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LONDON (Reuters): Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Wembley on Saturday to post a fifth consecutive win at the start of the season for the first time since 1990-91 and banish the memory of last year’s London mauling by Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
Chelsea, though, have also recorded a perfect start after Eden Hazard scored a hat-trick in the 4-1 win over Cardiff City, allowing them to edge past Liverpool on goal difference at the top of the Premier League.
It is the first time in 110 years that two top-tier English teams have won their opening five games - and it would have been three had Watford beaten Manchester United but the Hornets surrendered their 100 percent record after losing 2-1 in Saturday’s late kick-off.
Liverpool’s goals came from Georginio Wijnaldum – his first away from home in the Premier League – and Roberto Firmino, who went off with an eye injury but later confirmed it was not serious.
Such was the visitors’ dominance, they could have scored half a dozen times, with Mo Salah twice going close and Tottenham’s defence always looking vulnerable until Erik Lamela’s late strike gave them hope of an unlikely point.
Liverpool held their nerve and look nothing like the team who Spurs ripped apart 4-1 last season.
“We have to show progress,” said Juergen Klopp, who said the performance was Liverpool’s best of the season.
“It was maybe our best against Tottenham in all the years I’ve been here. But only five per cent less and we would have lost. I don’t think Tottenham played bad. We were that good it was difficult for Tottenham.”
At Stamford Bridge Chelsea ran out comfortable winners despite conceding a 16th-minute Sol Bamba opener.
That was the cue for Hazard to take charge, scoring on 37, 44 and 80 minutes, the last goal coming from the penalty spot. Willian added their fourth late on to ensure Chelsea’s goal difference is marginally better than Liverpool’s at the top.
Hazard’s display drew glowing praise from Chelsea manager Maurizio Sarri, who said: “He can become maybe the best player in Europe in the next two years.”
Champions Manchester City remain two points off the pace after a routine 3-0 win over Fulham, who fell behind on two minutes to Leroy Sane and never looked capable of forcing their way back into the game. David Silva and Raheem Sterling also netted. The only worry for City was an ankle injury to Sergio Aguero.
United hit Watford with a one-two halfway through the first half with goals from Romelu Lukaku and Chris Smalling, whose left-foot volley would have done any forward proud.
Although Watford set up a tense finish with a goal from Andre Gray, United, who had Nemanja Matic sent off late on, held on to allow manager Jose Mourinho another chance to salute the fans at the final whistle.
Bournemouth sprang the surprise of the day, beating Leicester City 4-2. It was a performance to back up manager Eddie Howe’s pre-match assertion that his side, who have won three of their first five games, have closed the gap on the division’s top teams.
The match was effectively over before the break, with Ryan Fraser scoring twice and Josh King adding a third from the penalty spot. Adam Smith made it 4-0 before James Maddison and Marc Albrighton replied late on.
Leicester’s miserable afternoon was compounded by Wes Morgan’s 69th-minute dismissal – his first in four years – for a second yellow card offence.
Arsenal provided further signs that they have put their jittery start behind them by winning 2-1 at Newcastle United, who now have just one point from five games. Granit Xhaka’s excellent free kick opened the scoring with Mesut Ozil ensuring Arsenal won consecutive away league games for the first time since May 2017.
In the day’s other game, Roy Hodgson celebrated the first anniversary of his appointment as Crystal Palace manager with a 1-0 win at Huddersfield Town. The scorer, predictably enough, was Wilfried Zaha, who marked his return from injury with a stunning solo effort.
But Zaha questioned the protection he is getting from referees. “I feel like I’d have to get my leg broken for anyone to get a card,” he said.
REUTERS: Two goals in a devastating three-minute burst from Manchester United set up a 2-1 win over Watford at Vicarage Road, ending the home side’s perfect start to the season.
United, who had Nemanja Matic sent off for a second bookable offence in injury time, had an early effort from Alexis Sanchez disallowed for offside but soon took command via a scrappy 35th-minute effort from Romelu Lukaku and a superb left-foot volley from Chris Smalling three minutes later.
Smalling took Marouane Fellaini’s knockdown on his chest, swivelled and fired a superb left-foot volley past a bemused Ben Foster, who then saved well from Paul Pogba as United threatened to overrun the home side.
A fierce shot from Andre Gray on 65 minutes, following Abdoulaye Doucoure’s cut-back, ignited the second half but United held on with David de Gea saving impressively from Christian Kabasele’s header in the final seconds.
Despite the victory, United will be disappointed they allowed Watford back into a match that appeared won when Smalling’s goal went in.
“Credit to Watford,” said Lukaku. “We were too sloppy but it’s another win and we have to keep going. We had to try and score a third but we were sloppy, we have to look again at the images.”
United manager Jose Mourinho paid tribute to Lukaku.
“I think this last Romelu Lukaku tackle as a right back shows everything. I think he is the image of the team, a team that played very well in long periods in the first half.”
LOS ANGELES, AFP: Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic made history on Saturday, scoring his 500th career goal in stunning fashion, but it wasn’t enough to lift the Los Angeles Galaxy to a win over Toronto FC.
The 36-year-old Ibrahimovic has always had a flair for the dramatic and he did just that in becoming the third active footballer to reach the milestone for club and country, joining Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The six-foot-five (1.95 metre) Ibrahimovic delivered a perfectly-timed roundhouse kick in the 43th minute that fooled goalkeeper Alex Bono for his 17th goal of the season.
The goal cut the deficit to 3-1 and sparked a three-goal Galaxy rally, but the defending MLS champions held on to win 5-3 in front of a crowd of 30,700 at BMO Field in Toronto.
“I am happy for Toronto because they will be remembered as my 500th victim,” said Ibrahimovic.
Ibrahimovic came into Saturday’s game tied for second in MLS scoring. He has 17 goals and eight assists in 22 appearances with the Galaxy.
Jonathan dos Santos volleyed the ball over to the Swedish star who whipped around and tapped it home.
“I was close to the goal. It reminds me of a goal I did in Ajax,” said Ibrahimovic, who has five game winners for Los Angeles. “It came from a cross and I turned around and I hit it. I was just trying to hit the goal and it went in.” Ibrahimovic scored 62 of his goals for Sweden with the rest coming while playing for Malmo FF, Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and now the Galaxy.
Jonathan Osorio’s 75th-minute go-ahead goal halted a three-goal Galaxy comeback and helped give Toronto some much needed points in their playoff push.
Jay Chapman added an insurance goal in stoppage time with a low shot to the corner.
Ibrahimovic left Manchester United to join the Galaxy at the start of this season.
“It is an incredible achievement,” said Galaxy coach Dominic Kinnear of Ibrahimovic’s goal. “The guy is a great goal scorer and it is a memorable one for him for many reasons.” Asked if it was memorable one for the coach, Kinnear said, “In about 10 years from now.”
