Brentford - Everton 1-1
Looking to continue their strong start to the season, Brentford created a flurry of early chances in the opening twenty minutes in search of a lead. The best chance came on the 20 minute mark, when Mathias Jensen picked up possession 20 yards from goal and hit a low, fizzing effort to the far post that beat Pickford in the Everton net, but not the frame of the goal.
However, the Toffees opened the scoring against the run of play only a few minutes later, punishing the home side for not taking their chances. Despite being strongly linked with a move away from the club, Anthony Gordon was in the starting lineup for Everton and rewarded his manager by collecting a Conor Coady long ball and slotting home for the opening goal of the match.
Everton continued to hold on to their lead in the second interval, and saw the woodwork come to their rescue for a third time in the game when an acrobatic Christian Norgaard strike hit the crossbar before being collected by Pickford. However, the Bees finally cracked the Toffee’s rearguard from a set piece with just six minutes left in the proceedings thanks to Vitaly Janelt stabbing home at the back post after the ball was flicked on by Keane Lewis-Potter, seeing the home side snatch a much-deserved point.
Sitting in the top half of the table after four Premier League games will be taken as a roaring success for the West Londoners after gaining promotion to the top-tier only two seasons ago.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Anthony Gordon (Everton)
Brighton - Leeds 1-0
Both sides went into the match with the same record, with two wins and one draw, as they were looking to continue their positive start to the season. The Seagulls started the brightest, dominating possession but couldn’t turn that into goalscoring opportunities.
The home side continued to dominate throughout the first half and would have been disappointed to go into half time without a goal as Adam Webster missed two great opportunities but headed wide on both occasions. Leandro Trossard also had chances to break the deadlock but was denied by great, last-ditch defending by the Leeds defence.
The second half was more of the same as Brighton completely dominated Jesse Marsch’s Leeds United, but continued to miss their chances. Solly March found himself through on goal with just the goalkeeper to beat, but his shot was hit straight at Illan Meslier.
The deadlock was finally broken and Brighton’s dominance finally paid dividends just after the hour mark when Pascal Gross was picked out by Trossard and he drilled the ball into the bottom corner. The celebrations were put on hold briefly for a VAR check for offside, but after the review, the goal stood.
Rodrigo had two efforts on goal for the away side but Robert Sanchez was relatively untroubled in a one-sided affair at the Amex Stadium. Marsch was visibly frustrated by his side’s performance as he received a yellow card for angrily throwing the ball. Graham Potter’s side saw out the victory with ease, as their defence stood firm to continue their unbeaten start to the season.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Pascal Gross (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Chelsea - Leicester 2-1
Chelsea exuded confidence from the outset, knowing well that only a victory could lift them into the top half of the table. Leicester goalkeeper Danny Ward was first forced into a superb point-blank save by Ruben Loftus-Cheek, before the versatile midfielder’s penalty appeal was turned down for offside in the build-up play following a VAR review.
The game then unexpectedly turned on its head midway through the half. Conor Gallagher was shown two yellow cards in the space of five minutes, with his second arriving on the back of a cynical challenge on Harvey Barnes.
As one of the five Premier League sides yet to win a match so far this season, the Foxes came close to conceding the opener following Reece James’ thunderous rebound strike that rattled the crossbar. Chances came far and few between for Leicester, who despite being a man up, could rarely carve out a clear-cut opportunity before the break.
Brendan Rodgers’ men were made to regret their missed chances immediately after the restart. An edge-of-the-box shot by Sterling saw the ball go in via a wicked deflection, as the former Manchester City man celebrated his first Blues goal.
He almost doubled his tally minutes later, but a fantastic toe-poke save by Ward temporarily denied Sterling another moment of glory. The enigmatic forward didn’t have to wait long for his second though, getting on the end of an exquisite cross to convert just after the hour mark.
However, in the blink of an eye, Chelsea’s buffer was halved in the 67th minute, when Barnes picked up a ball on the left wing and displayed brilliant composure to fire a superb finish past Edouard Mendy.
Jamie Vardy tested the Blues' backline time and again, but Mendy’s heroics coupled with Leicester’s own shortcomings meant the Foxes couldn’t find the equaliser, adding more frustration as they remain winless this term. Meanwhile, a spirited performance by Chelsea means they are now unbeaten in five successive home games.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Raheem Sterling (Chelsea FC)
Liverpool - Bournemouth 9-0
It was a blistering start by Liverpool, who came into the matchday still in the hunt for their first win of the season. After creating a flurry of chances in the opening minutes, Luis Díaz was picked out by Roberto Firmino, and headed home with aplomb to open the scoring within five minutes.
It quickly got worse for Bournemouth however, as Harvey Elliot collected a loose ball on the edge of the box and curled a stunning strike into the back of the net to double the lead only three minutes later.
The potential final nail in the Bournemouth coffin came with only 30 minutes gone, when Trent Alexander-Arnold picked up the ball in space 30 yards from goal and arrowed home a stunning strike into the top corner, finally setting Anfield alight after a disappointing start to the season.
A few moments later, Mo Salah picked out Firmino on the penalty spot, who stabbed home for his first goal at Anfield in two years, and a fourth on the day for the Reds. A Virgil van Dijk header made it five on the stroke of half time, showing that perhaps Liverpool’s stuttering start to the season was just a flash in the pan.
It only took one second-half minute for Liverpool to find their sixth, as Chris Mepham put the ball into his own net in an effort to keep out Diaz who was streaking in behind him, adding salt to the gaping Cherries wound. Firmino scored his second on the day just shy of the hour mark, and put himself into the Liverpool history books with his 100th career strike for the club.
Late goals from Fabio Carvalho and Luis Diaz for Liverpool’s eighth and ninth was the icing on the cake for the home crowd - delivering Bournemouth a third straight loss - with an aggregate score in those three games of 16-0.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Roberto Firmino (Liverpool)
Manchester City - Crystal Palace 4-2
In the absence of Wilfried Zaha, Patrick Vieira was on the search for a new talisman to take the Champions down. Eberechi Eze was the architect of their goal at Anfield, and he created a quick-fire opener for the Eagles in fortuitous circumstances. His free-kick from the right was deflected off both Kyle Walker and John Stones before eventually finding its way past a stranded Ederson.
The game settled into a more predictable pattern, with Guardiola’s men controlling possession and waiting for openings. There was nothing to unduly stress Vicente Guaita though, and Palace punished the hosts’ lack of cutting edge by doubling their advantage.
Eze was again the provider, whipping in a glorious corner that was met by the completely unmarked Joachim Andersen, who found the bottom corner with a powerful header.
City have now fallen two goals behind in four of their last six Premier League games, but did come from behind to salvage a result in each of the previous three, including against Newcastle United last time out. Within 10 minutes of the restart, the magic trick appeared to be repeating itself. Bernardo Silva cut in from the right, before his tame shot was deflected by Jeffrey Schlupp into the back of the net.
The hosts’ pressure was relentless and the equaliser came just after the hour-mark. Phil Foden’s cross from the left was steered home by the head of Erling Haaland, who scored his first goal in front of the home crowd at the Etihad.
Another remarkable comeback was restored with a sensational piece of play inside the area. Intricate link-up between Julian Alvarez and Silva teed up Stones, but the defender dragged his shot. To his relief, his effort landed straight to Haaland to tap in, scoring his second within 10 minutes of his first.
With City the only side in the league yet to concede after the 60th minute, it came as little surprise that Palace failed to stage their own turnaround.
Haaland put the game beyond doubt, completing his hat-trick after shrugging off Joel Ward to slot home his third. The Cityzens temporarily return to the Premier League summit, as they aim to become only the second side to win the title in three consecutive seasons.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
