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Rediff.com  » Sports » EPL PIX: Liverpool, City win; Man United stunned

EPL PIX: Liverpool, City win; Man United stunned

Last updated on: September 16, 2023 23:24 IST
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Liverpool

IMAGE: Wolverhampton Wanderers' Max Kilman and Jose Sa in action with Liverpool's Luis Diaz. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Reuters

Liverpool beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-1 away on Saturday thanks to two late goals in a scintillating comeback that put the Reds - at least temporarily - top of the Premier League.

The hosts dominated the first half at Molineux against an unusually sloppy Liverpool, Hwang Hee-chan stroking in a 7th minute goal after a brilliant run from Pedro Neto, before Wolves missed a string of further chances.

 

Liverpool came out transformed in the second half, however, and Mohamed Salah set up fellow striker Cody Gakpo for a tap-in equaliser in the 55th minute.

Wearing the captain's armband on his 200th Premier League appearance, Andy Robertson slid in Liverpool's second from another Salah pass in the 85th minute as the visitors poured forward.

Liverpool made it three in time added on, with Wolves' Hugo Bueno deflecting the ball into his own net from a shot by Harvey Elliott, sending the away fans into delirium.

The result put Liverpool top of the table for now on 13 points after five games, with Manchester City one point behind them and playing later on Saturday away at West Ham.

Wolves are 15th on three points.

WOLVES RUE MISSED CHANCES

Liverpool

IMAGE: Liverpool's Harvey Elliott celebrates scoring their third goal with Curtis Jones. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Reuters

Liverpool's slow start on Saturday was due in part to the absence of stalwart defenders Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold through suspension and injury respectively.

Fresh back from international duty for Argentina, midfielder Alexis Mac Allister looked out of sorts, uncharacteristically misplacing passes and losing possession.

But the introduction of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez, also back from World Cup qualifiers in South America, reinvigorated Liverpool for their second half onslaught.

Wolves were left to rue missed opportunities, none more so than when Neto again beat his man to dink a cross into Matheus Cunha who inexplicably chested the ball instead of stooping to head home from close range and extend his team's lead.

"The first half we dominated the game, and we come out with zero points," Neto said. "We have to continue to work and we have to grow up ... It's tough after that first half to concede three goals, it's really hard."

Man United humbled at home by Brighton

Manchester United

IMAGE: Manchester United's Hannibal Mejbri in action with Brighton & Hove Albion's Evan Ferguson. Photograph: Molly Darlington/Reuters

Manchester United suffered a humbling 3-1 Premier League loss to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday and have picked up three defeats in the first five matches of a league campaign for the first time since 1989-90.

Despite making a bright start at Old Trafford, United fell behind in the 20th minute when Danny Welbeck slotted home against his former club when left unmarked in the penalty area.

United responded well and thought they had levelled just before the break through big-money signing Rasmus Hojlund, on his full debut, but the ball was adjudged to be out of play when Marcus Rashford pulled the ball back to the Dane.

Brighton fully capitalised on that VAR reprieve, however, as fine goals from Pascal Gross early in the second half and a Joao Pedro strike brought groans of dismay all around Old Trafford.

Substitute Hannibal Mejbri did get one back for the hosts with 18 minutes left but Brighton held on with ease to move up to third in the standings on 12 points from five matches. United dropped to 12th on six points.

Manchester City storm back to beat West Ham 3-1

Manchester City

IMAGE: Manchester City's Bernardo Silva celebrates scoring their second goal with Rodri and Matheus Nunes. Photograph: Tony Obrien/Reuters

Jeremy Doku, Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland scored second-half goals as Manchester City fought back from a goal down to beat West Ham United 3-1 at the London Stadium on Saturday and move back top of the Premier League table.

Liverpool's 3-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers had taken them to the summit, but City stormed back in the second half of a pulsating game to secure the three points.

City should have gone ahead in the seventh minute, but a goal-line clearance by Tomas Soucek and a good save from Alphonse Areola kept the game scoreless.

The visitors spurned another great opportunity when Josko Gvardiol whipped a ball across the box but Haaland swept his effort wide of the goal, much to the relief of the flat-footed West Ham defence.

After soaking up enormous pressure, the home side took the lead in the 36th minute when Vladimir Coufal chipped a cross to the far post and James Ward-Prowse produced a brilliant diving header.

Doku equalised 43 seconds into the second half, running menacingly at Coufal before firing home, and Silva and Haaland were on target in the 76th and 86th minutes to send City back top on 15 points, two ahead of Liverpool.

The Hammers did not give up and almost took the lead again on the hour mark when Michail Antonio played in Emerson only for his shot to be blocked by Manuel Akanji and from the resulting corner Ederson pulled off a magnificent save to deny Kurt Zouma.

Champions City were not to be denied, however, and in the 76th minute Silva gave them the lead, hooking home a scooped pass from Julian Alvarez before Haaland finally got his goal 10 minutes later to secure the three points.

City top the standings on a perfect 15 points from five games, two ahead of Liverpool and three ahead of Brighton & Hove Albion. West Ham drop to sixth on 10 points.

Richarlison sparks Tottenham late show

Tott

IMAGE: Tottenham Hotspur's Dejan Kulusevski shoots at goal. Photograph: Andrew Couldridge/Reuters

Tottenham Hotspur forward Richarlison sparked an astonishing turnaround as his side scored twice deep in stoppage time beat promoted Sheffield United 2-1 in the Premier League on Saturday.

Tottenham were heading for their first Premier League defeat under Ange Postecoglou as they trailed to Gustavo Hamer's against the run of play in the 75th minute.

But second-half substitute Richarlison ended his goal drought with the equaliser in the eighth of 12 minutes added on.

He then set up Dejan Kulusevski for the winner two minutes later as Tottenham made it four wins in a row and 13 points from 15 -- their best start to a top-flight season since 1965-66.

Tottenham are second in the table, two points behind champions Manchester City.

Sheffield United, still without a league win this season, had Ollie McBurnie sent off for a second yellow card for arguing with the referee as their frustration boiled over.

Brazil forward Richarlison had endured a testing time of late, unable to nail down a starting place at Tottenham and in midweek saying he would seek psychological help after looking tearful when substituted in Brazil's game against Bolivia.

He was one of three Postecoglou substitutions in the 80th minute as Tottenham threw everything at the Sheffield defence.

And he delivered his first Premier League goal since April as he found space in the area to head in a corner swung across by fellow substitute Ivan Perisic.

Tottenham sensed their chance to snatch all three points and it was Richarlison whose pass enabled Kulusevski to hammer a shot into the corner and send the home fans wild.

It had looked as though Sheffield United would return with the points having pulled off the ultimate smash and grab raid.

Tottenham had 28 goal attempts and 70% of the possession but were stunned when Hamer gave the visitors the lead with a shot that crept in off the post.

Visiting keeper Wes Foderingham made some fine saves and United rode their luck at times with Richarlison also heading a chance over the crossbar but the Spurs fans were singing the Brazilian's name at the end.

Late goal flurry earns Villa 3-1 win over Palace

Ashton Villa

IMAGE: Aston Villa's Douglas Luiz celebrates scoring their second goal with Leon Bailey and Jhon Duran. Photograph: John Clifton/Reuters

Late strikes from Jhon Duran, Douglas Luiz and Leon Bailey earned Aston Villa a 3-1 comeback win over Crystal Palace in an entertaining Premier League match on Saturday.

Palace had looked on course for their first win at Villa Park since 2013, but the hosts scored three times after the 87th minute to turn the game on its head.

Villa climbed two places in the standings from 10th to eighth on seven points, one behind seventh-placed Palace.

"It was great to be fair. We hoped to be really strong at home. In the Premier League you need to be strong at home," Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez told the BBC.

"We are creating a winning mentality at home. We couldn't score in the first half but we kept going forward and won at the end of the day."

Villa came close to scoring on several occasions in the first half, but were unable to break the deadlock.

They were almost gifted the lead in the 19th minute as Ollie Watkins pounced on a loose back-pass and had a tame effort saved by Sam Johnstone, before Moussa Diaby had a goal ruled offside by VAR.

Palace upped the tempo after the break and hit Villa with a sucker punch when striker Odsonne Edouard pounced, firing home Jean-Philippe Mateta's cross in the 47th minute.

The visitors, playing without unwell manager Roy Hodgson on the touchline, spurned chances to kill the game off with Martinez twice denying Eberechi Eze and Joel Ward missing a header from point-blank range.

They were made to rue their profligacy in the 87th minute by Duran, who chested down a cross from Lucas Digne and unleashed a thunderous half-volley to level.

Villa went ahead eight minutes into added time when Luiz scored for the fourth straight home league game, firing home a spot-kick after Chris Richards brought down Watkins.

The decision appeared harsh, with Richards also winning the ball, and the penalty was awarded following a lengthy VAR check and a visit to the pitch-side monitor.

Fulham win 1-0 to deny Luton first Premier League point

Fulham extended Luton Town's quest for a first Premier League point when Carlos Vinicius came off the bench and scored a second-half winner in a 1-0 victory at Craven Cottage on Saturday.

Fulham were far from convincing but did enough to move up to ninth in the standings while winless Luton are rooted at the bottom with a game in hand.

After a minute's silence for former club owner Mohamed Al-Fayed, who died last month, Fulham dominated possession in the first half but the home side had little to show for it and Luton came closest to opening the scoring.

Luton's Tahith Chong was denied on a solo run and Carlton Morris volleyed just wide before Jacob Brown's header hit the post.

Amari'i Bell nearly gave Luton the lead three minutes into the second half when he got on the end of a cross from Brown but his side-footed volley did not have enough power behind it and Bernd Leno made a comfortable save.

With the home fans growing frustrated, Fulham boss Marco Silva threw on Vinicius just after the hour mark and the Brazilian forward made an instant impact when he pounced on a spill from goalkeeper Thomas Kaminski for a tap-in.

Luton centre back and captain Tom Lockyer played up front in the closing stages and the 28-year-old found space for a free header in the final minute of stoppage time, but failed to find the target.

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Source: REUTERS
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