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EPL PIX: Salah back on the scoresheet; Man City in champion form

Last updated on: October 21, 2018 12:51 IST

Images from the English Premier League matches played on Saturday.

Mohamed Salah

IMAGE: Mohamed Salah celebrates scoring Liverpool's only goal in Saturday's Premier League against Huddersfield Town. Photograph: Carl Recine/Reuters

Striker Mohamed Salah scored his first goal in four matches to give Liverpool a 1-0 win over Huddersfield Town in the Premier League on Saturday, lifting the Merseyside club back up to second in the table.

Salah scored after 20 minutes and it remained the only goal of the game as Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp condemned his close friend and fellow German in the opposite dugout David Wagner to a sixth defeat in nine league matches this season.

 

The breakthrough came when Xherdan Shaqiri crafted himself some space to play a precise pass to Salah in the area. With one touch, the Egyptian found the bottom far corner for his fourth goal of the season and 50th overall in English football.

Huddersfield rallied and almost pulled it back, with a long-range effort from Jonathan Hogg hitting the post and Philip Billing's distant freekick curling just wide. They then had a penalty appeal turned down for a handball by James Milner.

Huddersfield fans thought they had seen their team score their first home goal in six months when Alex Pritchard latched onto a high ball and dinked it past goalkeeper Alisson just before the break. However, the strike was ruled out for offside.

The hosts' intensity slightly dropped after halftime, although Steve Mounie had a chance with less than 10 minutes left when the ball fell to him in the box. However, he shinned it over from eight yards out.

The John Smith's Stadium faithful applauded the players after the final whistle, even though this defeat continues their winless run this season.

Manchester City

IMAGE: Manchester City's Leroy Sane celebrates scoring their fifth goal with team mates. Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters

Manchester City displayed champions' swagger as they roared clear at the top with a 5-0 trouncing of Burnley but it was drama which engulfed their neighbours Manchester United and Jose Mourinho that dominated the Premier League agenda on Saturday.

Unbeaten City took the lead in the 17th minute when Sergio Aguero slotted home from close range after clever play from Leroy Sane and David Silva. The Argentine has now scored seven goals in seven games against Burnley.

City should have doubled their lead just before the break but Burnley keeper Joe Hart, facing his former club for the first time, produced a superb one-handed save to keep out a David Silva header and Aguero missed with the follow-up from point-blank range.

Burnley stuck at their task until the 54th minute when they gifted City a second goal. Sane’s appeal for a penalty was turned down but the Clarets’ defence stopped, apparently thinking a spot-kick had been given, and David Silva passed to an unmarked Bernardo Silva for a simple finish.

Two minutes later City put the game beyond Burnley when the visitors’ attempt to clear a corner fell to the Brazilian and he thumped the ball home from outside the box.

City manager Pep Guardiola responded by bringing on Belgian midfielder Kevin De Bruyne, who hasn’t played since the opening game of the season due to a knee injury, much to the delight of the home crowd.

A superb curling shot from Riyad Mahrez into the top corner made it 4-0 seven minutes from the end and Sane turned in a late fifth.

Barkley nets equaliser for Chelsea against Man Utd

Chelsea

IMAGE: Chelsea's David Luiz talks to Manchester United's Paul Pogba as players from both teams clash. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters

An injury time goal from substitute Ross Barkley earned Chelsea a last-gasp 2-2 draw at home to Manchester United in the Premier League on Saturday in a match that ended with United boss Jose Mourinho involved in scuffles.

Two goals from Anthony Martial had appeared to have earned Mourinho's Manchester United a comeback win after they went 1-0 down in the first half.

Yet Barkley's 96th minute equaliser, which preserved Chelsea's unbeaten record, also prompted drama at pitchside as one of the assistants of Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri seemingly provoked Mourinho.

Mourinho was outraged, rose from his seat and tried to confront the assistant, who appeared to disappear down the tunnel, and the United boss had to be restrained by officials.

Afterwards, Mourinho told Sky Sports that Sarri's assistant had apologised to him and he had accepted.

But the under-pressure United boss, who had looked set to earn a major win on the road until Barkley's late intervention robbed United of victory, described the late setback as an "awful" result for his side.

United, who had never won nor even scored a goal under Mourinho at his former club, went behind in the 20th minute when Germany defender Toni Rudiger strode away from marker Paul Pogba and rose to head home a Willian corner.

Chelsea had most possession and looked in control until Martial thumped in the equaliser in the 55th minute against the run of play after Chelsea goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga had kept out a close-range Juan Mata shot.

The goal galvanised the visitors and Martial made it two in the 73rd minute after a fine breakaway move between former Chelsea midfielder Mata and Marcus Rashford.

At the other end David De Gea was forced into fine diving saves from David Luiz and N'Golo Kante but was powerless as Barkley hammered home after Luiz's header hit the post.

Mourinho, who won three titles with Chelsea, has been touted as the next Premier League managerial sacking after his side's uncertain start to the season but despite United's vastly improved performance, he was left frustrated by the result.

"One point at Stamford Bridge is always a good result because it's so difficult for teams to win here but after the game, the way the game was, it's an awful result for us and a phenomenal result for them.

"The team played very well. And individually in the second half, they raised the bar. The attackers brought the game into a different dimension and the defenders had a solid performace. I'm realy pleased with the individuals."

Mourinho, who lived up to his promise not to celebrate unduly if United scored, said: "No, I don't think I got that respect back but that's not my responsibility.

"I have a certain level of education socially and in sport and what I did today, I would do in Porto, Madrid, Milan. I try to behave always the same way."

"But the reaction of the fans is up to them."

Lamela goal edges Spurs to derby win at West Ham

Tottenham Hotspur

IMAGE: Tottenham's Ben Davies with Davinson Sanchez and Christian Eriksen after the match. Photograph: David Klein/Reuters

Tottenham Hotspur secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over lowly London rivals West Ham United thanks to a deft first-half finish from Erik Lamela in their Premier League derby on Saturday.

Spurs took the lead just before the break with a glancing header from Argentine Lamela into the far corner of the net after a dribble and cross by Moussa Sissoko from the right.

Tottenham had another chance before the break at a packed London Stadium but central defender Davinson Sanchez's low shot was well blocked by West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

The home side almost equalised three minutes into the second period but Marko Arnautovic's fine header from Aaron Cresswell's cross was tipped over the bar by Spurs keeper Hugo Lloris.

West Ham kept pressing and their lively Austria forward Arnautovic again tested Lloris on the hour with a rasping low drive but they could not find a way through the Spurs defence.

The win takes Tottenham up to provisional third place with 21 points from nine games before Saturday's late match, while struggling West Ham remain in 15th spot on seven points.

Cardiff beat Fulham 4-2 for first league win of the season

EPL

IMAGE: Cardiff City's Kadeem Harris celebrates scoring their fourth goal with team mates. Photograph: Rebecca Naden/Reuters

Promoted Cardiff City celebrated their first Premier League win of the season after coming from behind to beat fellow top-flight newcomers Fulham 4-2 at home in a rip-roaring clash on Saturday.

The result enabled Cardiff to climb out of the relegation zone into 17th position on five points from nine games, leaping over Fulham on goal difference as the Cottagers dropped to 18th after their worst start to a top-flight season.

Second-half goals from Callum Paterson and Kadeem Harris clinched it for Cardiff after Josh Murphy and Bobby Reid had overturned Andre Schurrle's opener for Fulham and Ryan Sessegnon had levelled for the visitors in a frantic opening period.

Sessegnon was quick to identify poor defending as the cause of Fulham's latest setback, as they stayed the only Premier League side yet to keep a clean sheet this season.

"At times we played well but goals are leaking too much and we need to change that," the 18-year-old winger told the BBC.

"I can't really put my finger on what the problem is, but we need to stick together, believe in ourselves and keep fighting, there's a long way to go."

Cardiff manager Neil Warnock was delighted and praised his team as well as the home crowd.

Newcastle rue poor finishing in 1-0 Brighton defeat

Newcastle United were left to rue a host of missed chances as a deflected goal from Beram Kayal gave Brighton and Hove Albion a 1-0 Premier League win at St. James's Park on Saturday.

The defeat, Newcastle's seventh in nine league games this season, left them bottom of the standings with two points. Brighton are 12th with 11 points.

Brighton lost Glenn Murray early on after he appeared to be knocked unconscious in a nasty clash of heads with Newcastle defender Federico Fernandez. The striker was carried off on a stretcher and replaced by Jurgen Locadia.

Play resumed after a lengthy stoppage and the visitors took the lead in the 29th minute when Shane Duffy headed a corner back to Jose Izquierdo and his shot from the edge of the box was deflected into the net by Beram Kayal.

Newcastle should have drawn level at the break but Yoshinori Muto sent his header over the bar from point-blank range after Jonjo Shelvey's shot was parried.

Newcastle desperately searched for a second-half equaliser but their efforts were in vain and they slumped to a third league defeat in a row.

Southampton hold on to claim vital point at Bournemouth

Bournemouth were held 0-0 by Southampton in the Premier League on Saturday, with the stalemate maintaining their unbeaten record at home in all competitions this season.

The Cherries started the game with more intensity than their opponents, but were unable to break down a staunch Southampton defence. Mark Hughes' struggling side then grew into the contest.

Saints' Danish midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg found striker Charlie Austin behind the Bournemouth defenders halfway through the opening period, but his touch let him down for what would have been a rare clear-cut chance.

Hojbjerg then made an opening for himself after the hour mark by chesting the ball down and hitting a fierce volley. However, it was palmed away by goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.

Shortly after, Nathan Ake had one of the best opportunities for the hosts but his header from a Ryan Fraser corner went straight at Southampton keeper Alex McCarthy.

Both sides threatened in the closing stages, with Southampton substitute Manolo Gabbiadini having a clear header just before the final whistle but he could only get it onto the roof of the net.

The match ended goalless to leave Bournemouth still flying high in sixth in the Premier League standings.

Source: REUTERS
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