Liverpool stay perfect with win at Chelsea
Dismal Man United overpowered by West Ham
LONDON: Leaders Liverpool maintained their perfect start to the Premier League season as first-half goals from Trent Alexander-Arnold and Roberto Firmino secured a 2-1 win at Chelsea yesterday that left them five points clear at the summit.
It was a sixth straight league win from the start of the campaign for Juergen Klopp’s European champions and extended their club-record streak to 15 in total. Chelsea, who put up a spirited fightback in the second half, pulled a goal back with a superb effort from N’Golo Kante but a second defeat of the season left them 10 points adrift in 11th.
Liverpool took the lead in the 14th minute when Alexander-Arnold rifled the ball into the top corner after Mohamed Salah backheeled a free kick into his path on the edge of the box. Chelsea had been a clear second best in the early stages but were denied an equaliser by VAR after 26 minutes when Cesar Azpilicueta bundled the ball in only for replays to show that Mason Mount had strayed a fraction offside in the build-up.
Liverpool made the most of the reprieve as four minutes later Andy Robertson’s cross from the left was headed powerfully into the net by the unmarked Roberto Firmino. Kante pulled one back in spectacular fashion, turning midfielder Fabinho, before attacking the heart of the visitors’ defence and curling the ball into the far corner, but Mount and substitute Michy Batshuayi missed late chances to equalise.
Earlier, West Ham United beat a toothless Manchester United 2-0 at home yesterday 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 and lacked spark and creativity. United created no chances of note before the interval but Juan Mata missed a glorious opportunity early in the second half when he missed the target from close range, while Harry Maguire was later thwarted by West Ham keeper Lukasz Fabianksi.
Their slim hopes of getting back into the game were rocked when Rashford came off with a suspected muscle injury, leaving winger Daniel James to operate as a lone striker for the final half an hour. West Ham have 11 points after six games, the same as third-placed Leicester City, while Man United are eighth on eight points.
Meanwhile, ten-man Arsenal twice battled back from a goal down to beat Aston Villa 3-2 with PierreEmerick Aubameyang’s late effort securing the points in a thriller at the Emirates yesterday. John McGinn gave Villa a 20th-minute lead and Arsenal’s task became even harder when Ainsley Maitland-Niles was shown a second yellow card 20 minutes later.
Despite being a man down, the hosts dominated possession and equalised on the hour when Nicolas Pepe converted from the penalty spot after midfielder Matteo Guendouzi was fouled in the area by Bjˆrn Engels.
Villa were ahead again almost immediately through Wesley but Calum Chambers replied again for the hosts in the 81st minute.
Aubameyang then pounced to complete a remarkable win for Unai Emery’s side who moved into fourth spot with 11 points. Villa are third from bottom with four points. In another match, Diogo Jota’s last-gasp equaliser earned Wolverhampton Wanderers a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace yesterday as their wait for a first Premier League win of the season continued.
A mistake by Joel Ward five minutes into stoppage time allowed Jota to score from close range, earning Wolves a fourth draw from their six games. They had to do it the hard way though as they played the final stages with 10 men after Romain Saiss was shown a second yellow card for a foul on Wilfried Zaha.
Palace, who could have gone sixth with a win, took the lead a minute after halftime when Ward’s powerful shot was headed into his own net by Leander Dendoncker. Wolves remain second from bottom with four points. — Reuters