A busy weekend of action in the Premier League saw Jurgen Klopp make his debut as Liverpool manager, an England striker score twice, while another moved joint-second in the scoring charts in Premier League history, and a shock result on Sunday.
Tottenham 0-0 Liverpool
The weekend’s action got underway in the Saturday lunchtime game at White Hart Lane between Tottenham and Liverpool. Klopp’s debut as Reds manager produced no goals, but an encouraging performance in a goalless draw. Origi starting in place of the injured Daniel Sturridge. Fellow strikers Danny Ings and Christian Benteke were also missing. For Spurs, Danny Rose returned from injury, while Eric Dier was missing through suspension. Early on Belgian Origi planted a header against the crossbar from a James Milner corner. Spurs had a couple chances before half-time: Clinton N’Jie, who had earlier come on for Nacer Chadli, and Harry Kane had efforts saved by Liverpool keeper Simon Mignolet. There were not many chances in the second half, Kyle Walker driving an effort straight at Mignolet, while Liverpool were denied a penalty when Adam Lallana went down in the box. Christian Eriksen set up Kane late on, but he was again denied by Mignolet.
It’s now just one win from the last ten away league games for Liverpool, while Tottenham have not lost since the opening day of the season.
Chelsea 2-0 Aston Villa
Reigning champions Chelsea got their season back on track, and their first win in four league games, with a 2-0 win over Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.
Blues manager Jose Mourinho, still reeling from a midweek 1-match stadium ban and £50,000 fine handed to him by the FA for his comments following the 3-1 loss to Southampton, rang the changes by dropping Gary Cahill, Oscar and Eden Hazard to the bench. However, it was the returning Diego Costa who proved to be the difference here.
It was the visitors, looking for their first win since the opening day, that had the first chance, Carles Gil fired over, before Ruben Loftus-Cheek spurned a good chance for Chelsea. Villa boss Tim Sherwood made four changes for this game, and defender Alan Hutton tested Asmir Begovic before firing the rebound wide. Jordan Ayew then glazed a free-kick over, won after Jack Grealish was brought down. Rudy Gestede wasted another good chance for the Villains, before the visitors were made to pay for those missed chances.
Joleon Lescott failed to control a pass from goalkeeper Brad Guzan, this was seized upon by Willian, who played in Costa to fire home. Grealish and Gil then missed chances for Villa.
The Chelsea women’s team were presented to the crowd at half-time, fresh from their Women’s Super League and FA Cup successes, and received a warm reception.
Mourinho brought on Nemanja Matic for Loftus-Cheek at half-time, and soon doubled their lead, in somewhat fortuitous circumstances. Cesc Fabregas found Costa, and his shot took a wicked deflection off Hutton and wrong-footing Guzan. Lescott was denied by a block from Cesar Azpilicueta, before Costa tangled with Ashley Westwood.
Crystal Palace 1-3 West Ham United
Palace’s best top-flight start in 25 years was brought to a halt by West Ham at Selhurst Park.
The Hammers had a couple of chances in the first ten minutes, both comfortably dealt with by Palace stopper Wayne Hennessey. But they took the lead on 22 minutes when a clever pass from Victor Moses was dispatched by Carl Jenkinson. Palace were level three minutes later when Jenkinson fouled Dwight Gayle in the area, Yohan Cabaye placed home the penalty, but it was ordered to be retaken by referee Mark Clattenburg, Cabaye kept his composure to score the retaken kick. Keeping composure is something Gayle didn’t do, as he was sent off just before half time for a foul on Cheikhou Kouyate.
The sending-off as it often does, proved to be a turning point, as even though Palace fought hard, West Ham retook the lead when, with two minutes to go, Mauro Zarate’s cross was headed back across goal by substitute Andy Carroll, and Manuel Lanzini was on hand to sweep home. Dimitri Payet added some gloss to the scoreline when he chipped Hennessey in injury-time.
Everton 0-3 Manchester United
It was an emotional afternoon at Goodison Park as Everton hosted Manchester United. Former Toffees manager Howard Kendall sadly passed away, and tributes were made. Also in attendance was the widow and children of PC Dave Phillips, an Everton fan who died after being hit by a vehicle on 5 October. On the field, it was a low-key game, understandable given the circumstances.
United took the lead on 18 minutes when a Juan Mata corner was not properly dealt with by Steven Naismith. Marcos Rojo crossed back into the area for Morgan Schneiderlin to prod home the Red Devils’ first goal at this ground for six and a half hours. Rojo crossed again on 22 minutes, this time for Ander Herrera to double the lead. Wayne Rooney sealed the points on 62 minutes against his former club, firing past Tim Howard for the third. The strike brought Rooney level with Andrew Cole on 187 Premier League goals, only behind the 260 of Alan Shearer.
Everton’s best chance fell to Ross Barkley, who tested David De Gea a couple of times, the Spanish keeper also saving with his feet from Romelu Lukaku.
Manchester City 5-1 Bournemouth
League leaders Manchester City strolled to a comfortable win over new-boys Bournemouth, Raheem Sterling and Wilfried Bony sharing the goals in a 5-1 romp.
The strikers showed there can be life without the injured Sergio Aguero, but it was Bournemouth who had the first chance, Dan Gosling sent flying in the box by Nicolas Otamendi. However, referee Mike Dean did not award a penalty. Sterling put City ahead on 7 minutes when he slotted home after Bony passed across the box. Bony doubled the lead from a Sterling cross which was dropped by keeper Adam Federici. Glenn Murray got Bournemouth back into the game on 22 minutes when he pulled away from Eliaquim Mangala before slotting home past Joe Hart. Sterling then danced through the visiting defence before firing home to make it 3-1. Bournemouth kept attacking in a bid to force their way back into it, but this was their undoing as Kevin De Bruyne was denied by Federici. Federici was at fault for City’s fourth goal, however.
He let Jesus Navas run past him, got a block in but the ball rolled to Sterling, who completed his hat-trick. Sterling had a couple of chances to add to his tally, before Bony collected his second and City’s fifth.
Southampton 2-2 Leicester City
England striker Jamie Vardy bagged a double as Leicester staged a second-half comeback from two goals down at Southampton.
Vardy netted for the sixth straight game, and took his tally for the season to nine. Saints took the lead when Jose Fonte headed home a cross from Dusan Tadic on 21 minutes. The lead was doubled on 37 when Virgil van Dijk knocked home a rebound after Sadio Mane’s cross was headed against the woodwork by Graziano Pelle. Van Dijk did appear to be offside , but the goal stood.
Foxes manager Claudio Ranieri made two changes in an effort to get Leicester back into the game, Nathan Dyer and Riyad Mahrez replacing Jeff Schlupp, injured, and Shinji Okazaki.
Mane almost made it 3-0 but was denied by a fine tackle from Danny Simpson. Mahrez then fired wide before Vardy buried a Dyer cross. He somehow then missed a sitter, and placing a downward header straight at Kelvin Davis in the Saints goal. But when Davis kicked the ball, he scuffed it straight to Mahrez, who found Vardy to equalise.
West Brom 1-0 Sunderland
New Sunderland manager Sam Allardyce took charge of the Black Cats for the first time, and it ended as most of their games have so far: in defeat.
Defender Billy Jones had an early chance to put them in front at the Hawthorns, but it was tipped over smartly by Boaz Myhill. They had only one other real chance, Yann M’Vila shot, Myhill spilled before Jonny Evans cleared.
Stephane Sessegnon made his first league start since April for the Baggies, and he fired over from just outside the box. The only goal came on 54 minutes, and summed up Sunderland’s season. Chris Brunt floated a cross which was spilled by Costel Pantilimon, under pressure from Saido Berahino. The ball landed on Berahino’s arm, and he back-heeled before poking home.
Watford 0-3 Arsenal
Three goals in twelve second-half minutes saw Arsenal take second place in the table as they won at Vicarage Road.
Watford’s Troy Deeney stung the palms of Petr Cech early on, and he crossed for Odion Ighalo, denied from reaching the ross by Laurent Koscielny. Ighalo then shot wide after a through ball by Ikechi Anya.
Arsenal didn’t panic, and on 62 minutes, the deadlock was broken. Nathan Ake challenged Mesut Ozil, the ball broke to Alexis Sanchez who fired home. It was his tenth goal in his last six games for club and country for the Chilean forward. Substitute Olivier Giroud doubled the lead after being played through by Ozil. And on 74 minutes Aaron Ramsey netted his first club goal since may from Hector Bellerin’s pass.
Newcastle United 6-2 Norwich City
Newcastle gained their first league win of the season in convincing fashion, brushing aside Norwich at St James’ Park.
The first of five first-half goals was scored by Giorginio Wijnaldum, after a through ball from Moussa Sissoko. Robbie Brady hit the post for the Canaries, before Martin Olsson crossed for Dieumerci Mbokani to score his first Norwich goal. Sissoko set up Wijnaldum again to put Newcastle back in front, before Ayoze Perez made it 3-1, firing home his own rebound after an Olsson block. England Under-21 star Nathan Redmond pulled one back from an Olsson cross.
The second-half started with Wijnaldum heading a Sebastien Bassong header off the line, before Newcastle scored again. Sissoko and Perez interchanged passes, before the former lofted it to Aleksandar Mitrovic, who made it 4-2. Wijnaldum headed in number five, despite two teammates in an offside position from a Janmaat cross. Redmond then hit the post for Norwich, before Wijnaldum scored Newcastle’s sixth.
by Steve Osborne @BlizzardSteve75
