Liverpool, Villa and Spurs secure crucial win as Newcastle suffer first loss

Chelsea and Manchester United struggle in Premier League; Arsenal face City today

LONDON:

Liverpool returned to winning form in the Premier League with a 3-0 victory over Bournemouth, temporarily putting Arne Slot's side top of the table on Saturday.

Luis Diaz scored twice, and Darwin Nunez netted his first league goal of the season, helping Liverpool avoid a repeat of last week's defeat by Nottingham Forest. Liverpool now have 12 points, the same as Manchester City, who face Arsenal on Sunday.

Brentford scored in the first minute for the second consecutive week but lost 3-1 to Tottenham Hotspur, with Dominic Solanke scoring his first goal for Spurs. Manchester United played to a goalless draw against Crystal Palace in the late game.

After last week's loss to Nottingham Forest ended Slot's honeymoon period, Liverpool responded strongly, winning 3-1 away at AC Milan in the Champions League before dominating Bournemouth at Anfield with three goals in 12 minutes. Slot praised his team's improvement, acknowledging Bournemouth's resilience.

Aston Villa, fresh off a Champions League win against Young Boys, secured a hard-fought 3-1 victory over Wolves. Matheus Cunha gave Wolves the lead, but Ollie Watkins equalised in the 73rd minute, followed by late goals from Ezri Konsa and Jhon Duran. Wolves remain at the bottom of the table.

Manchester United dominated the first half against Crystal Palace but failed to convert chances, with Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes both hitting the crossbar. Manager Erik ten Hag expressed frustration at the missed opportunities, believing the team dropped two points despite their strong performance.

Chelsea showed further signs of improvement as they cruised to a 3-0 win at West Ham United but Newcastle United, who could have gone top, suffered their first defeat of the season, going down 3-1 away to Fulham.

Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca became the first coach since Pep Guardiola in 2016 to win his first three Premier League away games, as his side outclassed West Ham. Nicolas Jackson scored twice, and Cole Palmer sealed the win just after halftime.

Newcastle's unbeaten start to the season ended with a 3-1 defeat at Fulham, where goals from Raul Jimenez, Emile Smith Rowe, and Reiss Nelson secured victory. Harvey Barnes scored for Newcastle, but manager Eddie Howe admitted his side's performance was lacking.

Tottenham had a slow start to the season and were shocked when Bryan Mbeumo scored for Brentford just 23 seconds into the match. However, Solanke equalised in the eighth minute, with further goals from Brennan Johnson and James Maddison ensuring Tottenham's second win of the season.