Unfazed by guilty verdicts and rumored penalties, Manchester City seemed gleeful to return to the pitch and hang a home loss on the club which has greatest reason to despise the Manchester City juggernaut. Liverpool supporters at Anfield were understandably vocal in reminding the visitors of their now official status as “cheaters.” Manchester City calmly dealt with the vitriol and toxic atmosphere as Liverpool failed to capitalize on the emotion of their supporters. The homestanding Reds then went down to 10 men in the 62nd minute on a Ryan Gravenrberch foul and it was all over. Erling Haaland opened the gates with his sixth goal of the season just three minutes after Gravenberch’s exit. Manchester City then laid on two more goals to remain atop the Premier League table.
Arsenal, meanwhile, stayed three points back with a comeback 2-1 win over Leeds. Arsenal’s depth was on full display when former Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes came on as a substitute and won the game for Arsenal with his 70th minute strike. ARSENAL TURN IT AROUND 😳
Bruno Guimarães first goal at Emirates 🔥
🔴 Arsenal: 2
🟡 Leeds United: 1
⏱️ 70’ https://t.co/5KQw4eD19M
Chelsea exploded from the gate after the international pause to batter Bournemouth 5-1 at Stamford Bridge4. Has Xabi Alonso finally got through to his charges and is Chelsea’s massive financial investment ready to show a return? Or is Bournemouth just dreadful? There is certainly an element of the latter as the ancient one, Jordan Hendersen had two goals and an assist for the Blues. That cannot be expected to happen again when the Blues face stouter competition than the winless Cherries. Joao Pedro also scored twice against the hapless visitors.
Brighton, meanwhile, has been consistently good, the Seagulls remaining third in the Premier League table after a 2-0 win at Sunderland. Brighton’s goal output versus the Black Cats was even a touch below their lofty standard. The Seagulls continue to lead the league with 18 goals in their six matches, an eye popping three goals per game average. That high flying attack is complemented by a defense which is tied for the league best in fewest goals conceded. Sunderland, however, was by no means cowed and threatened to derail the Brighton parade when the Seagulls went down to 10 men in the 53rd minute while protecting a one goal advantage. The Brighton defense held and the undermanned Seagulls extended the lead in stoppage time as left back Jaouen Hadjam scored his first goal for the club. A more veteran Seagull also made the scoresheet on Saturday when veteran Pascal Gross assisted the Seagulls’ first goal and became the oldest Premier League player since Ryan Giggs to register an assist in three consecutive matches.
Giggs’s former club, Mancheter United, is currently laboring under the managerial reins of Giggs’ former teammate Micheal Carrick. After a remarkable third place finish last season which put the Red Devils back in the Champions League and secured Carrick a permanent contract, United has struggled this season. Woeful Tottenham Hotspur should have been an easy mark at Old Trafford. That was not the case as Spurs dominated much of the play and emerged with a point when Dominic Solanke netted an equalizer in stoppage time for the visiting north Londoners who were down a man from the 78th minute onward. Boos rained down upon Manchester United at the end of each half as the mood has fully turned from the optimism which Carrick inspired last season. Manchester United, its only win coming over newly promoted Ipswich, has made its worst start to a Premier League season since 1986.
Another manager seemed poised to have as ugly a day as Carrick when Crystal Palace Manager Pierre Sage saw his Eagles go down a goal to Nottingham Forest in the early going at Selhurst Park. Standing on the opposite touchline was Oliver Glasner, the man who brought European football and an FA Cup trophy to south London before bolting the Eagles for the Tricky Trees after last season. A win by Glasner in his return would have been poor optics for the new Eagles gaffer whose side had been largely unimpressive in the initial stages of the post Glasner era. Palace responded in a big way, however, by scoring three consecutive goals to chop down the Trees. Glasner limped out of Selhurst with a result that saw his new side fall below his former side in the table.
The very bottom of that table now has no promoted side inhabiting the dreaded three relegation spots. Hull has lost but once this season and remains in the top half of the table after a 2-2 draw with visiting Everton. Mohamed Belloumi scored the 73rd minute equalizer which kept Hull undefeated at home this season.
Ipswich Town won for a second time this season and cranked up the heat on Fulham Manager Alvaro Arbeloa with the Tractor Boys 2-1 defeat of the Cottagers at Portman Road. Winless Fulham sits at the bottom of the Premier League table with but two points from its six matches. On Saturday, the Cottagers seemed headed for that elusive first victory until Ipswich scored twice after the 87th minute of play to take all three points.
Newly promoted Coventry City emerged from the relegation zone with a second consecutive victory. After edging Nottingham Forest 1-0 before the break, the Sky Blues exploded for four goals Monday in a raucous home win over Newcastle. It marked the first Premier League home win for Coventry in 25 years. There may be hope after all for a Coventry side which had seemed doomed after failing to score a goal in losing its first four matches.
Aston Villa scored a single goal in its first four matches but has scored five in its last two outings after drawing 2-2 with Brentford at Villa Park. Unfortunately for Manager Unai Emery’s side, the Villans squandered two leads to a Brentford side which stayed in the top four with Saturday’s away point.
