Gunners fire blanks as Reds cruise
● Liverpool extended their perfect start to the Premier League season as Mohamed Salah inspired an impressive 3-1 win over Arsenal, while Manchester United suffered fresh penalty woe through Marcus Rashford in their shock home defeat to Crystal Palace yesterday.
Jurgen Klopp’s title challengers made it three successive victories thanks to Joel Matip’s opener and a brace from Salah, one a stunning solo effort.
Liverpool sit top of the Premier League with the last 100% record, three points clear of Arsenal, who saw their two-match winning streak ruined by a combination of sloppy defending and poor finishing at Anfield.
Arsenal boss Unai Emery will be furious that Reds defender Matip was able to head in from Trent Alexander-Arnold’s 41st-minute corner. And Arsenal were guilty of another needless error four minutes after half-time when defender David Luiz tugged at Salah, conceding a penalty that the Egypt forward drove home.
Salah put talk of Arsenal’s revival in perspective when he accelerated away from Luiz and Nacho Monreal before finishing off a superb solo strike in the 59th minute.
Lucas Torreira got one back in the 85th minute.
Rashford hit a post from the spot in the second half against Palace at Old Trafford, putting United on course for their first defeat of the Premier League season as Patrick van Aanholt grabbed the visitors a 2-1 win in stoppage time.
Palace took the lead in the 32nd minute when keeper Vicente Guaita thumped the ball upfield and Jeffrey Schlupp flicked on to Jordan Ayew, who was played onside by the slow-to-react Harry Maguire and beat David de Gea for Palace’s first goal of the season.
Former Swansea midfielder Daniel James looked to have spared Rashford’s blushes when he bagged his second goal for United with a fine finish in the 89th minute.
But a terrible blunder by De Gea proved decisive in the third minute of added time as the Spaniard allowed Van Aanholt’s shot to squeeze under him at the near post.
“Two games, two missed penalties. It’s part and parcel of it. If we keep putting ourselves in those positions we will get more penalties and we will score,” United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said.
Tammy Abraham fired Chelsea to their first win of the Frank Lampard era as the young striker’s double clinched a 3-2 victory over Norwich.
Abraham had failed to score in his three previous appearances this term, but the 21year-old striker bagged his first goal for the club to put Chelsea ahead at Carrow Road.
A pulsating encounter saw Todd Cantwell equalise for Norwich before Mason Mount restored Chelsea’s advantage.
Teemu Pukki’s fifth goal in three games brought Norwich level before half-time, only for Abraham to give Chelsea the points with a predatory second-half finish.
Leicester got a first victory of the campaign as they beat Sheffield United 2-1 at Bramall Lane. Sebastien Haller’s first goals for West Ham ensured his side cruised to a 31 victory at Watford. Southampton won 2-0 at 10-man Brighton.