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EPL PIX: Leeds hold City; Everton and Chelsea cruise

October 04, 2020 01:08 IST

IMAGE: Leeds United players celebrate after Rodrigo Moreno scored the equaliser against Manchester City at Elland Road in Leeds, on Saturday. Photograph: Paul Ellis - Pool/Getty Images

Leeds United's Rodrigo Moreno struck his first goal for the club to earn a 1-1 draw at home to Manchester City in the Premier League on Saturday as visiting Pep Guardiola was denied victory against one of the men who inspired him to be a coach.

 

City's Spanish boss has often spoken highly of Leeds' Argentine coach Marcelo Bielsa, who Guardiola took advice from before going into management at Barcelona, with the two tacticians meeting for the first time in England.

City were dominant early on as they looked to quickly forget their shock 5-2 home defeat by Leicester City last time out, with Kevin De Bruyne almost opening the scoring with a clever free kick in the third minute -- the post denying the Belgian.

IMAGE: Raheem Sterling gives Manchester City the lead in the 17th minute. Photograph: Paul Ellis - Pool/Getty Images

Guardiola did not have to wait long, however, for his side to take the lead, with Raheem Sterling darting inside before firing home his first league goal of the season into the bottom corner in the 17th minute.

City continued to create chances, finishing the first half having had 12 shots at goal, but Leeds improved after the break, with Rodrigo pouncing on a mistake from City goalkeeper Ederson to equalise in the 59th minute.

Leeds even had chances to win, with Ederson tipping a goal-bound Rodrigo header onto the bar, but City weathered the storm. The result leaves Leeds in fifth place on seven points from four games ahead of City in 10th with four points from three matches.

Chilwell shines as Chelsea thump Crystal Palace

IMAGE: Ben Chilwell celebrates after scoring the first goal for Chelsea against Crystal Palace, at Stamford Bridge, in London. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Chelsea settled their stuttering start to the season with a 4-0 win over Crystal Palace in the Premier League on Saturday as Ben Chilwell marked his league debut for the Blues by scoring the opening goal and creating another for Kurt Zouma.

Jorginho sealed the win with two late penalties in a second-half demolition of Palace who had stifled Chelsea in a goalless first half.

Chilwell punished the visitors for their first defensive error, scoring from close range in the 50th minute after Mamadou Sakho fluffed a clearance and allowed Cesar Azpilicueta to cross.

Chelsea doubled their lead in the 66th minute when Palace failed to clear a corner and Zouma headed home after a cross by Chilwell.

Jorginho made sure of the win when he converted two penalties in the space of five minutes late in the game.

Chelsea coach Frank Lampard sounded as happy with his team's first clean sheet of the season as the four goals they scored and he lauded the impact of Chilwell.

"I thought Ben Chilwell was fantastic in his contribution in all senses," Lampard said. "He gets his goal, he gets an assist and he was always ready to join in... He looked like he’d played for us for a long time."

IMAGE: Chelsea's players celebrate after Kurt Zouma, left, scored the second goal in the 66th minute. Photograph: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images

Lampard made six changes to the team that salvaged a 3-3 draw after being 3-0 behind at West Bromwich Albion last weekend, four of them at the back as he gave league debuts to left back Chilwell and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.

Chilwell, who moved from Leicester City in August, showed his pace down the wings and fired crosses into the Palace box all match.

"It was a brilliant team performance, and I'm obviously very happy with my personal performance," Chilwell told BT Sport. "The gaffer said at halftime we need to be more creative in the final third, and in the second half we showed that."

Mendy, signed from Rennes of France to replace out-of-form Kepa Arrizabalaga, had a quieter afternoon.

He had to wait 63 minutes before having to make his first save against a Palace side intent on thwarting their hosts until they went behind.

Chelsea's defence, which leaked six goals in their first three league games of the new season, looked stronger with former Paris St Germain centre half Thiago Silva in commanding form alongside Zouma.

Lampard was asked about reports that Bayern Munich had renewed their interest in Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi and wanted to sign him before the transfer deadline on Monday.

"There is no definitive answer but by Monday, we will have one," he said. "At the minute, I want Callum part of my squad."

Everton down Brighton to go top of EPL

IMAGE: Everton's players celebrate after Yerry Mina scored the second goal against Everton and Brighton & Hove Albion at Goodison Park in Liverpool. Photograph: Peter Byrne - Pool/Getty Images

James Rodriguez netted twice and Dominic Calvert-Lewin became the first Everton player to score in the opening four matches of a Premier League season as they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-2 on Saturday to stay top of the table with a maximum 12 points.

The hosts produced another classy performance with Rodriguez's fellow Colombian Yerry Mina also on the scoresheet for Carlo Ancelotti's high-flying side who next face champions Liverpool in the Merseyside derby after the international break.

Second-placed Leicester City and Liverpool in third are three points behind Everton with a game in hand, while Brighton slipped to 14th on three points from four games.

New England call-up Calvert-Lewin took his tally to nine goals from six games in all competitions when he rose at the far post to head home a Gylfi Sigurdsson cross in the 16th minute before Neil Maupay levelled from close range in the 41st.

Everton's England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford gifted Brighton the equaliser when he spilled a tame mis-hit shot by Leandro Trossard, leaving Neal Maupay with a simple task of tucking the ball in from close range.

Yerry Mina restored the home side's lead on the stroke of halftime, heading home an inch-perfect free kick at the near post floated in by Rodriguez, who added a second-half brace.

IMAGE: Calvert-Lewin took his tally to nine goals from six games in all competitions when he rose at the far post to head home a Gylfi Sigurdsson cross in the 16th minute. Photograph: Peter Byrne - Pool/Getty Images

Rodriguez swept the ball home from eight metres to make it 3-1 in the 52nd minute after a fine assist by Alex Iwobi, who released Abdoulaye Doucoure on the left flank in the 70th to set up Everton's fourth for the Colombian forward.

The slick move crafted by one-touch passing which has epitomised Everton's attacking flair under Ancelotti left Rodriguez with a tap-in from five metres.

Midfielder Yves Bissouma pulled one back for the visitors with a cracking shot from 25 metres in stoppage time but it was too little, too late to deny the high-flying Toffees.

Calvert-Lewin acknowledged he was full of confidence and added that the performance, although it left something to be desired, showed a new level of collective and personal maturity.

"I think it's about self-belief," the 23-year-old told BT Sport. "I always believed that I could get here. Sometimes it’s about age and maturity. I've been patient, now I’m reaping my rewards.

"I think today, particularly in the second half, we didn’t play that well. The best teams win when they’re not always on top. We’re confident, creating chances and scoring goals."

Source: REUTERS
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