Wednesday.”

Guardiola spent more time raging at standards of officiating after Farai Hallam, a referee taking charge of his first Premier League game, refused to give City a penalty when the score was 1-0 after Marmoush flicked the ball against Wolves defender Yerson Mosquera’s arm. Hallam stuck by his original verdict after VAR asked him to review his decision on the pitchside monitor.

“The referee made a huge debut — now everybody will know him," Guardiola said.

Second-placed City moved four points behind Arsenal, which hosts Manchester United on Sunday.

Amine Adli bundled home a scrappy winner for Bournemouth in the fifth minute of stoppage time, just when it looked as if Liverpool would earn a point after fighting back from two goals down.

Goals by Virgil van Dijk and Dominik Szoboszlai — with a curling shot off a free kick in the 80th — completed Liverpool's comeback but there was a twist in the tail.

“It is a cruel game if you lose in extra time after coming back from 2-0 down at halftime," Liverpool manager Arne Slot said.

Liverpool had drawn its previous four league games, so was now on a five-match winless run, and was vulnerable in fourth place in a disappointing title defense.

Cristian Romero equalized in the 90th to salvage a 2-2 draw for Tottenham at next-to-last Burnley.

Still, it was a disappointing result for under-pressure Tottenham manager Thomas Frank, who was on the receiving end of criticism from his team's own fans during a home loss to West Ham last weekend only to get some respite in a Champions League win over Borussia Dortmund midweek.

The attacks from supporters resumed at Burnley.

“The message to the fans, as I’ve said all the time, is that we’re working very hard to make sure everything is going (in) the right direction,” Frank said, “and that we’ll keep doing that.”

Fulham also scored late and it was a winner; Harry Wilson's strike earned a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Brighton.

West Ham's bid to escape the Premier League relegation zone gathered pace after beating Sunderland 3-1.

It was a second straight victory for West Ham, which surged into a three-goal lead by the 43rd minute thanks to Crysencio Summerville’s header, Jarrod Bowen's penalty, and a long-range strike by Mateus Fernandes.

Brian Brobbey scored for Sunderland in the second half.

West Ham, whose win at Tottenham last weekend was its first win in any competition since early November, stayed in the bottom three but was just two points behind fourth-to-last Nottingham Forest. Forest visits Brentford on Sunday.

Steve Douglas is at https://twitter.com/sdouglas80

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Bournemouth's Amine Adli, center( 21), celebrates with teammates after scoring his sides third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Bournemouth and Liverpool in Bournemouth, England, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, left and teammate Dominik Szoboszlai talks before a direct free kick from which Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai scores his sides second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Bournemouth and Liverpool in Bournemouth, England, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Burnley's Lyle Foster, right, celebrates with teammate Jaidon Anthony after scoring his side's second goal of the game, during the English Premier League soccer match between Burnley and Tottenham Hotspur, at Turf Moor, in Burnley, England, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (Richard Sellers/PA via AP)

Manchester City's Antoine Semenyo, center, shoots and hits the bar during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers in Manchester, England, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)

Manchester City's Erling Haaland sits in the dug out before the start of the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers in Manchester, England, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)

West Ham United's Crysencio Summerville scores his side's first goal, during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Sunderland in London, Saturday Jan. 24, 2026. ( Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)

West Ham United's Jarrod Bowen celebrates scoring his side's second goal from a penalty, during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Sunderland in London, Saturday Jan. 24, 2026. (Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)

West Ham United's Crysencio Summerville celebrates scoring his side's first goal, during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Sunderland in London, Saturday Jan. 24, 2026. ( Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)

West Ham United's Mateus Fernandes, right,celebrates scoring his side's third goal with teammate Jarrod Bowen, during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Sunderland in London, Saturday Jan. 24, 2026. ( Jordan Pettitt/PA via AP)

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s parliament on Friday appointed right-wing populist politician Janez Jansa as the new prime minister, in a shift for the small European Union country that was previously run by a liberal government.

Lawmakers backed Jansa in a 51-36 vote in the 90-member assembly. The new prime minister will need to come back to Parliament within the next 15 days for another vote to confirm his future Cabinet.

Jansa's appointment concludes a postelection stalemate in Slovenia after a parliamentary ballot two months ago ended practically in a tie. Former liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob's Freedom Movement won by a thin margin but he was unable to muster a parliamentary majority.

Jansa and his populist Slovenian Democratic Party signed a coalition agreement this week with several right-wing groups. The new government also has the backing of a nonestablishment Truth party that first emerged as an anti-vaccination movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new term in office will be the fourth for the veteran Slovenian politician. Jansa, 67, is an admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump and was a close ally of former populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was defeated in a landslide election last month.

Jansa in a speech listed the economy, fight against corruption and red tape, and decentralization as key goals of the future government. He has promised to lower taxes for the rich and support private education and healthcare.

Critical of the previous government's alleged “inefficiency," Jansa said the new government will turn Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity and justice, where each responsible citizen will feel safe and accepted."

Like Orban, Jansa was staunchly anti-immigrant during the huge migration wave to Europe in 2015. Also like Orban, Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on democratic institutions and press freedoms during a previous term in 2020-2022. This led to protests at the time, and scrutiny from the European Union.

Golob in his speech described Jansa as “the greatest threat to Slovenia’s sovereignty and democracy."

Alleging that Jansa had threatened to arrest him, Golob said Jansa's "idea of democracy is that anyone who dares speak a word against you deserves only the worst.”

Jansa, a supporter of Israel, also has been a stern critic of the Golob government's 2024 recognition of a Palestinian state.

The vote on March 22 was marred by allegations of foreign influence and corruption. The around 2 million people in the Alpine nation are deeply divided between liberals and conservatives.

Janez Jansa, center, addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa arrives for a session of the Slovenian Parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)