By Martyn Herman LONDON, Oct 18 (Reuters) – Ange Postecoglou's Nottingham Forest nightmare ended after 39 days as he was sacked following his side's 3-0 home loss to Chelsea but 3,397 days into his Manchester City reign, Pep Guardiola again found himself top of the Premier League on Saturday. City striker Erling Haaland took his Premier League tally this season to 11 in eight games with both goals after halftime as his side beat Everton 2-0 at home to stretch their unbeaten run in all competitions to eight. Guardiola's side moved top with 16 points, above Arsenal on goals scored although Arsenal were in action later at Fulham. Crystal Palace and Bournemouth shared six goals in a 3-3 thriller at Selhurst Park with Jean-Philippe Mateta bagging a hat-trick for the hosts who trailed 2-0 and 3-2. Newcastle United striker Nick Woltemade scored for the fifth game in succession for club and country but it was not enough for his side who went down 2-1 at Brighton and Hove Albion. Promoted Sunderland's impressive start continued as they beat bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-0 while Burnley moved out of the bottom three by beating Leeds United 2-0. Postecoglou came out fighting in the build-up to Saturday's lunchtime kickoff at the City Ground, saying the story always ended with him winning a trophy at his previous clubs. But after a second-half capitulation against Chelsea that made him winless in eight games since replacing the popular Nuno Espirito Santo, the writing was on the wall. Nineteen minutes after the final whistle, and before he had even held a post-match news conference, he was sacked. "After a series of disappointing results and performances, Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties as head coach with immediate effect," the club said in a statement. Postecoglou's abrupt departure made him the shortest-serving permanent Premier League manager to be sacked mid-season. Forest, who ended the day in the relegation zone, actually dominated the first half with Morgan Gibbs-White having two big opportunities to put them ahead. But Chelsea grew into the game and after their manager Enzo Maresca made three substitutions at halftime the visitors took the lead when Pedro Neto's cross was headed home by the unmarked 19-year-old defender Josh Acheampong. Neto made it 2-0 and Reece James made it 3-0 but by that time Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis had already left his seat. "I feel very sorry, it's always a shame," Maresca told TNT Sports. "Unfortunately it's a business where you need to win games. Otherwise, for all of us, it's the same consequences." Chelsea moved sixth in the table with 14 points although they blotted their copybook with Malo Gusto sent off late on, meaning Maresca's side have ended with 10 men in four of their last six games in all competitions. "We can avoid it, for sure, but for me, the desire of the players is important," Maresca, who watched the game from the stands because of a previous red card, said. City were lacking inspiration against Everton but once again the red-hot Haaland made the difference with two goals in five minutes, to take his tally to 23 goals for the season for club and country. He broke the deadlock in the 58th minute when he leapt to head home Nico O'Reilly's cross from the left and the Norwegian then latched onto Savinho's cross and struck a blistering left-foot shot that deflected past Jordan Pickford. "Disappointed he did not score four or five. All jokes aside, really pleased but we cannot rely on just him, we need other players," Guardiola said. Bournemouth looked like they would move top of the table as they led 2-0 at Selhurst Park with a brace from teenaged striker Eli Kroupi but Mateta scored twice in a five-minute spell to draw the hosts level. Ryan Christie seemed to have won it for Bournemouth when he converted from a pass by Marcus Tavernier but Mateta was given the chance to rescue his side deep in stoppage time from the penalty spot and duly converted. Bournemouth are fourth with 15 points with Palace eighth on 13. Danny Welbeck struck both goals for Brighton as the 34-year-old rolled back the years with a vintage display of finishing. He opened the scoring in the 41st minute when he latched on to a Georginio Rutter pass to dink a beautiful finish. German striker Woltemade equalised in the 76th minute with a brilliant flicked back-heel from Lewis Miley's cross — Newcastle's first Premier League away goal this season. But Welbeck won it for the hosts, flashing a shot across Nick Pope in the 84th minute. (Reporting by Martyn Herman Editing by Toby Davis)
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