Mohamed Salah-inspired Liverpool laid down an emphatic early-season marker as they outplayed Arsenal on Saturday to win 3-1 and ensure they are the only team left in the Premier League with a 100 percent record.
The European champions were in full cry at their Anfield fortress with two second-half goals from Salah ensuring they have a maximum nine points from three matches while they also ended Arsenal’s own perfect league record.
On another eventful afternoon in England’s top-flight, Manchester United suffered more woe from the penalty spot as they went down to a shock home defeat to Crystal Palace and Frank Lampard celebrated his first win as Chelsea manager at Norwich City.
Attention, though, centred on the day’s late match between the two heavyweights who had won their first two games but it turned into a demonstration of Liverpool’s strength as they equalled a 29-year-old club record with a 12th straight league win.
Liverpool dominated once Joel Matip headed home from a corner four minutes before halftime, with Salah, seeking to be the Premier League’s top scorer for the third successive year, then taking over after the break with a 10-minute double.
After David Luiz desperately pulled his shirt in the area, the Egyptian converted from the spot before later producing a solo tour de force to spin and speed away from the hapless Brazilian and slot home a wonderful left-foot finish.
Arsenal earned a late consolation through substitute Lucas Torreira but Juergen Klopp’s men opened up a three-point lead over the Gunners, who are second on six points.
Sergio Aguero struck twice as Manchester City moved into second place in the Premier League, two points behind leaders Liverpool, with a 3-1 win at Bournemouth on Sunday.
Just three weeks into the new season and last year’s top two clubs are already perched at the top of the table. While City’s draw at home to Tottenham Hotspur last week has given the edge to Juergen Klopp’s side, City again look deadly in the final third.
City’s all-time top scorer has now scored 400 goals for his clubs and country and the 31-year-old Aguero shows no signs of easing up.
Despite the sharpness in the box, City manager Pep Guardiola was not satisfied with the performance and credited Bournemouth’s tactics.
“We weren’t at our best, but knowing the conditions, the way they defend, they don’t press, they wait, sit back, wait for the counter attack, so there wasn’t rhythm but we solved it,” said the Spaniard.
Aguero, who has scored in all three games this season, gave City a 15th-minute lead, slotting home after left back Oleksandr Zinchenko’s low cross had been mis-hit by Kevin De Bruyne only to fall kindly for the Argentine.
Bournemouth suffered a blow in the 32nd minute when their wing-back Charlie Daniels was carried off on a stretcher after suffering what looked like a recurrence of the knee injury which sidelined him in March.
Adam Smith then missed a great chance to level for the Cherries, firing high over the bar from a good position after some poor defending from Nicolas Otamendi.
Moments later Raheem Sterling doubled City’s lead with a confident finish after David Silva concluded a sweeping move with a perfectly angled pass to the England striker.
But Bournemouth got back into the game in magnificent fashion, just before the interval, thanks to an unstoppable curling free-kick from substitute Harry Wilson, on loan from Liverpool.
Wilson went close to a leveller after the interval but Ederson was out quickly to foil his effort and City then made sure of the win when Aguero poked home his second goal in the 63rd minute, following in for the scraps after David Silva had surged into the box.
“It was a tough game, we knew it would be,” said Guardiola, “We have seven points. We should have nine, but it’s OK.”
A penalty from Mexican Raul Jimenez, in the seventh minute of added time, earned Wolverhampton Wanderers a 1-1 draw at home to Burnley in the Premier League on Sunday.
Burnley had taken the lead in the 13th minute with a superb 20 metre strike from in-form Ashley Barnes, who has scored in all three games this season and now has four goals to his name.
The Clarets went close again when a header from Ben Mees struck the crossbar and Chris Wood could have doubled their lead but his effort was well saved by Rui Patricio.
Perhaps struggling with the impact of their Europa League qualifying efforts, Wolves were not at their sharpest but found the energy for a late surge.
Three minutes into added time, Jimenez struck the post with a scuffed shot on the turn in the box and it was the Mexican who earned the penalty when he went down under challenge from Burnley defender Erik Pieters.
Jimenez coolly converted the spot kick to frustrate Sean Dyche’s side and secure the third draw in three games for Wolves.
“I think (the penalty) is the right decision,” said Jimenez.
“When I get in possession he tried to kick the ball, then he kicked me. It came at a good moment for us.
“Maybe the point is good (fair) because we tried to score all game. They played only long balls, which was difficult for us. We have to keep going. Next week we have to get the three points,” he said.
Burnley boss Dyche felt his side deserved more.
“We deserved to win the game. I thought we were out of the box sharp, we mixed the play enough to cause them problems. They didn’t cause us too many problems,” he said.
“We’re looking a different animal to last season, which is important at this early stage. There’s a real good energy, some good quality and some good moments.
“They hit the post, to be fair, but I don’t think they had too much today. Defensively we were very strong,” added Dyche.
Tottenham Hotspur fell to a surprise 1-0 defeat at home to Newcastle United in the Premier League on Sunday with Brazilian Joe linton grabbing the winner.
Joelinton, the club’s record 40 million pound signing, finished off a 27th minute counter-attack, keeping his composure to beat Hugo Lloris after being put in by Christian Atsu.
The win was a much-needed one for Newcastle manager Steve Bruce who had lost his first two games after taking over from Rafa Benitez in the close-season.
It was a back-to-the walls effort from Newcastle for much of the game but Tottenham, who started with Christian Eriksen on the bench, struggled to turn their possession into clear chances.
The home side felt they should have had a penalty in the 78th minute when Newcastle defender Jamaal Lascelles lost his footing and fell into the path of Harry Kane who went down but neither the referee nor the VAR review felt the incident merited a penalty.
Spurs should have got on level terms minutes later but Lucas Moura blasted over the bar after a low cross from the right by Moussa Sissoko.
After last week’s 3-1 loss at promoted Norwich City, Bruce came in for plenty of criticism from Newcastle fans who have struggled to accept his appointment, despite him being a boyhood fan of the club.
“The only way we can respond to criticism is like that. We came to this fantastic stadium, this fantastic club and we performed,” said Bruce.
“I have managed 900-odd games and over the years you would think there would be some sort of respect but I go back to the fact that whoever took over from Rafa Benitez was going to get the abuse.
“I am delighted for my staff and the players. We have responded in the right way from last week’s game.”
Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino said his team had paid the price for some poor individual performances.
“We didn’t create. We had possession but we didn’t create enough chances. We didn’t find the capacity to break down their defensive line. They were very organised and defended deep,” said the Argentine.
“I’m very disappointed with the performance and with the result. Sometimes, it’s not about possession, it’s about individual actions and today we didn’t show the type of quality we needed.
Earlier, Manchester United’s hopes of continuing a promising unbeaten start to the campaign were undone by Palace’s 93rd-minute strike from Patrick van Aanholt in a 2-1 victory for Roy Hodgson’s strugglers.
Daniel James thought he had earned United a point by cancelling out Jordan Ayew’s first-half goal in the 89th minute but toothless United were left to rue their second missed penalty of the week.
After Paul Pogba had missed on Monday against Wolverhampton Wanderers, this time it was Marcus Rashford who spurned the opportunity, hitting the inside of the post and raising fresh questions about United’s policy not to have one designated penalty taker.
FIRST VICTORY
Lampard finally landed his first managerial victory for the Blues at the fourth attempt as Tammy Abraham’s double inspired a thrilling 3-2 win at Norwich City for his youthful side.
Lampard, back at the club he graced for 13 years as a player, fielded the youngest Chelsea side in a league match for 25 years, with an average age of 24.
Abraham struck in just the third minute, and after Norwich had twice fought back from a goal down, he also proved the match-winner at Carrow Road with another superb strike in the 68th minute.
Another of Lampard’s starlets, Mason Mount, also scored while Teemu Pukki continued his dazzling start to the season for Norwich with a league-leading fifth goal.
“Our performances haven’t given us what we deserved so far — but today it did,” said Lampard.
Abraham, who became the youngest player to score twice in a Premier League match for Chelsea for 21 years, added: “It’s something I have always dreamed about, to score for my childhood club.”
Leicester City moved up to third on five points after a first-half goal from Jamie Vardy and a thunderously struck winner from Harvey Barnes repelled a fightback from Sheffield United in a 2-1 win at Bramall Lane.
Brighton & Hove Albion’s encouraging start under Graham Potter also hit the buffers after the 30th-minute sending off of Florin Andone allowed Southampton to take control and win 2-0 on the road.
Watford saw their painful, pointless start to the season continue with a 3-1 defeat at Vicarage Road to West Ham United, for whom new record French signing Sebastien Haller scored a second-half double.
Promoted Aston Villa earned their first Premier League points of the season with a 2-0 win over Everton thanks to goals from Wesley and Anwar El Ghazi at Villa Park on Friday.
Villa’s Brazilian striker Wesley, signed in the close season for a club record 22 million pounds, put them ahead in the 21st minute with a clinical finish after a perfectly timed through ball from Spanish midfielder Jota.
Everton, who could have claimed provisional top spot with a victory, went close to a first-half equaliser but Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s strike was superbly cleared off the line by defender Bjorn Engels.
The Merseysiders, who have four points, struggled to turn their pressure into chances until manager Marco Silva introduced new signings Moise Kean and Alex Iwobi just after the hour mark.
Iwobi struck the post in the 82nd minute with a low drive through a crowded penalty and then fellow substitute and former Arsenal winger, Theo Walcott, missed a great chance – volleying wide at the back post from a Kean cross.
Villa, back in the top flight after a three-year absence, made sure of the win in stoppage time when, after a break led by Wesley, Dutch substitute El Ghazi slotted home.
