Salah, Liverpool outclass Arsenal
Mohamed Salah was just inside Arsenal’s half when he collected the ball, befuddled David Luiz with a nonchalant jink and homed in on goal from the right wing.
The Liverpool star made the finish look easy, too, whipping the ball into the bottom corner.
With one of the best goals so far this season, Salah capped Liverpool’s 3-1 win over Arsenal in a one-sided game between the top two teams in the Premier League.
Liverpool will be the only team to end the third round of games with a maximum nine points. The Reds appear well set for another tilt at an English top-flight title they haven’t won since 1990.
If only Manchester United was in such a strong position.
Liverpool’s traditional rival got a reality check Saturday with a 2-1 loss at home to Crystal Palace that exposed the deficiencies that still exist in the team.
United is no closer to solving its penalty woes, either, with Marcus Rashford reclaiming spot-kick duties after Paul Pogba’s miss against Wolverhampton on Monday but also failing to score.
Worse was to come as United conceded a stoppage-time goal to lose for the first time this season and slip five points behind Liverpool.
There was also a first win for Frank Lampard as Chelsea manager, and away victories for Leicester, Southampton and West Ham.
Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer prompted debate this week by saying he has two designated penalty takers in Pogba and Rashford, despite concerns that it might cause confusion.
And Rashford followed Pogba in missing from 12 yards in the surprise loss against Palace.
United was poor, though, conceding a weak goal to go 1-0 down when a goalkeeper clearance was flicked on for Jordan Ayew to run free and slot home in the 32nd minute.
Daniel James curled a brilliant equalizer in the 89th minute, seemingly earning United a point, only for Palace left back Patrick van Aanholt to squeeze a shot under the body of goalkeeper David de Gea at the end of a counter-attack in the second minute of stoppage time.