LIVERPOOL, England (Reuters) – Liverpool dropped more points as a feisty Merseyside derby ended 0-0 at winless Everton on Saturday but Tottenham Hotspur maintained their fast start to the Premier League season with Harry Kane sealing a 2-1 victory over Fulham.
Liverpool had 23 goal attempts but could find no way through at Goodison Park where both sides hit the woodwork and Everton were denied a winner by a VAR decision.
Juergen Klopp’s side have nine points from a possible 18 and with champions Manchester City in action later on Saturday against Aston villa they are alarmingly off the pace.
Leaders Arsenal, who have a maximum 15 points from five games, are at resurgent Manchester United on Sunday.
“Rule number one: if you cannot win the derby, don’t lose it. We could have won it today but we could have lost it in a few moments as well,” Klopp said.
Chelsea hit back to beat West Ham United 2-1 at Stamford Bridge with goals from substitutes Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz cancelling out Michail Antonio’s opener.
But West Ham were left seething when an equaliser by Maxwel Cornet in the dying moments was ruled out after a VAR check ruled that Jarrod Bowen had fouled Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy.
Newcastle United also felt aggrieved as they had a goal chalked off following a VAR decision in a 0-0 home stalemate with Crystal Palace, their fourth draw in six games.
Ivan Toney scored a stunning hat-trick for Brentford in a 5-2 mauling of Leeds United.
Wolverhampton Wanderers claimed their first win of the season as they beat Southampton 1-0 with Daniel Podence on target just before halftime.
Nottingham Forest, who signed 21 new players in the transfer window for a combined 145 million pounds ($167 million), including several on deadline day, squandered a 2-0 lead at home to Bournemouth to eventually lose 3-2 and fall into the bottom three.
CRACKING DERBY
After back-to-back home wins, Liverpool’s season appeared to be back on track and they welcomed back new signing Darwin Nunez on Saturday after his three-game ban.
Nunez was denied by the woodwork in the second half as was Luiz Diaz although Everton’s Tom Davies also struck an upright in the opening half of a derby that somehow remained goalless.
Everton keeper Jordan Pickford made several fine saves to frustrate Liverpool but the hosts thought they had grabbed the lead when Conor Coady tapped in at the far post.
With pandemonium ensuing at Goodison, the goal was ruled out for offside after a long VAR review. A cracking derby then ended with Mohamed Salah firing against the post in stoppage time.
Everton’s 12-year wait for a win over Liverpool at Goodison goes on but manager Frank Lampard took plenty of positives from the draw. “I thought we were brilliant. It’s one of the best 0-0s you’re likely to see,” said the former England midfielder.
Tottenham are enjoying their joint-best start to a Premier League campaign and maintained the pace at home to Fulham.
Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg gave Tottenham a 40th minute lead after a wave of attacks from the hosts in which Son Heung-min was denied his first goal of the season by the crossbar.
Kane doubled Tottenham’s lead in the 75th minute with a tap-in from Ryan Sessegnon’s pass — his 188th Premier League goal taking him past Andy Cole into third place on the all-time scoring list in the competition.
Aleksandar Mitrovic curled a superb reply for Fulham — his sixth goal of the season — after Richarlison was denied his first for Tottenham by the inside of a post.
“We are going to score many goals with these strikers,” Tottenham manager Antonio Conte, who started with Richarlison, Kane and Son combined for the first time, said.
Champions City held to draw by Gerrard’s Villa
BIRMINGHAM, England, Sept 3 (Reuters) – Champions Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa in the Premier League on Saturday after Erling Haaland grabbed his 10th goal in six games.
Jamaican Leon Bailey fired in a fine equaliser for Villa in the 74th minute after excellent work from Jacob Ramsey who provided a crisp, low cross which the winger curled into the top corner with a first-time left-foot finish.
Haaland had put Pep Guardiola’s side in front, five minutes into the second half, after connecting with an excellent deep cross from the right flank by Kevin De Bruyne.
The Norwegian, who had struck hat-tricks in the last two games, pulled away behind the back post and leapt to steer the ball home with a precise volley.
De Bruyne then hit the bar with a dipping free kick but Villa defended well against a wave of City attacks before Bailey struck.
Gerrard, who has admitted to feeling under pressure due to Villa’s poor start to the season, threw on Philippe Coutinho and the Brazilian had the ball in the net only to see the flag raised for offside.
No VAR review was possible for that effort, but replays suggested Coutinho may have been in an onside position and Gerrard said it had been a “legitimate goal”.
The result leaves City in second place on 14 points, one behind leaders Arsenal who face Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday.
Villa are in 17th and have four points from their opening six games but Gerrard suggested he had been rewarded for a more pragmatic approach.
“Sometimes you’ve got to put more legs in the team, sacrifice certain technical levels, you have to take some space away and people in the team who can gain the ball and move forward with speed,” said the former Liverpool midfielder.
“Very proud – the players have come together today. They put an incredible amount of effort into the game, followed instructions. City are always going to have moments and we had to ride our luck, this is what we wanted out of the game and this is the game plan we gave them,” he added.
Guardiola said City had paid the price for not being sharp enough close to goal.
“Good game. We conceded just one goal from one shot on target in 90 minutes. We were not precise in our final third touches and our simple things, especially in the first half. We had chances to score a second when the game was in our hands but we didn’t,” said the Spaniard.
Spectacular Toney hat-trick sinks Leeds United at Brentford
LONDON (Reuters) – Ivan Toney struck a sensational hat-trick to earn Brentford a thrilling 5-2 home win over Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday.
Toney sent Illan Meslier the wrong way from the penalty spot to open the scoring in the 30th minute after being fouled by Luis Sinisterra and doubled Brentford’s lead with a sublime freekick from just outside the box in the 43rd.
He completed his sixth career hat-trick in stunning style in the 58th minute, rounding Meslier and floating the ball over two defenders and into an empty net from distance after the Leeds keeper was forced to charge out to clear his lines.
“I’ve set myself a target of 30 goals this season,” said Toney, who now has five goals in six appearances this season. “Let’s see where I end up. It’s achievable. Why not?”
Sinisterra pulled a goal back for Leeds just before halftime with a fine bit of skill, but Leeds then lost their manager Jesse Marsch to a red card for arguing with the officials shortly after Toney’s third goal.
“The main thing is we gave away too many easy goals, some mistakes that led them into chances and set pieces,” Marsch said. “We have to learn from making these mistakes when we’re away from home, and we have to get better.”
Marsch introduced Patrick Bamford at halftime and the striker came close to making an instant impact, beating Ben Mee for pace down the left and forcing David Raya into making a sharp save soon after the restart.
“It’s not where we wanted to be,” Bamford said. “We can’t do what we did, which was get back in the game and then throw it away within seconds. It’s naive… we’ve got to learn quickly because you can’t get away with that.”
Marc Roca scored a second for the visitors in the 79th, but it was Brentford who had the last word when Bryan Mbeumo slotted home a minute later to restore the two-goal cushion before Yoane Wissa added the home side’s fifth in injury time.
The win moved Brentford up four places to seventh in the table, while Leeds dropped to ninth.
(Reporting by Simon Evans, Editing by Hugh Lawson and Toby Davis)
Reuters / EPA
