Thursday , November 7 2024

Everton suffers first loss but remains top in Premier League

Southampton halted Everton run. Everton suffered first loss but remains top in Premier League. PHOTO EVERTON MEDIA

London, UK | XINHUA |   Everton remains top of the Premier League despite a defeat at Southampton on Sunday, which saw Carlo Ancelotti’s side lose its unbeaten record and also have defender Lucas Digne sent off.

Goals from James Ward-Prowse and Che Adams stretched Southampton’s unbeaten run to four games and lifted it up to sixth before Digne’s challenge on Kyle Walker-Peters rounded off a bad day for Everton, who suffered without the suspended Richarlison and the injured James Rodriguez.

Jamie Vardy’s 80th minute goal allowed Leicester City to complete a smash and grab win away to Arsenal and move up to fourth, just a point behind Everton.

Leicester defended deep and in numbers for much of the game and had to soak up a lot of pressure, but took a step forward in the closing minutes and was rewarded by a win as Vardy’s goalscoring instinct served them once again.

Jacob Murphy’s 89th minute free-kick earned Newcastle United a battling point away to Wolverhampton Wanderers, who had looked odds-on to take all three points after Raul Jimenez’s thumping 80th minute opener had rewarded their control of the second half against a Newcastle side unbeaten in its last seven visits to Molineux.

On Saturday, Liverpool had to dig deep to recover from a goal down in order to claim a 2-1 win at home to a spirited Sheffield United.

Jurgen Klopp’s side, with Fabinho playing in central defense, fell behind to a Sander Berge penalty in the 13th minute, but Roberto Firmino equalized four minutes before half-time after Sadio Mane’s header had been parried, and Liverpool claimed an important win when Diogo Jota flicked Mane’s cross home in the 64th minute.

Manchester City’s poor start to the season continued as it dropped two more points after being held to a 1-1 draw away to West Ham United.

Michail Antonio put West Ham ahead in the 18th minute with a stunning overhead kick, and City’s poor first-half display prompted Pep Guardiola to replace the injured Sergio Aguero with Phil Foden, who repaid his coach’s confidence when he fired home Joao Cancelo’s cross six minutes after the break.

Frank Lampard’s ploy of fielding a five-man defense killed the game as a spectacle but helped Chelsea keep a clean sheet, as defenses were on top in his side’s 0-0 draw away to Manchester United at a rain-soaked Old Trafford.

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Marcus Rashford was close to an injury-time winner but United’s best chances were frustrated by the impressive Edouard Mendy, who is quickly establishing his place in Frank Lampard’s starting 11.

Fulham remains winless after goals from Jairo Riedewald and Wilfried Zaha wrapped up the points for Crystal Palace long before Tom Cairney’s 95th minute strike for the Cottagers.

Fulham ended with 10 men after Aboubakar Kamara was sent off two minutes from time for a dangerous challenge.

Friday night saw an impressive Leeds United end Aston Villa’s 100 percent start to the season with a 3-0 win at Villa Park thanks to Patrick Bamford’s hat-trick.

The round of matches ends on Monday when Brighton entertains West Brom, and Burnley looks for its first win of the campaign at home against Tottenham.

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