What an exciting weekend of soccer, unless you’re Watford, who got demolished 8-0 by reigning champions Manchester City. We saw multiple shock defeats, 32 goals, 38 yellows and 2 reds.
This weekend proved the best thing about soccer is that you never know what’s going to happen.
Friday
Southampton v AFC Bournemouth
1-3
Bournemouth survived a second-half fightback from Southampton to record their first victory ever at Southampton.
Nathan Ake opened the scoring with a header from Diego Rico‘s corner, before Harry Wilson doubled the lead after Joshua King had his goal ruled out by VAR for offside.
James Ward-Prowse gave the home side hope with a 53rd minute penalty after Steve Cook‘s clumsy challenge on Che Adams, but Callum Wilson wrapped up the game with virtually the last kick after a horrendous error at the back from the Saints left the England striker with an empty net.
Up Next:
League Cup
Portsmouth v Southampton – Tuesday, September 24 (2:45pm)
Burton Albion v Bournemouth – Wednesday, September 25 (2:45pm)
Premier League
Spurs v Southampton – Saturday, September 28 (10am)
Bournemouth v West Ham – Saturday, September 28 (10am)
Saturday
Leicester City v Tottenham Hotspur
2-1
James Maddison‘s first league goal of the season helped Leicester come from behind to beat Spurs 2-1 in an entertaining encounter at the King Power Stadium.
The England midfielder drilled a superb low effort into the far corner from distance, lifting Brendan Rodgers‘ Foxes back in to the top four, if only for a moment, at their visitors’ expense.
Harry Kane scored his fourth league goal of the season to give Spurs a first half lead, the England captain slotted Son Heung-min‘s clever click beyond Kasper Schmeichel despite falling to the ground at the same time.
Ricardo Pereira then put the Foxes back on level, moments after Tottenham had been denied a second goal when Serge Aurier‘s low drive was disallowed for a marginal offside call against Son.
The hosts also had a goal ruled out by VAR for offside – Wilfred Ndidi thought he’d opened the scoring on the rebound after Paulo Gazzaniga spilled Youri Tielemans‘ effort.
Up Next:
League Cup
Luton Town v Leicester – Tuesday, September 24 (2:45pm)
Colchester United v Spurs – Tuesday, September 24 (2:45pm)
Premier League
Leicester v Newcastle – Sunday, September 29 (11:30am)
Spurs v Southampton – Saturday, September 28 (10am)
Burnley v Norwich City
2-0
A double from Chris Wood inside four first half minutes helped Burnley to a comfortable win over Norwich at Turf Moor. His goals ensured the Clarets recorded their first victory since opening day.
In the first half, which saw Norwich almost constantly playing themselves into trouble at the back, Wood capitalized on some lazy marking to head the hosts in front from an Ashley Westwood corner.
The forward, who had to wait until November for his first league goal last season, doubled Burnley’s lead four minutes later, stroking Dwight McNeil‘s cross into the roof of the net from five yards out.
Alex Tettey‘s having to leave the game in the first half due to injury, topped a bad day for the Canaries, who started the day without a handful of first-team regulars.
Norwich sit 16th with six points, two spots above the relegation zone.
Up Next:
Premier League
Villa v Burnley – Saturday, September 28 (10am)
Palace v Norwich – Saturday, September 28 (10am)
Everton v Sheffield United
0-2
Sheffield United got their first road victory of their return to the Premier League as an own goal from Yerry Mina and a late strike from Lys Mousset condemned the Toffees to a defeat at Goodison Park.
Everton had won their first two home games this season and dominated large periods of the game as they looked to bounce back from defeat at Bournemouth. However, they fell behind five minutes before the break when Oliver Norwood‘s corner deflected off Mina into the back of the net.
The Blades withstood tremendous pressure as the hosts tried to rescue something from the game, and although Bernard had a penalty appeal waved off, Everton struggled to find a way through a resolute visiting defense.
Substitute Mousset raced through before calming slotting past Jordan Pickford for his first goal for the club, ensuring Chris Wilder‘s side left with all three points.
The win sees the Yorkshire club in 10th, four clear of the relegation zone. Everton, who were booed at the final whistle, sit 14th with six points.
Up Next:
League Cup
Sheffield Wednesday v Everton – Tuesday, September 24 (2:45pm)
Sheffield United v Sunderland – Wednesday, September 25 (2:45pm)
Premier League
Everton v Man City – Saturday, September 28 (12:30pm)
Sheffield v Liverpool – Saturday, September 28 (7:30am)
Manchester City v Watford
8-0
Five goals in the first 18 minutes set Manchester City on course as they tore apart a woeful Watford side, cutting Liverpool’s lead at the top of the table to two points for 24 hours.
The reigning champions had already bounced back from last weekend’s humbling defeat at Norwich with a clinical Champions League win at Shakhtar Donetsk midweek, but this game was a timely reminder of their ruthlessness and attacking power.
Three of the eight goals belonged to Bernardo Silva – the others coming from David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Riyad Mahrez, Nicolas Otamendi and Kevin de Bruyne. It was Man City’s biggest win since Pep Guardiola took charge in 2016. Silva‘s goal after 52 seconds was the quickest in the league this season.
The thumping win ties for the second highest scoreline in the Premier League era. The record is held by arch rivals Manchester United, who defeated Ipswich Town 9-0 on March 4, 1995.
Manchester City become only the seventh team to win a top-flight game by an eight goal margin in the modern era.
Up Next:
League Cup
Preston North End v Man City – Tuesday, September 24 (2:45pm)
Watford v Swansea City – Tuesday, September 24 (2:45pm)
Premier League
Everton v Man City – Saturday, September 28 (12:30pm)
Wolves v Watford – Saturday, September 28 (10am)
Newcastle United v Brighton & Hove Albion
0-0
League strugglers Newcastle and Brighton played out a relatively boring draw which does neither side many favors in trying to stay above the relegation zone.
The Seagulls dominated and went closest through Aaron Connolly‘s chip which was cleared off the line by a Fabian Schar overhead kick.
It was yet another disappointing day for Newcastle, who put on a poor show in front of a far-from-full St James’ Park. The only excitement for fans of the Magpies was seeing Andy Carroll come on for his first game for the club since December 2010. The injury-plagued forward, who’s played for Liverpool and West Ham since then, failed to have a single chance in his 10 minutes on the pitch.
Up Next:
League Cup
Brighton v Villa – Wednesday, September 25 (2:45pm)
Premier League
Leicester v Newcastle – Saturday, September 28 (11:30am)
Chelsea v Brighton – Saturday, September 28 (10am)
Sunday
Crystal Palace v Wolverhampton Wanderers
1-1
Wolves head coach Nuno Espirito Santo believes his team’s dramatic draw is the “starting point” for their Premier League recovery.
10-man Wolves looked set for a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions until Diogo Jota‘s stoppage-time goal rescued a point.
Despite the point earned, they remain 19th and winless after six league matches but the nature of their fightback – completed in the 96th minute – was made more astonishing due to Romain Saiss‘s dismissal for two yellow cards.
For the majority of the meeting the hosts lead through Leander Dendoncker‘s own goal, with the Belgian midfielder unfortunately diverting Joel Ward‘s wayward shot past Rui Patricio.
The late equalizer, coming from Wilfried Zaha‘s failure to maintain possession for Palace, denied Roy Hodgson‘s side a fourth win in five against Wolverhampton. A win could have moved them into the top six, but they’ll have to settle for 12th.
Up Next:
League Cup
Wolves v Reading – Wednesday, September 25 (2:45pm)
Premier League
Palace v Norwich – Saturday, September 28 (10am)
Wolves v Watford – Saturday, September 28 (10am)
West Ham United v Manchester United
2-0
Goals from Andriy Yarmolenko and Aaron Cresswell earned West Ham their second successive home victory over Manchester United, who lost star Marcus Rashford with a groin injury in the second half.
Yarmolenko opened the scoring just before the break, sending a low finish past David de Gea following a patient build up involving Mark Noble and Felipe Anderson.
Cresswell sealed all three points for the Hammers in the second half with his first goal in 18 months, a superb free-kick into the top right-hand corner.
Juan Mata should have leveled for the visitors two minutes after the break but failed to find the target – an open goal – after connecting with Andreas Pereira‘s low cross.
The result lifts the hosts above the Red Devils into fifth, whilst Ole Gunnar Solskjær‘s side remain three points off the top four and without a league win on road win since February.
Up Next:
League Cup
Oxford United v West Ham – Wednesday, September 25 (2:45pm)
Man United v Rochdale – Wednesday, September 25 (3pm)
Premier League
Bournemouth v West Ham – Saturday, September 28 (10am)
United v Arsenal – Monday, September 30 (3pm)
Arsenal v Aston Villa
3-2
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang‘s stunning free kick helped 10-man Arsenal come from behind to defeat Aston Villa in an exciting encounter at Emirates Stadium.
The Gabonese curled home his seventh goal of the season with six minutes remaining to complete a remarkable comeback for the Gunners, who saw Ainsley Maitland-Niles sent off in the first half (41st minute).
John McGinn flicked home Anwar El Ghazi‘s cross to put the visitors ahead after 20 minutes before Maitland-Niles was shown a second yellow.
Nicolas Pepe scored his first goal for Arsenal from the penalty spot to level early in the second, only for Wesley to restore Villa’s lead from a Jack Grealish cross less than two minutes later.
In a thrilling conclusion, substitue Calum Chambers scored from close range to bring the hosts level in the 81st minute, before Aubameyang‘s late strike secured their third league win of the season, lifting Unai Emery‘s side back into the top four.
The final result was harsh on Villa, who impressed for long periods but paid the price for dropping too deep in the closing stages and inviting pressure from their hosts. A fourth defeat in six league games means they remain in the relegation zone.
Up Next:
League Cup
Arsenal v Nottingham Forest – Tuesday, September 24 (2:45pm)
Brighton v Villa – Wednesday, September 25 (2:45pm)
Premier League
United v Arsenal – Monday, September 30 (3pm)
Villa v Burnley – Saturday, September 28 (10am)
Chelsea v Liverpool
1-2
The Reds retained their five-point lead atop the table as they became the first team to win their opening six Premier League games in successive season with a fiercely-fought win at Stamford Bridge.
Jurgen Klopp‘s side looked on course for a comfortable win as Trent Alexander-Arnold‘s magnificent free-kick and Roberto Firmino‘s header gave them complete control heading in to the break.
Chelsea, who had been denied an equalizer when VAR ruled out Cesar Azpilicueta‘s close-range effort for offside, were in no mood to lay down and take it, making Liverpool fight every moment of the second half to maintain their perfect record.
Tammy Abraham had chances to increase his tally of seven goals this season, coming closest when denied by Liverpool keeper Adrian after being clean through on goal in the first half. It was actually N’Golo Kante who set up the grandstand finish with a superb strike with 19 minutes left on the clock.
Liverpool managed to hold on, surviving missed chances from Michy Batshuayi and Mason Mount, to produce an instant response to title rival Manchester City’s 8-0 hammering of Watford on Saturday.
Up Next:
League Cup
Chelsea v Grimsby Town – Wednesday, September 25 (2:45pm)
Milton Keynes Dons v Liverpool – Wednesday, September 25 (2:45pm)
Premier League
Chelsea v Brighton – Saturday, September 28 (10am)
Sheffield v Liverpool – Saturday, September 28 (7:30am)
ALL TIMES U.S. EASTERN
Artistry of Sport 
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