LONDON, Sept. 18 — Arsenal maintained their positive start to the Premier League, securing a 1-0 victory over Everton on Sunday.
Leandro Trossard’s goal in the 69th minute, after coming on as a first-half substitute for the injured Gabriel Martinelli, was the decider in a venue where Arsenal has historically faced challenges. Martinelli had an earlier goal disallowed due to a marginal offside against Eddie Nketiah. Despite Arsenal’s dominance, Everton managed only one shot on target throughout the match.
Chelsea’s fluctuating form persisted, resulting in a 0-0 stalemate against Bournemouth. While Mauricio Pochettino’s squad saw more ball possession, both teams had comparable opportunities. Nicolas Jackson and Raheem Sterling were unfortunate as their attempts hit the post. Chelsea’s goal-scoring woes continued, marking their second consecutive game without a goal.
In Saturday’s fixtures, Manchester City continued their perfect start to the season, rallying from a deficit to defeat West Ham United. With Pep Guardiola back on the sidelines, James Ward-Prowse’s header from Vladimir Coufal’s cross gave West Ham the lead in the 36th minute. City responded at post-halftime, with Jeremy Doku equalizing in the 46th minute. Bernardo Silva and Erling Haaland added to the tally, ensuring City’s victory.
Liverpool overcame an early setback from a Hwang Hee-chan goal to beat Wolverhampton 3-1, thanks to goals from Cody Gakpo, Andrew Robertson, and an own goal by Hugo Bueno.
Manchester United’s struggles persisted as they suffered a 3-1 defeat at Old Trafford against Brighton. Ex-United player Danny Welbeck initiated the scoring for Brighton, followed by goals from Pascal Gross and Joao Pedro. Hannibal Mejbri, returning after a two-year hiatus, netted for United.
Tottenham Hotspur produced a dramatic finish, scoring twice in extra time to snatch a 2-1 victory from Sheffield United, who had taken the lead through Gustavo Hamer. The climax saw Richarlison equalize in the 98th minute, followed by Dejan Kulusevski’s winner.
At Villa Park, Aston Villa staged a late comeback against Crystal Palace, who were without their coach Rod Hodgson due to illness. Trailing from Odsonne Edouard’s goal, Villa turned the tables with goals from Jhon Duran, Douglas Luiz, and Leon Bailey.
Newcastle United halted their losing streak with a 1-0 win against Brentford, courtesy of Callum Wilson’s penalty. Wilson had a previous goal disallowed for a goalkeeper foul.
Lastly, Carlos Vinicius’s 66th-minute strike secured Fulham’s victory over Luton Town, who are yet to register a win this season. (Xinhua)
