Ronaldo scores 2 on ‘glorious’ United return, Arsenal finally win; Spurs lose
City pip Leicester for 3rd straight victory, Southampton hold West Ham Wolfsburg maintain perfect start to season
MANCHESTER, England, Sept 11, (AP): The leap, swivel and landing with outstretched arms as the Old Trafford crowd roared.
If anyone missed it the first time on Saturday — and it’s hard to imagine when so many eyes were transfixed on Cristiano Ronaldo — they got another chance in the second half.
This was always going to be Ronaldo’s day. Two goals, two chances to stage his trademark celebration in a 4-1 victory over Newcastle, ensured the performance matched the club hype that fans young and old embraced with their “Viva Ronaldo” chants and willingness to hand over cash for new jerseys.
Less than five months ago the fans
SOCCER
were storming the stadium in a rage against the owners. Now the greenand-gold anti-Glazer protest scarves were hanging over the No. 7 Ronaldo shirts the megastore is struggling to match the demand for in the two weeks since he joined from Juventus.
The only “Get out of our club” chants were aimed by the Newcastle supporters at their owner, not Avram Glazer in the home directors’ seats.
For Old Trafford’s second capacity crowd since the start of the pandemic 18 months ago, the “Welcome home” announcements left no doubt they were for the superstar on the field.
He left United a year after winning his first Ballon D’Or accolade in 2008. The Portugal captain returns a fivetime winner, with the chiselled, lean body ensuring not just playing longevity at 36 but a status that transcends not just United but the sport.
Ronaldo even laughed at himself. Like after the early miss when he swung at the ball from a tight angle right in front of the Newcastle fans.
He had to wait until the second minute of stoppage time at the end of the first half to restart the goal count left at 118 in 2009.
Few goals will be easier, tapping into an empty net after goalkeeper Freddie Woodman fumbled Mason Greenwood.
It was a goal United fans hadn’t seen in 12 years and feared would never happen, especially when he came close to signing for Manchester City when he unexpectedly came on the market in the final days of the summer transfer window.
Yet it was a goal only the crowd of around 74,000 could legally watch in Britain.
The peculiarity of broadcasting rules meant this game was blacked out from television and digital platforms in Britain until after the game. Yet, illicit Twitter clips of it were showing more than a million views within half an hour of it being scored.
There was a moment of unease when United’s need for a new defensive midfielder was highlighted by the failings that led to Newcastle’s Javier Manquillo being able to equalize in the second half.
But Ronaldo had the lead restored in the 62nd. All the running in the buildup was from Luke Shaw before slipping the ball through for Ronaldo to effortlessly put the ball between Woodman’s legs.
And there it was again, the signature celebration finessed during his time at Real Madrid, this time in front of the Stretford End, where Ronaldo shouted “Siuuu.”
The win was secure. It just needed compatriot Bruno Fernandes with a fine rising, curling shot and Jesse Lingard’s stoppage time strike to add to the party atmosphere.
Palace 3, Tottenham 0
Tottenham became the final team to lose their perfect record in the Premier League, falling 3-0 at Crystal Palace after new signing Odsonne Edouard scored twice to add to a penalty by Wilfried Zaha.
Spurs won their opening three games of the season under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo — all by a 1-0 score — but were without a slew of first-choice players at Selhurst Park and were outplayed.
Tottenham had already been reduced to 10 men following the sending-off of center back Japhet Tanganga for two yellow cards in the space of five minutes when Ben Davies, on as a substitute in the resulting defensive realignment, was adjudged to have
blocked a cross with his arm.
Zaha converted the 76th-minute penalty, with goalkeeper Hugo Lloris diving the wrong way, and worse was to come for Davies when a shot by Edouard deflected off the Tottenham replacement and into the bottom corner.
It marked an immediate impact by the French striker, who had only come on as a substitute seconds earlier for his first appearance since a move on the final day of the summer transfer window from Scottish club Celtic.
Edouard then added a second goal from close range in the third minute of stoppage time.
Arsenal 1, Norwich 0
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang ended Arsenal’s wait for a goal and some points in the English Premier League by scoring in a 1-0 win over Norwich .
The striker tapped in from close range in the 66th minute after Nicolas Pepe struck shots against both posts before the ball dribbled across the face of goal to Aubameyang.
It was enough to lift Arsenal off the bottom of the standings, with Norwich dropping into last place instead.
The win relieves some of the pressure on Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, whose team opened with three straight losses without scoring — the most recent a 5-0 thrashing at Manchester City before the international break.
City 1, Leicester 0
Bernardo Silva earned Manchester City their third straight victory in the
English Premier League with a second-half goal to see off Leicester .
Getting City some revenge for last month’s loss to Leicester in the Community Shield, the Portugal midfielder lifted a finish over goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel in the 62nd minute after the ball fell to him when Joao Cancelo’s shot from the edge of the box hit Leicester defender Caglar Soyuncu.
The win would have come easier for City if it wasn’t for wasteful finishing that underlined its need for a striker to replace Sergio Aguero, having missed out on signing Harry Kane in the summer transfer window.
Southampton 0, West Ham 0
Declan Rice cleared a header off the goalline in stoppage time to salvage a point for West Ham in a 0-0 draw at Southampton .
Armando Broja headed in a corner low to beat goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski but Rice was at the far post and cleared it off the bounce to keep West Ham unbeaten after four games.
West Ham entered as the league coleaders with 10 goals but they never seriously threatened at St. Mary’s and
turns their attention to a Europa League match at Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday.
Broja, on loan from Chelsea, came on as a substitute in the 74th and hit the post with a shot seven minutes later in an impressive performance by the 20-year-old Albania international.
Brighton 1, Brentford 0
Brighton ended newly promoted Brentford’s unbeaten start to the English Premier League by scoring in the 90th minute for a 1-0 win .
Belgium midfielder Leandro Trossard curled into the corner as stoppage time approached to punish Brentford for a lack of cutting edge and inflict
their first loss at home since February.
Bryan Mbeumo was guilty of wasting the best of Brentford’s chances and the hosts were hit with a sucker-punch late on as Brighton claimed a third win in four matches to open the league.
Brentford started their first top-flight season in 74 years with a win and two draws.
Brighton’s deadline-day signing, Marc Cucurella, was handed a full debut and was introduced to life in England with a flailing arm from fellow Spaniard Sergi Canos, which earned an early yellow card.
It sparked wild celebrations in the
away end, where club chairman Tony Bloom was present.
Wolves 2, Watford 0
South Korea forward Hwang Heechan scored on his English Premier League debut to seal Wolverhampton’s first win of the season, 2-0 at Watford .
Hwang’s shot from close range in the 83rd minute followed an own goal by Watford defender Francisco Sierralta nine minutes earlier at Vicarage Road.
Wolves had been held scoreless in their first three games - all 1-0 scores to tough competition in Leicester, Tottenham and Manchester United.