Liverpool’s perfect start to the season continued with a 3-0 win at Burnley, a club-record 13th successive Premier League victory that quickly displaced Manchester City, 4-0 conquerors of Brighton & Hove Albion, at the top of the table.
After four games, last season’s top two have broken clear of the pack although this time it is Jurgen Klopp’s side two points ahead as they go into the international break.
On a day of several VAR controversies as English football continues to grapple with the new technology, Leicester City emerged as the nearest pursuers after beating Bournemouth 3-1 but there was more frustration for Manchester United and Chelsea, who were held by Southampton and Sheffield United respectively. West Ham United and Crystal Palace both won.
At Turf Moor, Liverpool took the lead on 33 minutes when Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross looped off Chris Wood’s head into the far corner of the net, with Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino also scoring in another impressive performance.
The club’s previous record run was set between April and October 1990, when the team was managed by Kenny Dalglish.
City’s win was even more emphatic and never in doubt from the moment Kevin de Bruyne put them ahead in the second minute. With Sergio Aguero scoring twice to keep up his record of scoring in each of City’s four league games and substitute Bernardo Silva netting with his second touch, it was business as usual for City, who lost French defender Aymeric Laporte with what looked like a serious knee injury.
“It doesn’t look good,” said Pep Guardiola.
United failed to take advantage of their numerical superiority at Southampton where the home side played the final 17 minutes with 10 men after defender Kevin Danso was sent off for a second yellow card.
Although United took the lead through Daniel James, who registered his third league goal of the season with a fine strike, Danish centre back Jannik Vestergaard headed the equaliser on 58 minutes.
RESULTS DIP
Southampton then held firm to frustrate the visitors under manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who said two points from their last three games represented “a dip in results but not form”.
The Norwegian also rejected suggestions Paul Pogba could leave the club before Monday’s European transfer deadline.
“Paul Pogba will be playing for us,” he said.
Third-placed Leicester continued their excellent start to the season with a 3-1 win over Bournemouth, with Jamie Vardy involved in all the home team’s goals.
The striker scored twice and made a third for Youri Tielemans to complete a memorable week in which it was announced his wife is pregnant for the fifth time.
Bournemouth felt Tielemans should have been red carded for a foul on Callum Wilson, a challenge that VAR considered but chose not to intervene on even though Wilson said he felt Tielemans almost ‘broke my ankle’.
There was more controversy at Selhurst Park where referee Kevin Friend disallowed a late equaliser for alleged simulation by Jack Grealish.
The decision enraged Villa manager Dean Smith who questioned why VAR did not step in, and Norwich manager Daniel Farke was also unhappy about non-intervention after a challenge on his defender Christoph Zimmermann did not receive a red card in the 2-0 defeat at West Ham.
“This is a game where VAR didn’t work,” he said.
Chelsea manager Frank Lampard looked close to securing his first home win of the season after Tammy Abraham scored twice in the first half but the promoted visitors showed plenty of fight to snatch a point with a strike from Callum Robinson and a late own goal from Kurt Zouma.
Bottom side Watford, who had lost their first three games, eased some of the pressure on manager Javi Gracia by scraping a point in the 1-1 draw at Newcastle United.
Arsenal strikers Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette inspired a stirring comeback against rivals Tottenham Hotspur to salvage a 2-2 draw in a thrilling north London Premier League derby on Sunday.
Arsenal, who were beaten 3-1 at Liverpool last week, are in fifth place with seven points while Spurs are ninth on five after four games.
The visitors took a 10th minute lead when Eriksen knocked the ball into an empty net on the rebound, capitalising on some sloppy goalkeeping from Arsenal’s Bernd Leno, who could only parry Erik Lamela’s weak shot into the path of the Dane.
Arsenal had most of the ball on a sun-soaked afternoon at the Emirates Stadium but Tottenham were far more threatening on the break and Leno was forced to keep out stinging efforts from Kane and Eriksen in the first half.
“We played with our heart sometimes more than our head, we needed more balance, we needed to have clearer heads,” said Arsenal coach Unai Emery of his side’s first-half mistakes.
Tottenham were then awarded a penalty for a clumsy foul by Granit Xhaka on the lively Son Heung-min and Kane converted in the 40th minute to put Spurs on track for a first league win on enemy territory in nine years.
However, Arsenal’s France striker Lacazette halved the deficit right before halftime with an emphatic strike after controlling an exquisite pass from the club’s record signing Nicolas Pepe.
Kane came close to sealing the points for Tottenham when he struck the post but Arsenal became galvanized when Spanish midfielder Dani Ceballos came off the bench and hit a shot which keeper Hugo Lloris did well to tip over.
An equaliser looked ever likelier and duly arrived when Gabon striker Aubameyang prodded a lofted pass from Matteo Guendouzi into the net in the 71st minute, scoring a third goal in four Premier League games this season.
AMAZING MATCH
“It was an amazing match. We are proud of our work and our supporters,” added Emery.
“The key was the first goal to give us confidence and give us more chances in the second half. We deserved it.”
Tottenham coach Mauricio Pochettino also felt Lacazette’s timely goal was pivotal.
“Conceding with the last action of the first half gave relief to Arsenal and was an emotional hit to us, we were very down, before our emotions were very high and football is all about emotion,” he said.
Arsenal’s Sokratis Papastathopoulos later had a goal ruled out for offside while Tottenham’s Moussa Sissoko spurned a last-gasp chance in a thrilling finale by blasting over the bar after Kane was denied a penalty when he tangled with Sokratis.
Tottenham striker Kane said his side were disappointed to have let their lead slip.
“I feel like we’re coming off disappointed, we expected to see the game out,” he told reporters.
“The (Lacazette) goal hurt us with momentum just before the break. It was an end-to-end game, especially the last 10-15 minutes, but the players left everything on the pitch.”
The England international also felt he should have been awarded a second penalty.
“As a striker, if it is on halfway (line) it is a definite foul. In the box you don’t always get them,” he added.
Aubameyang, meanwhile, said Arsenal should have come away with more than a point.
“I think in the first half we deserved to score two goals,” he said. “It was a tough game and I think we deserved more.”
Richarlison scored twice and Alex Iwobi netted his first league goal to hand Everton a thrilling 3-2 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers in an electrifying Premier League encounter at Goodison Park on Sunday.
Wolves gifted the home side the opening goal in the fifth minute, a defensive mix-up between defender Conor Coady and goalkeeper Rui Patricio presenting the ball to Richarlison, who thumped a bouncing shot into the net.
Everton were equally generous four minutes later as Adama Traore sent a low ball into the box and defender Seamus Coleman stopped it in front of the goal, teeing it up for Romain Saiss to poke home the equaliser.
Iwobi put his side ahead again three minutes later, rising to send Gylfi Sigursson’s header flying past Patricio.
Having successfully qualified for the group stages of the Europa League on Thursday by completing a 5-3 aggregate win over Torino, Wolves looked to be running out of steam in the second half until Raul Jimenez stooped to head home a flick-on from a long throw to put them level again.
Richarlison secured all three points for the home side in the 80th minute, out-jumping Willy Boly to give his side the lead for the third time.
Boly was sent off in stoppage time after receiving a second yellow card as Everton hung on to win.
