Liverpool strengthened their hold on top of the Premier League as Georginio Wijnaldum and Roberto Firmino fired them to a 2-1 victory over Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley Stadium on Saturday.
Winners of their first five league games for the first time since 1990, Liverpool returned from the international break to blank a lethargic Tottenham side that have failed to capitalise on the emotion of their 3-0 win at Manchester United on Aug. 27.
Firmino nearly set the tone after 45 seconds with a goal that was disallowed when Sadio Mane was ruled to be offside, but Liverpool struck first when Wijnaldum scored from a header in the 39th minute after goalkeeper Michel Vorm caught it behind the goal line.
They then doubled their lead in the 54th minute when Vorm failed to control the rebound after Mane's cross from the right was turned onto the post by Jan Vertonghen and Firmino poked it over the goal line.
Lamela pulled one back in added time for Spurs, who were supposed to open their new stadium with the game before it was pushed back by construction delays.
Eden Hazard's hat trick helped Chelsea remain second behind Liverpool on goal difference as they came from behind to defeat Cardiff City 4-1 at Stamford Bridge.
Sol Bamba struck first for Cardiff, finishing from close range with a volley from a set piece in the 16th minute.
But Hazard, who has scored in three consecutive games for the first time since October 2016, equalised in the 37th minute with a low drive into the corner from Olivier Giroud's pass, put Chelsea ahead six minutes later when he finished the deflection of Giroud's shot and then converted a penalty in the 80th.
Willian finished Chelsea's scoring with a curler into the top right in the 83rd minute.
A pair of second-half goals helped Arsenal stake a 2-1 win over Newcastle United at St. James' Park.
Granit Xhaka opened the scoring in the 49th minute as he curled a free kick from 30 yards out into the top right corner, and Mesut Ozil extended the lead nine minutes later when he finished the rebound of Alexandre Lacazette's blocked shot.
Newcastle pulled one back in added time when Ciaran Clark scored from a header in the 91st minute.
Leroy Sane scored in the opening minutes of his first start of the season as Manchester City cruised to a 3-0 victory over visiting Fulham.
Sane, dropped from Pep Guardiola's squad altogether in the previous game against Newcastle United, struck after 102 seconds, meeting Fernandinho's cross at the end of a three-on-two at the edge of the box and poking it past charging Fulham goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli.
David Silva doubled the lead in the 21st minute, scoring his 50th league goal in his 350th league game when he finished past Bettinelli following a deflect, and Raheem Sterling scored his third goal of the season in the 47th minute on a cross from Sergio Aguero after Ryan Sessegnon lost possession.
Ryan Fraser scored twice in the first half for Bournemouth and Josh King converted a penalty in a 4-2 victory over 10-man Leicester City at the Vitality Stadium.
Fraser scored in the 19th minute from King's assist and then doubled the lead in the 37th, running onto a through ball from Callum Wilson to finish through Kasper Schmeichel's legs.
King extended the lead in the 41st minute, sending Schmeichel the wrong way to score a penalty after Ricardo Pereira was whistled for a handball in the box.
Wes Morgan was sent off for Leicester in the 68th minute when he picked up a second yellow card for a challenge on Adam Smith, who responded by finishing from Fraser in the 81st.
James Maddison scored a penalty in the 88th minute and Marc Albrighton scored in the 89th before time ran out.
Wilfried Zaha scored in his return from injury as visiting Crystal Palace defeated Huddersfield Town 1-0.
Zaha, who missed Palace's previous game with a muscle injury, scored in the 38th minute after he dribbled down the left side and into the box, pivoted and unleashed past Florent Hadergjonaj.
Both sides had goals disallowed, with Philip Billing's equaliser ruled out in the 51st minute when Steve Mounie was penalised for a foul in the box and James Tomkins' strike was struck down in the 67th minute.
Comments
Use a Facebook account to add a comment, subject to Facebook's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Your Facebook name, photo & other personal information you make public on Facebook will appear with your comment, and may be used on ESPN's media platforms. Learn more.
Source: espn.co.uk