Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal all came through tough tests to maintain their respective Premier League title challenges on Saturday.
Diogo Jota’s goal kept Liverpool at the top of the Premier League for another week as they beat Crystal Palace 1-0 at Selhurst Park.
The Portugal international punished some poor defending to earn Arne Slot’s men a third league win on the spin.
Liverpool showed their title pedigree in south London and head into the international break in high spirits ahead of a home clash against Chelsea later this month.
Mateo Kovacic staked his claim to fill the void left by Rodri with two goals as Manchester City came from behind to beat Fulham 3-2.
The champions were stunned as Andreas Pereira fired Fulham ahead after 26 minutes of Saturday’s Premier League encounter at the Etihad Stadium and the visitors should have had more.
Past tormentor Adama Traore, scorer of three goals when Wolves did the double over City five seasons ago, was the guilty party, spurning a hatful of gilt-edged chances.
Kovacic, filling in for the injured Rodri, made them pay with a double either side of half-time and substitute Jeremy Doku secured victory with a stunning strike before a Rodrigo Muniz consolation.
Kai Havertz and Gabriel Martinelli struck in 10 second-half minutes as Arsenal came from a goal down to secure a 3-1 win against Southampton.
In the week that Bukayo Saka said he expected this season to be the one that Arsenal would beat Manchester City to the Premier League title, Mikel Arteta’s men were staring down the barrel of a shock defeat after Cameron Archer fired Southampton into the lead.
But Havertz hauled the Gunners level just three minutes later, with substitute Martinelli adding a second for the hosts after 68 minutes.
Southampton almost hit back – striking David Raya’s woodwork twice in one minute – but Saka made sure of the points with two minutes remaining on another pivotal afternoon in north London. The Gunners remain level on points with rivals’ City, and one shy of leaders’ Liverpool.
Wolves’ wait for a Premier League win this season went on as they slumped to a 5-3 defeat to Brentford at the Gtech Stadium to stay rooted to the foot of the table.
A thrilling first half in west London saw six goals scored before the break with Brentford falling agonisingly short in their bid for the unprecedented feat of notching in the first minute of four consecutive league matches.
There was one minute and 15 seconds on the clock when Nathan Collins headed Thomas Frank’s team in front, but Brentford had dropped 38 points from winning positions since the start of last season and twice Wolves pegged them back, first when Matheus Cunha blasted past Mark Flekken in the fourth minute.
A Bryan Mbeumo penalty made it 2-1, moving him behind only Erling Haaland in the league’s scoring charts, before Jorgen Strand Larsen poked home a Wolves equaliser.
Thereafter Brentford took a firmer grip. Christian Norgaard finished off an excellent passing move to make it 3-2, then on the stroke of half-time atrocious marking from Gary O’Neil’s side allowed Ethan Pinnock to head in from a corner.
Fabio Carvalho and Rayan Ait-Nouri scored for either side in stoppage time at the end of the game to lend the final score a blockbuster feel.
Jarrod Bowen bounced back from his England disappointment by scoring one goal and making two more as West Ham thumped Ipswich 4-1.
The Hammers captain was left out of Lee Carsley’s latest Nations League squad this week, but he responded with a sizzling display as his side ended their barren home run in style.
Michail Antonio, Mohammed Kudus and Lucas Paqueta were also on target as Julen Lopetegui finally celebrated a Premier League win at the London Stadium after defeats in his first three matches in charge.
The scoreline was probably harsh on Ipswich, but they remain winless on their return to the top flight despite briefly equalising through Liam Delap’s fourth goal of the season.
Facundo Buonanotte’s first-half strike fired Leicester to their first win of the Premier League season – a 1-0 victory at home to Bournemouth.
The Cherries were slick, stylish and clinical in Monday’s win against Southampton but their first-half showing against the lowly Foxes was quite the opposite.
Boss Steve Cooper pleaded for “support and energy” in his programme notes and the fans responded as Bournemouth piled the pressure on in the second half.
Evanilson headed home what he thought was his second goal in as many games but the offside flag kept Leicester in front and they held on.
Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford’s first penalty save in almost 18 months ensured Anthony Gordon endured a miserable return to Goodison Park with current club Newcastle.
Gordon was booed throughout the goalless draw following his acrimonious departure in January 2023 but had the chance to make his point 10 minutes before half-time, only to be denied by his England team-mate’s first spot-kick save in nine attempts.
It was celebrated like a last-minute winner as a first Premier League clean sheet of the season earned Everton a fifth point from the last three games, after taking none from the first four, while the joy was heightened by the identity of the taker, whose links with a summer move to Liverpool only intensified the reaction.
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