Tag: Liverpool

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Haaland scoring run over in Man City loss as Arsenal opens up 4-point lead in Premier League

Erling Haaland’s 12-game scoring streak ended Sunday in Manchester City’s first loss in nearly two months, allowing Arsenal to extend its lead to four points in the Premier League.

Arsenal’s 1-0 win over Crystal Palace — secured via a brilliant scissor kick by former Palace player Eberechi Eze — was made all the sweeter by City losing 1-0 at Aston Villa, with right back Matty Cash grabbing the winner from a fierce 19th-minute strike.

It was City’s first defeat since Aug. 31 and meant Haaland’s scoring run for club and country — stretching back even further, to Aug. 23 — is over. The Norway striker did bundle the ball into the net in the 90th minute, before crashing into the post, but the goal was ruled out for offside.

With beleaguered Liverpool losing 3-2 at Brentford on Saturday, it has been a bad weekend for Arsenal’s chief title rivals.

Somewhat surprisingly, Arsenal’s closest challenger now is Bournemouth, which won 2-0 at home to Nottingham Forest. Even more unlikely is the sight of promoted Sunderland a point back alongside third-placed Tottenham, which won 3-0 at Everton. City is one point further adrift in fifth — and already six points behind Arsenal.

“It’s very early, we’re still in October,” said Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, whose team is seeking a first Premier League title since 2004. “The emotional state is really high but there are a lot of things to get better.”

City reeled in Arsenal to win the title in the 2023-24 season and is going to have to do it again.

City manager Pep Guardiola isn’t too concerned at this stage.

“I was worried before the international break (in September) when we were 14th in the table,” Guardiola said.

“If they win all their games and win the Premier League, congratulate them. That’s all we can do … but I don’t live in October and November thinking, ‘Oh what is going to happen if we don’t win the Premier League?'”

Eze barely celebrated after producing a wonderful finish from Gabriel Magalhaes’ nod-down to ultimately clinch a fourth straight league win for Arsenal.

“The technique is unbelievable,” Arteta said of the England playmaker, who started the season with Palace before completing a move to Arsenal, the team he supported as a kid, for a reported initial fee of 60 million pounds ($80 million) late in the summer transfer window.

This was a first league goal for his new club — and it came from a typical source, an Arsenal set piece.

It was also another clean sheet for Arteta’s team, which has conceded just three goals in nine games. It was achieved despite center back William Saliba being withdrawn because of injury at halftime and Declan Rice also going off midway through the second half with an undisclosed problem.

Haaland had previously scored in all but one of City’s games this season and, in his words, has been in the form of his life.

But he was unable to make it seven straight Premier League games on the scoresheet as Villa defended stoutly in the face of a late City onslaught to record a third straight home win over Guardiola’s team.

City has lost three of its nine league games.

Cash lashed home a left-footed shot after a corner reached him at the edge of the area.

During the summer transfer window, Bournemouth lost three of its back four and its goalkeeper from last season.

It hasn’t stopped the team making an unexpectedly good start — and a prolific new striker has been unearthed, too.

After Marcus Tavernier opened the scoring directly from a corner in the 25th minute, 19-year-old striker Eli Junior Kroupi doubled Bournemouth’s lead with a long-range strike into the corner — his fourth goal in his last three appearances.

The France under-21 striker is currently playing in place of the injured Evanilson.

It was Sean Dyche’s first Premier League match in charge of Forest.

Center back Micky van de Van scored two first-half goals at corners and Pape Sarr added a late third for Tottenham in its win at Everton.

Burnley scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time to win 3-2 at last-placed Wolverhampton, which has yet to win any of its first nine games of the campaign for the second straight season.

Wolves manager Vitor Pereira was involved in a heated exchange with his own fans after the game. (JapanToday)

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Man Utd beat Brighton, Sunderland stun Chelsea to go second in Premier League

Manchester United climbed into the Premier League’s top four with a 4-2 victory over Brighton, as Sunderland went second after stunning Chelsea 2-1 on Saturday.

United took nearly a year into Ruben Amorim’s reign to win back-to-back league games but have now won three-in-a-row after ending Brighton’s run of success at Old Trafford.

The Seagulls had won on their previous three visits amid a run of six wins in seven league games against United.

There are signs of the Red Devils’ £200 million trio ($266 million) of attacking additions in the transfer window, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, beginning to click.

Cunha curled in his first goal for the club from outside the box to open the scoring.

Casemiro’s deflected effort doubled United’s lead before half-time.

Sesko then teed up Mbeumo to fire in at the near post.

Danny Welbeck’s brilliant free-kick and Charalampos Kostoulas’ header set up a nervy finale.

But Mbeumo smashed home his second goal to seal the points in the 97th minute.

United surge ahead of Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham into the Champions League places and within three points of leaders Arsenal.

Sunderland’s dream return to the top flight after an eight-year absence goes on after Chemsdine Talbi’s stoppage time winner at Stamford Bridge.

The Black Cats already seem set to buck the trend of all promoted sides being relegated straight back to the Championship in the past two seasons.

Chelsea looked like they would be the side to go second in the table when Alejandro Garnacho drilled in his first goal for the club after just four minutes.

Sunderland levelled midway through the first half when Wilson Isidor bundled in from close range after Chelsea failed to clear a long throw-in.

The visitors comfortably held the Club World Cup winners at bay in the second period before landing the sucker punch on the counter-attack in the 93rd minute when Brian Brobbey teed up Talbi to curl perfectly into the bottom corner.

Defeat leaves Chelsea down in seventh and any hope of a title challenge fading fast.

“We were not good enough and in the Premier League the consequences can be bad,” said Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.

“If you want to be there (challenging for the title), you need consistency.”

Newcastle beat Fulham 2-1 thanks to captain Bruno Guimaraes’ 90th minute strike at St. James’ Park.

Jacob Murphy pounced on an error by Calvin Bassey to give the Magpies a first-half lead.

Sasa Lukic headed in Fulham’s equaliser just before the hour mark.

But Marco Silva’s men fell to a fourth consecutive defeat that leaves them hovering just above the relegation zone.

Guimaraes swept home the rebound after Bernd Leno had saved William Osula’s initial effort to propel Newcastle up to 11th.

Liverpool slumped to a fourth consecutive Premier League defeat as Brentford bullied the defending champions in a 3-2 win.

Goals from Dango Ouattara, Kevin Schade and Igor Thiago secured victory for the Bees, who climb to 10th in the table.

Liverpool slip to sixth and could be seven points adrift of leaders Arsenal by Sunday as their title defence has collapsed in spectacular style over the past month. (JapanToday)

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Liverpool back on track while Real, Bayern and Chelsea win in Champions League

Hugo Ekitike scored against his old club as Liverpool got back on track with a 5-1 victory at Eintracht Frankfurt in the Champions League on Wednesday while Chelsea, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich were among the night’s other winners.

The Anfield side came into their trip to Germany reeling after a run of four consecutive defeats which included a 1-0 loss to Galatasaray in their last Champions League outing.

They bounced back in style by coming from behind to hammer Eintracht, who suffered a second straight 5-1 defeat in Europe — having started their Champions League campaign with a 5-1 win.

Rasmus Kristensen gave the hosts the lead but Ekitike broke away to equalise against the team he left in July in a £79 million ($105.5m) deal.

Virgil van Dijk headed the visitors in front at a corner on 39 minutes and Ibrahima Konate made it 3-1 before the interval in almost identical fashion.

Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai added further goals in the second half as Liverpool moved up to 10th in the 36-team league phase standings.

“I don’t know if it’s a statement but it is a win and something to build on,” Van Dijk told broadcaster TNT Sports.

Chelsea won by the same scoreline against Ajax at Stamford Bridge, in a match which featured an early red card and three first-half penalties.

Kenneth Taylor was sent off for the Dutch visitors before Marc Guiu and Moises Caicedo scored for the Premier League side.

Wout Weghorst pulled one back from the spot for Ajax but Enzo Fernandez and Estevao both converted penalties before half-time for Chelsea.

Tyrique George rounded off the scoring in the second half as for the first time in Champions League history three teenagers scored for the same team.

“We trust a lot of young players,” said Maresca after the goals for Guiu, Estevao and George. “That is the strategy of the club, but not only the ones that we buy. Also the ones from the academy.”

Chelsea have now won their last two European outings since beginning their campaign with a 3-1 defeat at Bayern.

Ajax, meanwhile, are bottom of the standings as one of only two teams without a point after three games — the other is Jose Mourinho’s Benfica.

Bayern are one of five teams with the maximum nine points as Harry Kane scored his 20th goal in 12 club appearances this season in a 4-0 cruise against Club Brugge at the Allianz Arena.

Lennart Karl, 17, got the opener before Kane, Luis Diaz and Nicolas Jackson also hit the target for the Bundesliga champions.

Madrid also have nine points following a hard-earned 1-0 victory against Juventus at the Santiago Bernabeu as England captain Kane’s compatriot Jude Bellingham scored for the first time this season.

The goal came just before the hour mark, with Bellingham converting the rebound after Vinicius hit the upright. Juventus have now gone seven games without a win.

“I’m very happy with the win, it was a very tough game with chances at both ends and we had to sweat for it, but it was an important win against a big team,” Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois told Movistar.

Tottenham Hotspur became the only one of England’s six representatives to fail to win this midweek as they were held to a 0-0 draw away to Monaco.

In Lisbon, Portuguese champions Sporting came from behind to defeat Marseille 2-1 in a game which hinged on a red card in first-half stoppage time.

Igor Paixao’s stunner put Marseille ahead, but Emerson Palmieri was dismissed for a second yellow for diving after a decision to award him a penalty was overturned.

Sporting used the extra man to equalise in the second half through Geny Catamo before Alisson Santos got their winner.

Nigeria superstar Victor Osimhen netted twice as Galatasaray beat Bodo/Glimt 3-1 in Istanbul, with Yunus Akgun scoring their other goal before Andreas Helmersen pulled one back.

Athletic Bilbao beat Qarabag of Azerbaijan 3-1 at San Mames, coming from behind after Leandro Andrade had given the visitors a first-minute lead. Gorka Guruzeta bagged a brace for the Basque side either side of a Robert Navarro goal.

Atalanta and Slavia Prague drew 0-0 in the night’s other game.

The next round of Champions League action in a fortnight will include clashes between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern, and Liverpool and Real. (JapanToday)

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Manchester United beats Liverpool 2-1 with Maguire’s late goal in big boost for Amorim

After nine painful years, and at the 11th time of asking, Manchester United ended its Anfield hoodoo with a 2-1 win against Premier League defending champion Liverpool on Sunday.

Harry Maguire’s header in the 84th minute sealed one of United’s most significant wins under coach Ruben Amorim and consigned Liverpool to a fourth straight defeat in all competitions.

The frustration of so many miserable experiences on Merseyside appeared to pour out of Maguire as the defender celebrated in front of United’s traveling fans.

“It means everything. They’ve had the better of us over the last few years and we know that and it hasn’t been good enough for our club,” Maguire said. “The old cliche is that it is only three points, but it definitely isn’t. It means a lot more than that for the club, the boys and the fans.”

Maguire’s goal came late in another frenetic and thrilling match involving Liverpool in a season of dramatic finales for Arne Slot’s team.

That’s three league games in a row in which Liverpool has been beaten by a goal scored in the last 10 minutes of regulation time or beyond. Before that, it had scraped to late wins of its own in six of the first seven games.

So while Maguire’s headed goal maintained the losing trend, perhaps the biggest surprise was that there wasn’t another twist in the tale.

There might have been when Cody Gakpo headed wide with an open goal to aim at and the fourth official indicated there would be eight minutes of added time.

The Dutch forward had already got Liverpool back on level terms in the 78th – poking in from close range after Bryan Mbeumo had fired United ahead inside two minutes.

United’s last win at Anfield came back in 2016 when Wayne Rooney scored the only goal of the match. Since then there have been some humiliating defeats, notably the 7-0 rout in 2023 and a 4-0 loss a year earlier.

Not only has Amorim ended that bitter run, but he also collected back-to-back wins in the league for the first time since taking over at United last November.

The Portuguese coach has been under increasing pressure, with speculation mounting over his position after a troubled start to his first full season in charge. While United is ninth in the standings, it is only two points off the top four and such a morale-boosting performance could finally prove a turning point for Amorim.

Defeat for Liverpool raises more doubts about its wobbling title defense, leaving it fourth and four points behind leader Arsenal.

That is not an insurmountable gap but the run of four straight defeats extends what was already Slot’s worst run as Liverpool coach and further highlights weaknesses in his team.

Liverpool has only kept two clean sheets in 12 games in all competitions this season and a creaking defense continues to be breached late on in games.

In attack, Mohamed Salah’s only goal in his last seven league games was a penalty against Burnley, while British record signing Alexander Isak has only scored one goal in seven appearances since joining from Newcastle.

“We have to stick together. Not just as players but the fans and everyone,” said Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk. “First and foremost we have to stay humble, and stay working. We need to keep our confidence high and stay very calm.”

Emi Buendia’s curling shot sealed a 2-1 comeback win for Aston Villa against Tottenham.

The victory continued Villa’s resurgence after a desperate start to the season and denied Spurs the chance to provisionally move up to second in the standings.

Buendia shimmied his way across the edge of the box in the 77th minute at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before sweeping a perfect shot low into the bottom corner.

It was Villa’s fifth-straight win in all competitions after failing to pick up a victory in its first six games of the campaign.

It ended Spurs’ seven-game unbeaten run that looked set to continue when Rodrigo Bentancur fired the home team ahead after just five minutes.

Morgan Rogers leveled the game in the 37th before Villa went on to take all three points and consign Tottenham coach Thomas Frank to his second league loss since taking over in the summer. (JapanToday)

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Salah scores twice as Egypt qualify for 2026 World Cup

Liverpool star Mohamed Salah scored twice to help Egypt beat Djibouti 3-0 in Casablanca on Wednesday and qualify for the 2026 World Cup.

The 33-year-old has now netted nine times in a marathon qualifying campaign that began two years ago, and victory for Egypt gave them an unassailable five-point lead over Burkina Faso in Group A.

Twice African Footballer of the Year, Salah helped Liverpool win the Premier League a record-equalling 20th time last season, and captured the Golden Boot award with 29 goals.

But the Egypt captain has lost his spark with Liverpool this season, scoring just three goals in nine matches in all competitions.

After Ibrahim Adel put Egypt ahead on eight minutes against opponents 158 places lower in the world rankings, Salah netted six minutes later and again on 84 minutes.

While Egypt have won the Africa Cup of Nations a record seven times, they have been less successful in the World Cup, qualifying just four times in 15 attempts — in 1934, 1990, 2018 and now 2026.

Former Arsenal midfielder Thomas Partey was among the goals as Ghana trounced the Central African Republic 5-0 in Meknes, and need one point from their final Group I match at home to Comoros to qualify.

Mohammed Salisu, Alexander Djiku, captain Jordan Ayew and Kamaldeen Sulemana were the other scorers for the Black Stars, who led 1-0 at half-time.

Ghana have 22 points and a vastly superior goal difference than Madagascar, who are three points behind. Mali, seeded to win the group, are out of contention with 15 points.

Cape Verde came from two goals behind in Tripoli to draw 3-3 with Libya and edge closer to a first World Cup appearance.

The island nation of about 550,000 inhabitants off the coast of Senegal will clinch first place in Group D if they defeat Eswatini in Praia on Monday.

Known as the Blue Sharks, the Cape Verdeans are two points ahead of Cameroon, who beat Mauritius 2-0 in Saint-Pierre with Manchester United striker Bryan Mbeumo scoring.

Cape Verde have 20 points after nine rounds, two more than Cameroon, the eight World Cup appearances in an African team. (Punch)

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Chelsea beats Liverpool after late Estevao goal; Arsenal tops Premier League

Estevao struck in added time to inflict a third straight defeat on Premier League champion Liverpool.

The Brazilian teenager slid in at the far post to seal a 2-1 win for Chelsea in a breathless finish at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

Estevao’s goal sparked wild celebrations that earned Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca a red card and ensured Liverpool goes into the international break knocked off the top of the standings.

“It is extra special to win like that because you win energy, trust and confidence in the process,” Chelsea assistant Willy Caballero said. “It is also something unforgettable for Estevao.”

Arsenal was in first place, a point ahead of Liverpool, after beating West Ham 2-0, while Manchester United picked up a crucial win against Sunderland to ease pressure on coach Ruben Amorim.

Liverpool is no stranger to late drama this season but the tide has turned on manager Arne Slot.

Late goals in six of the Merseyside club’s first seven games helped it maintain a 100% record and build an early lead in the standings.

But a first defeat of the campaign via Eddie Nketiah’s strike in the seventh minute of stoppage time for Crystal Palace last week was followed by Estevao’s strike in the fifth minute of stoppage time for Chelsea. In between, Liverpool lost to Galatasaray 1-0 in the Champions League.

Cody Gakpo looked like salvaging a point for Liverpool with his score in the second half after Moises Caicedo fired Chelsea in front with a thunderous long range strike in the first half.

But Chelsea, on the back of a three-game winless run in the league, mounted a late onslaught.

Enzo Fernandez headed against the post in added time and Estevao, the 18-year-old forward who joined from Palmeiras in the summer, converted Marc Cucurella’s cross.

“After we scored 1-1 it went our way and I was waiting for us to score the second,” Slot told the BBC. “Last week, same as this week, two difficult away games, the fine margins haven’t been in our favor.”

Ruben Amorim rang the changes and got the result he desperately needed.

Victory against Sunderland came at a crucial time for Amorim ahead of the international break, with speculation mounting over his position. He has still to lead United to back-to-back victories in the league after almost a year in charge but this was a step in the right direction.

“It’s really important to win games and have a better feeling but we need to forget this game and go for the next one,” he said.

Amorim showed his ruthless side by dropping $84 million summer signing Matheus Cunha and handing a first start to new goalkeeper Senne Lammens. Those decisions paid off with first half goals from Mason Mount and Benjamin Sesko at Old Trafford and a first clean sheet of the season.

This was only Amorim’s 10th win from 34 league games and going into Saturday’s match he accepted it would be “impossible” to continue in the job if results didn’t turn.

Which is why victory against Sunderland was crucial in a week when he was criticized by United greats Wayne Rooney and Gary Neville, and ahead of the international break, which has traditionally been a convenient time to make managerial changes.

After 300 games in charge, Arsenal Mikel Arteta is looking down on the rest of the Premier League after victory against West Ham.

“I wanted to celebrate it with a win, I’ve got it,” he said.

Goals from Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka, from the penalty spot, inflicted a first defeat on new West Ham coach Nuno Espirito Santo.

That’s four wins in a row for Arsenal in all competitions and, after a daunting start to the campaign, Arteta’s team looks like a title contender again.

Saka, who scored on his 200th appearance for the club, is convinced Arteta will deliver trophies after finishing runner-up three years in a row.

“We’ve had some tough games, particularly away. We are in a strong place in the Premier League and looking forward to coming back and pushing on,” he told the BBC. “Mikel has very much improved my game. He will bring this club success and (I’m) looking forward to when that day comes.”

Victory, however, came at a cost after another injury to captain Martin Odegaard.

Mohammed Kudus scored his first Tottenham goal to keep Thomas Frank’s team riding high. Kudus’ second-half strike from the edge of the box secured a 2-1 win at Leeds to move Spurs up to third.

Spurs have lost just once in the league under Frank, who took charge in the summer.

Kudus was one of Frank’s big signings, joining from West Ham.

Spurs led through Mathys Tel, whose deflected shot rocketed into the top corner.

Leeds, which was unbeaten at home since February, equalized through Noah Okafor from close range in the 34th. (JapanToday)

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Liverpool lose to Galatasaray in Champions League; Chelsea beats Benfica

A Victor Osimhen penalty gave Galatasaray victory over Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday, while Chelsea edged out Jose Mourinho’s Benfica and Kylian Mbappe hit a hat-trick for Real Madrid in Kazakhstan.

Elsewhere in the second round of matches in the league phase of Europe’s elite club competition, Tottenham battled back to draw with Bodo/Glimt as Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, Marseille and Inter Milan recorded big wins.

In Istanbul, Osimhen beat Alisson Becker from the spot in the 16th minute, giving Galatasaray a 1-0 win and condemning Liverpool to a second straight loss after their defeat by Crystal Palace in the Premier League.

The English champions thought they had a chance to equalise late on when Ibrahima Konate went down and a penalty was given, but the referee overturned his decision on review.

Liverpool, who finished first in the league phase last season, also saw Alisson go off injured in the second half before the introductions off the bench of Mohamed Salah and Alexander Isak failed to have the desired impact.

“The margins were very small last season but then we were a lot of times on the right side of the score,” coach Arne Slot said.

“Today again the margins were really small, but for the second time in a row on the wrong side.”

Liverpool will now hope to bounce back on Saturday away to Chelsea, who themselves got back to winning ways with a 1-0 success against Benfica as the Portuguese giants’ new coach Mourinho came back to Stamford Bridge.

Richard Rios turned an Alejandro Garnacho cross into his own net for the only goal of the game in the 18th minute, with Benfica unable to recover as Mourinho returned to face the club he coached over two separate spells.

Chelsea had substitute Joao Pedro sent off in stoppage time but Enzo Maresca’s side were delighted to get the win after losing their opening European game of the campaign at Bayern.

“A defeat is always a defeat but this one can be a start for us. It was a stable performance,” Mourinho said of his team.

Spurs escaped Norway with a point in a 2-2 draw with Bodo/Glimt in a game played north of the Arctic Circle.

Kasper Hogh missed a penalty for the hosts before a brilliant second-half brace from Jens Petter Hauge had them two goals in front.

However, Micky van de Ven pulled one back on 68 minutes for last season’s Europa League winners, and Spurs then got a lucky 89th-minute equalizer when a Nikita Haikin save smashed into the stomach of Jostein Gundersen from close range and trickled over the line.

Record 15-time European champions Real made the long trip east to face Kairat Almaty and ran out 5-0 winners.

Mbappe opened the scoring from a first-half penalty and made it 2-0 soon after the break before firing in from the edge of the area to complete his hat-trick on 73 minutes, making it 60 career Champions League goals.

The Frenchman has now scored 13 goals in nine games in all competitions this season for Real, who also saw Eduardo Camavinga and Brahim Diaz net towards the end.

Bayern also scored five, with Harry Kane netting twice in the first half in a 5-1 win away to Pafos in Cyprus. The England star now has 17 goals in nine games in all competitions this season for his club.

Raphael Guerreiro, Nicolas Jackson and Michael Olise also found the net for Bayern, while Mislav Orsic scored for the hosts.

“I’m going into games with confidence, knowing I’ll get my chances. Scored a couple more goals today, I’m happy with that,” Kane said.

Atletico followed a 5-2 win over Real in the Madrid derby last weekend by thumping Eintracht Frankfurt 5-1.

Giacomo Raspadori, Robin Le Normand, Antoine Griezmann and Giuliano Simeone netted for Atletico before Julian Alvarez scored a late penalty. Griezmann’s goal was his 200th for the club. Jonathan Burkardt pulled one back for Eintracht.

Igor Paixao netted twice in the opening 12 minutes as Marseille hammered Ajax 4-0. Mason Greenwood and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were also on target.

Lautaro Martinez got a brace either side of a Denzel Dumfries goal as last season’s runners-up Inter eased to a 3-0 win over Slavia Prague at San Siro.

Mario Pasalic scored a late winner as Atalanta beat Club Brugge 2-1, after a Lazar Samardzic penalty had cancelled out a Christos Tzolis opener for the Belgians. (JapanToday)

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Liverpool concedes late goal as its 100% start to Premier League ends with loss at Palace


There was a flurry of stoppage-time goals in the Premier League on Saturday — and one of them ended Liverpool’s 100% start to its title defense.

Eddie Nketiah’s strike in the seventh minute of added-on time secured Crystal Palace a 2-1 victory over the champions and extended the London team’s unbeaten run to 18 games stretching back to April.

Liverpool, which won its first five games of the campaign, saw its lead trimmed to three points — with second-place Palace now its unlikely closest challenger.

The Reds have made a habit of scoring late goals themselves this season and Federico Chiesa’s 87th-minute effort looked like securing a draw at Selhurst Park — or even giving them a chance of grabbing a sixth straight win.

Chelsea played almost the whole second half with 10 men against Brighton and paid the price, conceding two goals in stoppage time to lose 3-1 for a second straight defeat.

Erling Haaland scored in the 90th minute and again in injury time to wrap up Manchester City’s 5-1 win over Burnley.

Tottenham scored in the fourth minute of stoppage time through Joao Palhinha to draw 1-1 with Wolverhampton, which collected its first point of the campaign.

And Manchester United’s latest loss was sealed by a stoppage-time goal for Brentford, which won 3-1. It could have been so different had Bruno Fernandes’ penalty not been saved by Brentford goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher in the 76th minute, denying United an equalizer for 2-2.

Bournemouth also scored in stoppage time to earn a 2-2 draw at Leeds and Sunderland won 1-0 at Nottingham Forest, whose recently hired manager Ange Postecoglou has yet to win a game in five matches at his new club.

Liverpool had not been entirely convincing in gaining a maximum 15 points and Arne Slot’s team was undone again by Palace, which beat the Reds in a penalty shootout to win the Community Shield before the English season began.

Palace took the lead in the ninth minute through Ismaila Sarr and wasted a string of chances to move further ahead — with striker Jean-Philippe Mateta the biggest culprit.

Nketiah’s goal was scrappy but maintained Palace’s long undefeated run under Oliver Glasner, who has kept the team playing well despite losing star midfielder Eberechi Eze to Arsenal late in the transfer window.

“If one team deserved to win today it was Palace,” Slot said. (JapanToday)

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Arsenal snatches 1-1 draw with Man City with Martinelli’s stoppage-time goal

A goal by Erling Haaland was perhaps to be expected. What Manchester City did next certainly wasn’t.

With an ultra-defensive performance so unlike a team coached by Pep Guardiola, City came close to holding out against Arsenal for the most unusual of wins in a Premier League match between two title contenders on Sunday.

Then, in the third minute of stoppage time, Eberechi Eze played a ball over City’s packed defense and substitute Gabriel Martinelli latched onto it before lobbing goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma for Arsenal’s dramatic equalizer in a 1-1 draw.

“We’ve obviously gained the respect of the opposition,” Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice said, “… we probably haven’t dominated a game against Man City as we did today.”

No one has.

The 32.8% average possession by City is the lowest by a Guardiola team in a top-flight match, according to statistic supplier Opta.

Rice noted City went to a 5-4-1, adding: “I’ve never seen them do that.”

Back to his prolific best, Haaland made it 13 goals in eight appearances for club and country this season by sprinting upfield and collecting a return pass from Tijjani Reijnders to slot home a finish in the ninth minute.

The Emirates Stadium was then treated to a defensive master class from the visitors as Guardiola, who is famed for cherishing possess, set up City to let Arsenal have plenty of the ball and to defend deep. He kept putting on defenders to protect the lead.

It almost worked, except for the late twist by Martinelli — who has become something of a supersub for Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta this season.

The result left Liverpool, the defending champion, with a five-point lead after just five games, with Arsenal in second place on goal difference over Tottenham and Bournemouth.

“They win every match,” Arteta said of Liverpool. “It’s going to be very difficult but if we play at this level, like we did against Manchester City, we will be fine.”

City is already eight points off the pace and showing it is willing to shake up the team’s tactics deep into Guardiola’s tenure.

Guardiola made no apologies for eschewing his long-held soccer principles and adjusting for a match that came three days after a 2-0 win over Napoli in the Champions League. Arsenal had two extra days to prepare, having played — and beaten — Athletic Bilbao on Tuesday.

In Haaland, Guardiola also has one of the most dangerous players in the world on the counterattack and it was from that source that City took the lead with the Norway striker’s sixth league goal this season.

“We don’t try to come and be like this,” Guardiola said. “But when the opponent is better and we defend deeper and we have Erling and Tijjani, we can use the counterattack, yes. But our intention is not like this.

“I would prefer to not do it but you cannot expect at this level to not do it. It’s impossible.”

City defender Ruben Dias said it was nice to have such “safety” in numbers in defense and to have a goalkeeper behind with the presence of Donnarumma.

“We are proud of what we have done,” Dias said, “and how we behaved on the pitch.”

Aston Villa ended its goal drought but still couldn’t beat 10-man Sunderland in a 1-1 draw.

Matty Cash blasted a swerving shot from 25 meters that Sunderland goalkeeper Robin Roefs could only parry into his own net in the 67th, giving Villa its first goal after five games in the league.

However, Sunderland — playing with 10 men from the 33rd minute after Reinildo’s red card for kicking out at Cash — equalized in the 75th through Wilson Isidor to leave Villa without a victory and in third-to-last place.

Newcastle rotated its team after a Champions League loss to Barcelona on Thursday and struggled to create many clear-cut chances in a 0-0 draw at Bournemouth.

It meant Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, who used to coach Bournemouth, has now not beaten his former side in seven attempts.

Bournemouth was seeking a fourth straight win after an opening-round loss at Liverpool and was unable to take advantage of Newcastle making seven changes to the team which was defeated 2-1 by Barcelona. (JapanToday)

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Man Utd earns vital win against Chelsea as Liverpool stays perfect

Manchester United beat Chelsea 2-1 in a chaotic match at Old Trafford on Saturday to earn vital breathing space for beleaguered manager Ruben Amorim as Liverpool stayed perfect in the Premier League.

But Graham Potter’s future as West Ham boss appears bleak after a fourth defeat in five matches left the club firmly rooted in the relegation zone.

All eyes were on a rain-lashed Old Trafford for the early evening kick-off, with Amorim in desperate need of a win after a terrible start to the season.

The home side were given a huge helping hand when Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was sent off in the fifth minute of a stormy encounter.

Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca made frantic personnel changes to compensate for the loss of Sanchez but the match immediately became an exercise in attack versus defense.

United captain Bruno Fernandes made the breakthrough in the 14th minute, prodding home from close range in his 200th Premier League game.

Casemiro doubled the lead before the Brazilian midfielder was shown a second yellow card on the stroke of half-time for tugging back Andrey Santos.

Even though both teams were now down to 10 men, Chelsea struggled to create chances in sodden conditions until Trevoh Chalobah brought the visitors back into the match with a bullet header 10 minutes from time.

But United survived some nervy moments to record just their second win of the season, lifting them into the top half of the table.

It was a first league defeat for Chelsea.

“Every win especially in this moment is important, against a great opponent,” Amorim told the BBC.

“We started the game in the right way, really aggressive. The red card helped us dominate the game but we were already there.

“We scored two goals and then we tried to complicate our game again. It’s always complicated with us. It should have been different, this game.”

In the early kick-off, Arne Slot’s Liverpool were 2-0 up against Everton inside half an hour through Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike and seemingly coasting to a fifth straight league win.

But they had to withstand an impressive fightback from their Merseyside rivals, who have not won at Anfield in front of fans in the 21st century.

The champions took the lead in the 10th minute when Gravenberch collected Mohamed Salah’s lifted cross before hooking a rasping shot over Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

France international Ekitike finished off a silky move in the 29th minute, with Gravenberch turning provider.

Liverpool have not made things easy for themselves this season, relying on a series of late winners, and Everton made them sweat when Idrissa Gueye pulled a goal back in the 58th minute.

But Arne Slot’s men held on win 2-1 and make it six victories out of six in all competitions as they hunt down a record 21st English title.

“We needed mentality today in a different fashion than the few times before,” said Slot, who left Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak — costing a combined £225 million ($303 million) — on the bench.

“You can see how well we can play when we are fresh in the first 45 minutes. We ran out of energy a bit but we didn’t run out of mentality.”

West Ham boss Potter admitted that his side’s 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace was a “tough moment” as he fights to keep his job.

Former Nottingham Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo and ex-Wolves manager Gary O’Neil have been linked with the position at the London Stadium.

Asked whether he felt he still had the support of the Hammers’ hierarchy, he replied: “I’ve no reason to think not.

“But I also understand the environment and the results. But I have no complaints about the support I have had.”

Tottenham came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Brighton, climbing to second in the table, five points behind leaders Liverpool.

Goals from Yankuba Minteh and Yasin Ayari gave the home side a cushion before Richarlison pulled one back shortly before half-time and Jan Paul van Hecke’s own goal made it all square.

Newly promoted Leeds recovered from conceding the first goal to beat Wolves 3-1, leaving the Midlands club without a single point from their five matches.

Burnley and Nottingham Forest shared the spoils in a 1-1 draw.

Arsenal host Manchester City on Sunday, seeking their third straight win against Pep Guardiola’s men at the Emirates. (JapanToday)