LIVERPOOL 3 V 1 ARSENAL
Liverpool’s new £45m signing Diogo Jota grabbed a home debut goal as the champions demonstrated their determination to retain an iron grip on their Premier League crown by coming from behind to record an impressive victory against Arsenal at Anfield.
The Gunners, who had won their opening two league games, went ahead after 25 minutes when Alexandre Lacazette took advantage of Andrew Robertson’s error to bundle a close-range finish past Alisson but ended well beaten.
Liverpool, who maintained their 100% start to the season and moved second behind Leicester City, responded instantly as man-of-the-match Sadio Mane pounced two minutes later after Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno could only push out Mohamed Salah’s shot.
And Liverpool went ahead before half-time when Robertson atoned for his earlier error by getting on the end of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross to beat Leno.
Liverpool were far superior but Arsenal will rue a great chance missed by Lacazette, who shot tamely at Alisson when he was clean through with the score 2-1 and their night was complete when Jota, making his Anfield bow following his move from Wolves, shot low past Leno from the edge of the area.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fov2o40cNHY
FULHAM 0 V 3 ASTON VILLA
Fulham manager, Scott Parker, ex Spurs and a good friend of mine has done a great job in getting Fulham into the Premier League, but he has to sort out his defence, they are not playing together
the communication between them is awful and no one is taking control of the defensive frailities.
Aston Villa cruised to a comfortable Premier League win as they took advantage of another horrific defensive performance by Fulham.
Villa are now unbeaten in eight games, including six wins, stretching back to last season.
Jack Grealish put them ahead with a shot on the bounce after John McGinn’s clipped ball over the top caught Fulham out.
Conor Hourihane doubled their lead when McGinn laid the ball into his path.
And Tyrone Mings wrapped the game up early in the second half when he snuck in behind a high Cottagers line to stab home Hourihane’s free-kick, Villa’s third shot on target of the game.
That means Fulham have conceded 10 goals in their opening three games.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-it_0rxZz_A
BRIGHTON 2 V 3 MANCHESTER UNITED
A dramatic injury-time penalty gave Manchester United victory at Brighton and their first three points of the season in a stunning game at Amex Stadium.
A match packed full of incident was settled with the very final kick as Bruno Fernandes coolly stroked in the winning penalty, spotted and awarded via a VAR check for Neal Maupay’s handball from a corner, all after on-field official Chris Kavanagh had blown to signal the end of the match.
Just moments before, Brighton thought they had sealed a point that would have been the least they deserved when Solly March headed in a cross from Alireza Jahanbakhsh.
It was a fitting finale to a madcap, seesaw game that had seen Albion take the lead through a Maupay penalty before United clawed their way back into the ascendency thanks to a Lewis Dunk own goal and a superb solo effort from Marcus Rashford.
As if that wasn’t enough, the home side also struck the woodwork five times (with Leandro Trossard responsible for three of them), saw one awarded penalty overruled by VAR and another potential one waved away by Kavanagh.
On top of that, the visitors had two goals ruled out for offside.
But despite still being far from their best, it is Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side who emerge with a first win of the Premier League campaign, helping quieten some of the criticism that followed their surprise opening-game loss to Crystal Palace.
For Brighton, it is their second defeat in three games.
Click here for the goals, you have to watch Rashford’s brilliantly taken goal – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2t489AY06k
CRYSTAL PALACE 1 V 2 EVERTON
Calvert-Lewin’s fifth league goal of the season opened the scoring for Everton following neat build-up from James Rodriguez and Seamus Coleman.
Cheikhou Kouyate’s free header drew Palace level, but Richarlison restored the visitors’ lead from the penalty spot after Joel Ward was controversially adjudged to have handled Lucas Digne’s knock-down.
Everton are looking like they could be pushing for a top four finish, a side full of quality, with a respected manager behind them, could see good times returning to mGoodison Park.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Z3bbtGad-0
WEST BROMWICH ALBION 3 V 3 CHELSEA
Well the old cliche of ‘a game of two halves’, would certainly be the case at the Hawthorns where in the first half it was 3-0 to West Brom and in the second half 3-0 to Chelsea, ah well, we
may as well through in another cliche, ‘It is a funny old game’
Tammy Abraham scored a stoppage-time equaliser to complete an incredible comeback and rescue a point for Chelsea at West Bromwich Albion after they had trailed 3-0 at half-time.
In a thrilling match, West Brom looked to be heading for their first win back in the Premier League after racing into a commanding lead inside the opening 30 minutes at The Hawthorns.
A mistake by Marcos Alonso led to the hosts’ first, Matheus Pereira feeding Callum Robinson to produce a classy finish past Willy Caballero, who was starting in place of dropped £71m keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Thiago Silva, who was making his Premier League debut for Chelsea, was then too casual in possession, allowing Robinson to pounce and run at goal before doubling the lead with another impressive finish.
Remarkably, it was quickly 3-0 as Kyle Bartley was left unmarked to tap home inside the six-yard box after the visitors failed to deal with a corner.
But Frank Lampard’s side rallied after the break and Mason Mount reduced the deficit from 20 yards.
Substitute Callum Hudson-Odoi set up a tense finale with a stylish finish, before Abraham, making his first top-flight start of the season, tapped home the equaliser in the 93rd minute after Mount’s shot had been saved.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTNmmnN9bdA
BURNLEY 0 V 1 SOUTHAMPTON
Former Clarets forward Ings struck in the fifth minute, supplied by Che Adams’s cutback following an excellent through ball by ex Spurs player Kyle Walker-Peters.
Injury hit Burnley, without seven senior players, had claims for a penalty dismissed by referee Andre Marriner, and the video assistant referee midway through the first half after striker Chris Wood went down under pressure from Jan Bednarek.
Wood went close to an equaliser immediately after half-time but Southampton goalkeeper Alex McCarthy was equal to his low header from Ashley Westwood’s cross.
McCarthy was again called upon to stop Charlie Taylor’s powerful first-time strike from the edge of the penalty area as the hosts, who remain without a point from two games, pressed for an equaliser.
Southampton failed to register a shot on target following Ings’ early goal but held firm in response to conceding five at Tottenham last weekend as they sealed a first win at Burnley in the top flight since March 1971.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOfe8ewk5uo
SHEFFIELD UNITED 0 V 1 LEEDS UNITED
Patrick Bamford’s late header earned Leeds United a hard-fought victory over Sheffield United, who are still searching for their first points of the season.
After both goalkeepers excelled, it looked as though a first Premier League derby between the two Yorkshire sides in 26 years was heading for a goalless draw.
But with two minutes remaining, Bamford rose at the back post to meet Jack Harrison’s cross and head in his third goal of the season to send Leeds’ players and staff wild.
It was just reward for a second half in which Leeds continued to ask questions of home keeper Aaron Ramsdale.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIvABcddTso
SPURS 1 V 1 NEWCASTLE UNITED
Newcastle rescued an injury-time point against Tottenham Hotspur from the penalty spot entirely against the run of play after another controversial handball decision.
Spurs could have been 5-0 up if they had taken their chances by the time Andy Carroll headed a cross against Eric Dier’s arm from close range. The decision was made after video assistant referee consultation. Callum Wilson stepped up to score the penalty with practically the last kick, Lucas Moura had put Spurs ahead at the back post from a low cross by Harry Kane, the England striker’s fifth assist in two league games. Spurs would have been out of sight had it not been for Magpies keeper Karl Darlow, who made 11 saves including two excellent ones to deny Kane.
Son Heung-min, who scored four goals in last weekend’s 5-2 win over Southampton, hit the woodwork twice but was replaced at half-time.
Newcastle were cautious and created very few chances as they failed to have a shot on target until the late, late drama.
I have said this before but the word ‘handball’ is very clear Hand Ball, which is very clear that the wrongdoing is when a player moves his hand towards the ball and touches it, it is not Ball Hand,
when the ball can just be kicked at the hand or arm and a penalty is given. What absolute nonsense, the footballing authorities who brought this rule in cannot ever have played the game before, we now have players trying to block a shot with their arms behind their back, ridiculous ! Go back to what handball really means and if a player makes himself biog to block a shoit and the oppnent hits the ball at his arms then it is the attackers problem, not the defenders and if the defender moves his hand at all towards the ball to interfere with the flight of the bal then handball is given.
‘IT IS SO SIMPLE’
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rV4VSQmjX_I
MANCHESTER CITY 2 V 5 LEICESTER CITY
Where the heck did this result come from ?
Jamie Vardy scored a hat-trick as Leicester City inflicted a remarkable defeat on Manchester City to go top of the Premier League.
Despite going behind to a superb fourth-minute strike by former Foxes midfielder Riyad Mahrez, the visitors responded in stunning fashion.
Vardy levelled with a penalty before the break after he had been fouled by Kyle Walker, and he then sealed his second treble against Pep Guardiola’s side from the spot, after he had cleverly turned home Timothy Castagne’s cross to make it 2-1.
James Maddison scored for the first time since 1 January when he curled home a stunning fourth for Leicester.
And although Nathan Ake pulled one back with his first goal since a £40m summer move from Bournemouth, a third Leicester penalty, this time converted by Youri Tielemans because Vardy had already gone off, completed a memorable afternoon for Brendan Rodgers’ Foxes, who have started a top-flight season with three successive wins for the first time.
In contrast, Guardiola was suffering his worst home defeat as City boss, with his team now in the bottom half of the table.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ha0d6ng5Ns
WEST HAM UNITED 4 V 0 WOLVES
Jarrod Bowen scored twice as West Ham registered their first Premier League win of the season against a disappointing Wolves side.
The result lifts the Hammers from 18th up to 10th in the table, with Wolves dropping down to 16th.
It was no more than the hosts deserved, David Moyes’ side delivering a fine performance while he controlled team affairs from home after testing positive for coronavirus on Tuesday.
Dominant throughout, they rarely looked like relinquishing their lead once Bowen had opened the scoring at the London Stadium.
Bowen, superbly set them on their way, curling a left-foot effort into the bottom corner after being sent clear by Pablo Fornals quick free-kick.
The former Hull forward doubled West Ham’s lead after the break, prodding in from close range after a Fornal effort had come back off the post.
Tomas Soucek made it three with a header that flicked in off Raul Jimenez from Aaron Cresswell’s corner, and Sebastien Haller’s stoppage time header added the gloss to a fine victory.
Click here for the goals – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCQTUtOQCOw
Please click here for my predictions for week 4
Chelsea 3 V 1 Crystal Palace
Everton 3 V 1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Leeds United 1 V 3 Manchester City
Newcastle United 2 V 1 Burnley
Leicester City 2 V 1 West Ham United
Southampton2 V 1 West Bromwich Albion
Arsenal 3 V 1 Sheffield United
Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 V 1 Fulham
Manchester United 1 V 2 Tottenham Hotspur
Aston Villa 1 V 3Liverpool
Have a good week
Gary
eLan Ambassador