Liverpool, Chelsea make it five from five
The foundations are being laid for one of the English Premier League’s most exhilarating and competitive title races.
For the first time since the league’s inception 26 years ago, two teams – Chelsea and Liverpool – have 100 per cent winning records after five matches.
Eden Hazard’s hat-trick powered Chelsea to a 4-1 victory over Cardiff yesterday shortly after Roberto Firmino helped Liverpool overcome Tottenham 2-1. Dual-track perfection can’t last much longer as Chelsea host Liverpool in a showdown at Stamford Bridge in two weeks.
The defending champions are in the slipstream. Still unbeaten, Manchester City beat Fulham 3-0 to remain two points behind.
Watford made an unexpectedly perfect start to the campaign but that ended after being beaten 2-1 by Manchester United, who are trying to close a six-point gap on the leaders.
Hazard prepared for the Cardiff game with encouragement and advice from Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri on game-eve.
‘‘You can score 40 goals,’’ Sarri recalled telling the winger. ‘‘But you have to spend less energy far from goal and you have to play in the last 25 metres of the field.’’
Hazard’s best tally since joining Chelsea in 2012 is 18 in the 2016-17 campaign. He already has six from the opening five fixtures.
The Belgium international surged through the defence before finishing powerfully in the 37th minute to cancel out Sol Bamba’s surprise opener from winless Cardiff. Before halftime, Olivier Giroud laid the ball off for Hazard to unleash a strike which deflected in off Bamba to send Chelsea in front. Hazard’s third came from the spot in the 80th after a penalty was won by Willian, who curled in the fourth three minutes later.
Tottenham spent nothing in the off-season. Liverpool invested more than NZ$300 million in new talent. Now the tables have been turned in a rivalry that saw Tottenham beat Liverpool 4-1 at home last season and finish a place ahead in third.
Liverpool’s 2-1 victory at Wembley pointed to a tight contest. In fact, after Erik Lamela pulled one back in stoppage time, Son Heung-min was unlucky not to earn a stoppage-time penalty when he was caught by Sadio Mane.
But Liverpool were far more sprightly and dangerous on the ball, while Tottenham – particularly striker Harry Kane – was lethargic.
Georginio Wijnaldum and Firmino scored either side of halftime past Michel Vorm, who was deputising for injured goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
United are getting their season back on track after a 3-0 humbling at home by Tottenham, with victory before the international break at Burnley followed by the success at Watford.
Romelu Lukaku and Chris Smalling both scored inside three minutes in the first half but United had to withstand a secondhalf fightback that saw Andre Gray educe the deficit.
United were reduced to 10 men in stoppage time when Nemanja Matic received a second booking for bringing down Will Hughes. It then took David de Gea’s fingertips save from Abdoulaye Doucoure’s header to ensure United claimed a third victory of the campaign.
In other matches, Bournemouth beat Leicester 4-2, Crystal Palace won 1-0 at Huddersfield and Arsenal won 2-1 at Newcastle.