Pulisic strikes again to wrap up ‘solid win’
Frank Lampard felt his young side passed another stern test as they beat Crystal Palace 2-0.
Second-half goals from Tammy Abraham and Christian Pulisic secured a sixth straight win for the Blues and lifted them, temporarily at least, up to second.
They endured a frustrating first half against an obdurate, well-drilled Palace side, but found a way through after the break with Abraham’s 10th goal of the season and Pulisic’s fifth in three games.
“In the first half we started well, then allowed our tempo to drop, but when we came out in the second half with the intent that we did, we won the game relatively comfortably – a nice, solid win with a clean sheet,” said Lampard.
Tottenham produced yet another limp league display as they stumbled to a 1-1 draw with Sheffield United that was marred by more VAR drama.
Spurs have endured a miserable start to their league campaign and it got no better against the Blades after Son Heung-min’s opener was cancelled out by George Baldock.
Baldock’s 78th-minute strike was the second time United had got the ball in the back of the net, but VAR scrubbed off the first after John Lundstram’s toe was ruled to be offside after a lengthy decision-making process.
It would not have been unjust if Chris Wilder’s men – still unbeaten away from home this term – had left the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium with all three points as they created the better chances.
West Ham’s misery continued as Burnley ended their own poor run with a thumping win at Turf Moor.
Ashley Barnes and Chris Wood celebrated their new contracts with a goal apiece in the 3-0 win, with Wood having another chalked off by VAR.
The third goal was a calamity for Hammers keeper Roberto, who was given a vote of confidence by Manuel Pellegrini on Thursday following criticism of his performances in the absence of the injured Lukasz Fabianski.
Roberto was all at sea all afternoon, with the nadir coming in the 54th minute when he pushed Ashley Westwood’s cross into his own net.
Marco Silva won the battle of the underpressure managers as Everton piled more misery on Ralph Hasenhuttl’s Southampton with a 2-1 victory at St Mary’s.
Richarlison volleyed a 75th-minute winner to end the Toffees eightmatch run without an away win and earn Silva a much-needed reprieve.
Saints, who have gone eight home matches without success, levelled through striker Danny Ings early in the second half after Tom Davies headed Everton ahead early on.
Hasenhuttl’s men remain entrenched in the drop zone and were jeered off at the end.