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Home  » Sports » EPL PIX: Liverpool beat Wolves to go top; City held

EPL PIX: Liverpool beat Wolves to go top; City held

Last updated on: September 29, 2024 09:38 IST
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Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scores their second goal from the penalty spot

IMAGE: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scores their second goal from the penalty spot against Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux Stadium, Wolverhampton. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters

Ibrahima Konate headed home his first ever Premier League goal and Mohamed Salah converted a penalty as Liverpool climbed to the top of the Premier League table with a 2-1 victory over struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday.

Arne Slot's men have 15 points after six games, one more than both Manchester City and Arsenal, while Wolves are bottom with a single point.

"Feels good (to be top), you want to be up there but it doesn't tell me that much at the moment," Slot told Sky Sports. "If you look at Wolves they are down in the table but they played much better than that today.

"After 19 games, it'll tell me something but not after six."

Konate scored in first-half injury time after Diogo Jota beat his man down the left then served up a pinpoint cross that the 25-year-old centre back leapt to head home.

Wolves capitalised on some sloppy defending by Konate, however, to level in the 56th minute. The French centre back appeared to be leaving the ball to run out for a goal kick but Jorgen Strand Larsen kept it in, and Rayan Ait-Nouri scored from close range.

Yet Salah silenced the celebratory home crowd at Molineux five minutes later when Liverpool were awarded a penalty for Nelson Semedo's foul on Jota, Salah sending keeper Sam Johnstone the wrong way.

"I think a team like Liverpool has to be in the top four for sure; we keep pushing, we keep pushing, but it's really early," Liverpool midfielder Ryan Gravenberch told Sky Sports after another impressive display from the Dutch midfielder.

"This season I wanted to show myself again and I am really happy. He (Slot) put me in the starting 11 and gave me a lot of confidence."

Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates

IMAGE: Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate celebrates scoring their first goal with teammates. Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters

Dominik Szoboszlai had squandered a brilliant chance to get Liverpool on the scoreboard when he connected with a cross from Andy Robertson, but Johnstone stopped the Hungarian's point-blank shot.

The Reds had a few more chances in the dying minutes including a corner that Konate headed over the bar and a shot to the bottom corner by Curtis Jones after a one-two with Salah that Johnstone saved.

Liverpool's victory comes amid a busy schedule, with Slot's side crushing West Ham United 5-1 in a League Cup third-round tie on Wednesday, while they host Bologna in a Champions League match in four days' time.

Gary O'Neil's struggling Wolves side have gone 18 games without a clean sheet, since a 1-0 win last February at Sheffield United.

"They went toe-to-toe with one of the biggest clubs in the country," O'Neil said. "I am gutted for the lads with what they have given in the last six games, they deserve more points for what they have given."

Wolves captain Mario Lemina looked distraught after the final whistle, pulling his shirt over his face before a couple of teammates arrived to console him.

Aston Villa could draw level on points with Liverpool at the top of the table on Sunday with a win at Ipswich Town, although Unai Emery's side trail 10-3 on goal difference.

Palmer scores all four as Chelsea beat Brighton

Chelsea's Cole Palmer celebrates scoring their first goal

IMAGE: Cole Palmer celebrates scoring Chelsea's first goal against Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge in London. Photograph: Matthew Childs/Reuters

Chelsea's Cole Palmer scored four first-half goals, including a stunning long-range free kick and a penalty, in a breathless 4-2 Premier League victory over Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday.

Goalkeeping errors at both ends, high defensive lines and speedy counter-attacks contributed to a thrilling encounter with Brighton's French forward Georginio Rutter putting the visitors ahead in the seventh minute before 22-year-old Palmer's 11-minute hat-trick.

Howls of derision from the Brighton supporters greeted their former goalkeeper Roberto Sanchez who came out of his goal in a scramble and missed the ball, giving Rutter a free header.

But Chelsea, now the league's top scorers this season, turned on the pressure and Palmer hit the post and had a goal disallowed for offside before his scoring spree.

The first after 20 minutes came from a Nicolas Jackson interception. The Senegal striker raced on goal before squaring the ball to Palmer who tapped home.

Palmer's second came from the spot when he sent Bart Verbruggen the wrong way after Jadon Sancho was brought down in the penalty area.

The former Manchester City trainee has been dubbed "ice Cole" and he showed his cool once again with his 10th successful penalty in 10 attempts since joining Chelsea last season.

Palmer completed his hat-trick on the half hour with an elegant free kick from some 30 metres out which curled perfectly beyond Verbruggen into the top corner.Carlos Baleba pulled a goal back for Brighton in the 32nd minute after a second error from Sanchez, who fluffed a clearance.

Palmer made it four shortly before halftime getting on the end of a perfectly weighted Jadon Sancho assist.

Cole Palmer scores Chelsea's third goal from a free kick past Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen

IMAGE: Cole Palmer scores Chelsea's third goal from a free kick past Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. Photograph: Hannah Mckay/Reuters

The rampant Palmer, became the first player to score four goals in the first half of a Premier League match and he should have added a fifth in the second half but put the ball wide with only keeper Bart Verbruggen to beat.

"A very good win, we could have done better in some moments of the game but overall we deserved to win." Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca told the BBC. "Overall a fantastic day for me."

"He (Palmer) scored four, I told him he could have scored two or three more. I knew Cole from years ago at City, he is a top player and just has to continue in the same way."

The second half involved less mayhem and greater defensive security but there were still chances at both ends and some improved goalkeeping as well as Adam Webster's last gasp interventions kept Chelsea from running amok.

Brighton coach Fabian Hurzeler said mistakes cost his side.

"We scored but afterwards we had too many individual mistakes and with too many individual mistakes you cannot win at Stamford Bridge. We should quickly learn from this," the German said.

The result lifted Chelsea to third in the table and ended Brighton's unbeaten start to the season.

Arsenal score two stoppage-time goals to beat Leicester

IMAGE: Leicester City's Wout Faes in action with Arsenal's Gabriel Martinelli. Photograph: Dylan Martinez/Reuters

Leandro Trossard erased the memory of his red card last week as he played a crucial role in Arsenal's 4-2 Premier League win over Leicester City after the Londoners had somehow squandered a two-goal lead on Saturday.

The Belgian had put Arsenal 2-0 ahead on the stroke of halftime and it was his back-post shot that deflected in off Leicester's Wilfred Ndidi that restored Arsenal's lead in the fourth minute of stoppage time.

Kai Havertz then made totally sure of the victory that lifted Arsenal level with leaders Manchester City on 14 points.

When Trossard's cool finish doubled Arsenal's lead it seemed the hosts would go on to win by a big enough margin to replace City as leaders on goal difference after Pep Guardiola's side were held to a 1-1 draw at Newcastle United.

But James Justin's double -- his second a superb volley in the 63rd minute -- stunned the hosts as Leicester, almost non-existent in the opening period, got themselves back to 2-2.

Arsenal peppered the visitors' goal in search of the three points and winless Leicester's rearguard eventually cracked as Trossard got on the end of Bukayo Saka's corner and his goalbound shot bounced in off Ndidi.

Champions Manchester City held at Newcastle

IMAGE: Newcastle United's Joelinton in action with Manchester City's Savinho. Photograph: Lee Smith/Reuters

Newcastle United's Joelinton in action with Manchester City's Savinho Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith

Reigning champions Manchester City were held to a second straight draw in the Premier League after Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon cancelled out Josko Gvardiol's opener in a feisty 1-1 draw at St. James' Park on Saturday.

City, who drew with title rivals Arsenal last weekend, stay provisionally top with 14 points from six games as they wait for Liverpool, Aston Villa and the Gunners to play their games this weekend. Newcastle are fifth with 11 points.

In a scrappy affair where eight yellow cards were handed out, City struggled to maintain a tempo with key midfielders Kevin De Bruyne and Rodri out injured.

Meanwhile, league top scorer Erling Haaland failed to find the net for the first time this season as the Newcastle defence restricted the Norwegian striker to just one shot on target.

McNeil brace gives Everton comeback win over Palace

IMAGE: Everton's Dwight McNeil scores their second goal against Crystal Palace. Photograph: Molly Darlington/Reuters

Everton earned their first Premier League win of the season as a double from Dwight McNeil saw them recover from an early deficit to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Goodison Park on Saturday.

Palace took the lead in the 10th minute when Marc Guehi poked home from close range after Maxence Lacroix's knockdown.

McNeil was Everton's standout player in the opening half and he turned the game on its head after the interval.

He equalised in the 47th minute with a powerful strike after being played in by Ashley Young and then sent the home fans wild by putting the hosts ahead in the 54th minute as he got on the end of a cross by substitute Jack Harrison and volleyed past Palace keeper Dean Henderson.

Jimenez penalty gives Fulham win at Forest

IMAGE: Raul Jimenes scores from the spot to secure Fulham's win over Nottingham Forest. Photograph: Molly Darlington/Reuters

Fulham forward Raul Jimenez converted a second-half penalty to give Marco Silva's side a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Saturday, handing the hosts their first defeat of the season.

Building on last weekend's 3-1 win over Newcastle United, Fulham climbed to sixth in the standings on 11 points after six games -- their best start to a season since 2003 -- while Forest, who have yet to win at home, are ninth on nine points.

Jimenez netted his third league goal of the season in the 51st minute when he beat goalkeeper Matz Sels from the spot. The penalty was awarded for a foul by Forest defender Murillo on Andreas Pereira.

Soucek rescues a point for West Ham at Brentford

IMAGE: Brentford's Vitaly Janelt shoots at goal. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Reuters

Tomas Soucek cancelled out Bryan Mbeumo's opener as West Ham United drew 1-1 at Brentford on Saturday, with the hosts becoming the first team in Premier League history to score in the opening minute in three successive matches.

 

The Hammers, who lost their opening three home games of the league season for the first time in the club's history, now sit 14th in the standings with five points, two fewer than Brentford, who are in 12th place, ahead of the rest of the weekend's fixtures.

Brentford made another electric start when winger Mbeumo stunned the visitors 37 seconds after kickoff, volleying home from 12 yards after Fabio Carvalho flicked the ball back into the box, sending it into the top-right corner.

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