Liverpool climbed to the top of the Premier League table on Saturday with a 2-1 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers after Manchester City dropped points for the second week in a row to slip back. City were held 1-1 at Newcastle United while Arsenal left it late to beat Leicester City 4-2, with both clubs now a point behind Arne Slot’s men.“Feels good (to be top), you want to be up there but it doesn’t tell me that much at the moment,” Slot, whose side moved to 15 points after six games, said. “If you look at Wolves they are down in the table but they played much better than that today.
“After 19 games, it’ll tell me something but not after six.”
Liverpool centre back Ibrahima Konate headed home his first ever league goal and Mohamed Salah converted a second-half penalty to restore the Reds’ lead after Rayan Ait-Nouri levelled for Wolves after some sloppy defending by Konate.
City led through Josko Gvardiol’s opener at St. James’ Park but had to be content with a 1-1 draw as Anthony Gordon levelled from the penalty spot after the break.
Arsenal, who drew 2-2 at City last weekend after conceding a last-gasp equaliser, joined Pep Guardiola’s side on 14 points from six games with City ahead on goal difference.
Chelsea have 13 points after they came from a goal down to beat Brighton & Hove Albion 4-2 on Saturday with Cole Palmer scoring all of his side’s goals in a stunning first half.
Palmer is the first player in Premier League history to score four goals before halftime.
Brighton led early on at Stamford Bridge through French forward Georginio Rutter but the 22-year-old Palmer struck an 11-minute hat-trick, including a penalty and a superb 30-metre free kick into the top corner.
Carlos Baleba pulled a goal back for Brighton almost immediately but Palmer struck again shortly before halftime from an assist by Jadon Sancho.
“I just said to Cole, he scored four but he could have scored two or three more,” Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca said. “It is important he continues to be hungry and ambitious.
“The best thing for me is that he enjoys, he loves football, he’s always in the same way and it is something fantastic.”
CITY PUNISHEDCity appeared to be coping well without midfield lynchpin Rodri, who this week was ruled out for the season with a knee injury sustained last week against Arsenal.
But they failed to build on the lead given to them by Gvardiol in the 35th minute and paid the price. Gordon went down under a challenge from City goalkeeper Ederson just before the hour mark. The forward picked himself up to dispatch the penalty, sending Ederson the wrong way.
“We had chances to score, but this is their stadium and they had chances to score, so I’m happy (with a point),” Guardiola, whose side remain unbeaten, said.
Arsenal were cruising as Gabriel Martinelli scored his first goal since March and then set up Leandro Trossard to make it 2-0 on the stroke of halftime against Leicester.
But two goals by James Justin early in the second half drew Leicester level against the odds. Arsenal sealed the win though as Trossard’s close-range shot deflected in off Wilfred Ndidi in the fourth minute of stoppage time before Kai Havertz made absolutely sure with virtually the last kick of the game.
Everton got their first win of the season and moved out of the bottom three as Dwight McNeil’s double saw them come from a 1-0 deficit to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at Goodison Park.
Brentford became the first team in Premier League history to score inside the first minute of three successive games as Bryan Mbeumo struck after 37 seconds at home to West Ham United.
But Tomas Soucek’s goal earned West Ham a 1-1 draw.
Nottingham Forest’s early-season surge was ended as they went down 1-0 at home to Fulham.
Fulham forward Raul Jimenez converted a second-half penalty to give Marco Silva’s side the points and hand the hosts their first league defeat of the season. — Reuters
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