Liverpool down Chelsea to extend perfect start
LONDON: Trent Alexander-arnold’s thunderous strike inspired Liverpool’s 2-1 win against Chelsea as the Premier League leaders moved five points clear at the top on Sunday.
Jurgen Klopp’s side extended their perfect start to the title race as they became the first club to win their opening six games in consecutive top-flight seasons.
Alexander-arnold’s blistering free-kick opened the scoring at Stamford Bridge.
Roberto Firmino increased Liverpool’s advantage before the interval and N’golo Kante’s fine goal was not enough to give Chelsea tangible reward for a vibrant second half.
After Manchester City thrashed Watford 8-0 on Saturday, this was the ideal response from Liverpool as they bid to win the title for the first time since 1990.
Pipped to the trophy by City on the final day of last season, Liverpool are playing with a burning desire to end their rivals’ two-year reign as champions.
In contrast to the Champions League holders’ scrappy midweek defeat at Napoli, this disciplined display showed the Premier League is Liverpool’s top priority this term.
SUCCESSIVE WINS
They are on a club-record run of 15 successive league wins and have lost just once in 45 top-flight matches, going unbeaten in the last 23.
Significantly for their title prospects, Liverpool’s success at the Bridge was just their second win in 13 away league games against the other established top-six teams.
Although they were hanging on by the end, if Liverpool take more points against the big guns, even City might struggle to keep them at bay.
Frank Lampard’s raw side, 10 points behind the leaders, competed gamely to offer hope of a bright future.
However, Chelsea are a work in progress -- yet to keep a clean sheet in seven games and without a win in their opening four home games in all competitions.
ARSENAL BEAT VILLA
LONDON: Ten-man Arsenal twice came from a goal down to claim a much-needed 3-2 win over Aston Villa in dramatic fashion thanks to Pierre-emerick Aubameyang’s free-kick six minutes from time at the Emirates on Sunday.
The Gunners’ winless run in the Premier League seemed set to stretch to four games when John Mcginn gave Villa the lead and Ainsley Maitland-niles’s sending-off four minutes before half-time gave Unai Emery’s men a mountain to climb.
Nicolas Pepe’s first Arsenal goal from the penalty spot briefly brought the Gunners level, but Wesley soon restored Villa’s lead. Arsenal heart and commitment was questioned after blowing a two-goal lead to draw at Watford last weekend.
But they showed no little spirit as Calum Chambers looped home an equaliser before Aubameyang took centre stage to rifle home a free-kick from the edge of the area.
UNITED BEATEN
LONDON: West Ham United beat a toothless Manchester United 2-0 at home to move into fourth place in the Premier League as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side ended the game without an established striker after Marcus Rashford came off injured.
Ukrainian forward Andriy Yarmolenko put West Ham ahead at the end of a drab first half with a confident first-time finish into the bottom corner and Aaron Cresswell sealed victory with an outstanding free kick in the 84th minute. The visitors, who were missing Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial and Luke Shaw through injury and lost teenage striker Mason Greenwood to illness, looked sluggish throughout the game.
United created no chances of note before the interval.