Liverpool, Man Utd put to the sword
FOOTBALL
LONDON: English Premier League champion Liverpool was thrashed 72 by Aston Villa yesterday while Manchester United was humbled 61 at home by Tottenham in a day of surprises.
Liverpool suffered its heaviest defeat under manager Juergen Klopp as it was stunned 72 at Aston Villa.
Ollie Watkins scored a hattrick while Jack Grealish grabbed two as Klopp’s side lost its 100% start to the season.
Villa, by contrast, has won its first three games and is now second, level on points with fifthplaced Liverpool, three points behind leader Everton.
‘‘It’s hard to lose the way we lost tonight,’’ Liverpool defender
Virgil van Dijk said.
‘‘It was one of those performances where we weren’t 100% at it from start to finish.
‘‘Overall, we’re all disappointed.’’
Leicester City also lost its 100% start to the season as it was beaten 30 at home by West Ham.
Michail Antonio, Pablo Fornals and Jarrod Bowen scored the goals as the Hammers climbed to 10th, while Son Heung Min and Harry Kane scored two goals each as Spurs produced another stunning result, thrashing 10man Manchester United 61.
Watkins slotted past Adrian after just four minutes and things just got worse for Liverpool at Villa Park.
Watkins, who had never scored in the Premier League, added his second on 22 minutes before Mohamed Salah pulled one back 12 minutes before halftime.
John McGinn restored Villa’s twogoal lead and Watkins completed his hattrick with a header before the break.
Ross Barkley scored on his Villa debut and, although Salah pulled another goal back, Grealish added two more to make it Klopp’s heaviest defeat as a manager.
‘‘It was a tremendous performance and one that you don’t get too often,’’ Villa manager Dean Smith said.
‘‘To do this to the champions, when you’ve got Juergen Klopp saying to you at the end, ‘wow’, you know you’ve done something right.’’
At Old Trafford, Bruno Fernandes put United ahead from the spot after two minutes but Son and Tanguay Ndombele had Spurs ahead within seven minutes.
United forward Anthony Martial was sent off for striking Erik Lamela in the 28th minute. Kane and Son continued the scoring spree, Serge Aurier added a fifth and Kane struck his second from the penalty spot to complete the win. ‘‘Manchester United doesn’t lose many matches. To lose by six is of course not every day,’’ Tottenham manager Jose Mourinho said after beating his former employers.
‘‘We were the best team. They couldn’t stop us . . . the performance was very, very impressive.’’
Secondhalf goals from Bukayo Saka and Nicolas Pepe helped Arsenal beat Sheffield United 21 to go fourth, leaving its opponent secondbottom.
Fulham remains last, also with no points, after it lost 10 at home to Wolves, while Moussa Djenepo and Oriel Romeu goals secured Southampton’s victory against winless West Brom. — AAP