Liverpool surged to the top of the Premier League with a dominant 3-0 victory over Bournemouth, while Tottenham eased pressure on manager Ange Postecoglou with a 3-1 win against Brentford. Chelsea and Aston Villa also recorded impressive victories in a thrilling weekend of Premier League action.
At Anfield, Liverpool bounced back emphatically from their shock defeat to Nottingham Forest a week ago. First-half goals from Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez secured the win, propelling Liverpool ahead of Manchester City and Aston Villa on goal difference. Diaz, returning to the starting lineup after being rested for the midweek Champions League win against AC Milan, struck twice in quick succession. The Colombian capitalized on a mistake by Kepa Arrizabalaga to slot the ball into an empty net before firing in his fifth goal of the season just minutes later.
Nunez, making his first start of the campaign, ended his 14-game goal drought in spectacular fashion, curling a shot into the far corner. Liverpool’s three-goal margin was enough to send them top of the table on goal difference, with 12 points from five matches.
Meanwhile, Tottenham’s 3-1 victory over Brentford gave Postecoglou some much-needed relief. Spurs, who had won only once in their first four league games, fell behind early when Bryan Mbeumo scored after just 22 seconds. However, goals from Dominic Solanke, Brennan Johnson, and James Maddison helped Spurs turn the game around, with Maddison sealing the win five minutes from time.
Aston Villa also kept pace at the top of the table after coming from behind to beat Wolves 3-1. Matheus Cunha gave Wolves an early lead, but Ollie Watkins’ deflected effort and a goal from Ezri Konsa turned the tide in Villa’s favor. Jhon Duran, continuing his hot streak as an impact substitute, netted his fourth goal of the season to secure the victory.
Chelsea cruised to a 3-0 win over a struggling West Ham side at the London Stadium. Nicolas Jackson scored twice, taking his tally to four goals in five league matches. He also set up Cole Palmer to round off the scoring early in the second half. The victory lifted Chelsea to fourth in the table, while West Ham endured their worst-ever start at home under new manager Julen Lopetegui, having lost all three of their opening home fixtures.
Elsewhere, Newcastle’s inconsistent form continued as they suffered a 3-1 defeat at Fulham. Raul Jimenez opened the scoring for Fulham, and a mistake by goalkeeper Nick Pope allowed Emile Smith-Rowe to double the lead. Harvey Barnes briefly gave Newcastle hope with a goal early in the second half, but a late strike from Reiss Nelson sealed the win for Fulham.
In other results, Ipswich secured a last-minute 1-1 draw against Southampton in a battle of the newly-promoted sides, while Everton and Leicester played out a 1-1 draw at the King Power Stadium.
The weekend’s fixtures will culminate in a highly anticipated clash on Sunday when reigning champions Manchester City host Arsenal, with both teams aiming to establish their title credentials in the early stages of the season. Manchester United will also face Crystal Palace as they look to bounce back from a humiliating defeat to the same opponents in May.
The Premier League continues to deliver high drama as teams jostle for position at the top and bottom of the table.
Source: AFP