LONDON: Liverpool recovered from a shock Newcastle opener to open up a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League with a 3-1 win at Anfield, as Tottenham and Chelsea bounced back to form with big wins on Saturday.
Tammy Abraham’s sensational form continued as the English forward scored a hat-trick as Chelsea romped to a 5-2 win at Wolves.
Spurs were 4-0 up by half-time against Crystal Palace to record just their second win of the season as Son Heung-min scored twice, while Erik Lamela and an own goal from Patrick van Aanholt rounded off the scoring on a miserable day for the Eagles.
An injury-hit Manchester United also coped without Paul Pogba to inflict Leicester’s first defeat of the season as Marcus Rashford scored the only goal from the penalty spot in a 1-0 win at Old Trafford.
United join Tottenham and Chelsea on eight points from five games, but Liverpool protected the only 100 percent record in the league by reacting to a slow start in style.
Manchester City can close the gap at the top to two points with victory later on Saturday at Norwich.
Jetro Willems fired Newcastle in front on seven minutes to leave the European champions trailing at Anfield for the first time since March.
Sadio Mane fired into the top corner to start the revival, but it was the introduction of Roberto Firmino off the bench for the injured Divock Origi that truly turned the tide in Liverpool’s favor.
The Brazilian’s through ball was spilled by Martin Dubravka to allow Mane a simple task for his second just before half-time, and another brilliant Firmino flick teed up Salah to seal the points 18 minutes from time.
“I started enjoying after 25 minutes, around about when we arrived finally in the game,” said Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
“Second-half we scored only one goal, but we played really good football and I liked it a lot.”
Frank Lampard has endured a difficult start on his return to Stamford Bridge as manager, but he enjoyed his finest day so far in charge of the Blues with his faith in youth again fully vindicated.
Fikayo Tomori, 21, fired the visitors in front at Molineux with his first goal for the club before Abraham took over to take his tally to seven in his last three games with three brilliant finishes from close range.
“All three goals were so different, it just shows what he can do,” said Lampard.
“I am so delighted for him. I know how hard the academy works and Tammy has an enthusiasm to score goals. He has a fantastic approach to the game and how he wants to progress.”
Abraham’s busy afternoon was not over as he then turned into his own net and Patrick Cutrone cut Wolves’ deficit to two before Mason Mount rounded off the scoring for Chelsea late on.
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino hoped that the end of the European transfer window would settle his squad and the Champions League finalists looked more like their old selves by tearing apart Palace from the off.
Son was the star as the South Korean opened the scoring then finished off a fine team move by volleying home Serge Aurier’s cross after Van Aanholt deflected a cross into his own net.
“I think the players deserve more than three points today,” said Son.
Harry Kane was unable to build on his goalscoring form for England, but did play a part in the fourth as his cross was turned home by Lamela.
United had to suffer far more for just a second win in 10 league matches.
Rashford shrugged off his recent miss from the spot in defeat to Palace to convert a penalty on eight minutes after he had been brought down by Caglar Soyuncu.
“We hung in there. It was the first time this season where we have had to defend for large periods,” said United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
“We have dominated the other games but today we saw a team that could defend in their own half.
Brighton edged out Burnley 1-0 at the Amex thanks to Neil Maupay’s winner early in the second-half.
Southampton were also 1-0 victors at Sheffield United courtesy of a brilliant strike from Moussa Djenepo.
Liverpool stretch Premier League lead, Chelsea, Tottenham hit form
Liverpool stretch Premier League lead, Chelsea, Tottenham hit form
- Tammy Abraham scored a hat-trick as Chelsea romped to a 5-2 win at Wolves
- Spurs were 4-0 up by half-time against Crystal Palace to record just their second win of the season
Real Madrid edge Valencia to stay on Barca’s tail, Atletico slump
- After Spanish champions Barca had beaten Mallorca on Saturday, Alvaro Arbeloa’s Madrid eked out a tight victory at Mestalla to keep the pressure on their arch-rivals
BARCELONA: Kylian Mbappe scored his 23rd goal of the season in La Liga to help Real Madrid claim a battling 2-0 win at Valencia on Sunday and close the gap to leaders Barcelona to one point.
Third-place Atletico Madrid slumped to a 1-0 defeat at home to Real Betis, three days after thrashing the Andalusian side in the Copa del Rey, falling further away from the top two.
After Spanish champions Barca had beaten Mallorca on Saturday, Alvaro Arbeloa’s Madrid eked out a tight victory at Mestalla to keep the pressure on their arch-rivals.
Missing suspended forward Vinicius Junior and injured midfielder Jude Bellingham, Los Blancos lacked sparkle but did enough to claim three points on Spain’s east coast.
Alvaro Carreras put the visitors ahead midway through the second half and Mbappe struck late on to seal their win.
“It was going to be a game where we had to have a lot of patience. I think it was a win that came because of how solid we were, and our focussed performance,” said Arbeloa.
“I think that we were fair winners.”
England international Trent Alexander-Arnold made his return after injury as a substitute in the second half of Madrid’s victory.
Arda Guler and Mbappe had chances in the first half, while Madrid right-back David Jimenez, from the club’s youth academy, came closest to scoring but was denied by goalkeeper Stole Dimitrievski.
Midway through the second half, Carreras conjured a goal out of nothing to give Madrid the lead.
Coming in from the left, the defender used his weaker right foot to stroke the ball inside Dimitrievski’s near post.
Valencia might have levelled but Lucas Beltran’s effort on the stretch clipped the post.
Madrid eventually secured the three points in stoppage time as Brahim Diaz teed up La Liga’s top scorer Mbappe to finish from close range.
“Right now he’s the best player in the world, for what he’s showing day after day and game after game,” said Arbeloa, who reiterated that Mbappe could live up to his boyhood idol Cristiano Ronaldo’s legacy at Real Madrid.
“As I’ve said before, it seemed like Cristiano was something alien, impossible to equal, and that nobody would get close, but Kylian is on a good path... it’s not easy, obviously, but if anyone can, it’s Kylian.”
Valencia’s fans, some of whom had waved white handkerchieves during the match in protest at the club’s situation, headed for the exits with Los Che 17th, one point above the drop zone.
“It’s normal that (the fans) are nervous, I would be too,” admitted Valencia captain Jose Gaya to DAZN.
Revenge mission
Antony’s first-half strike helped Betis win at Atletico, earning his side revenge for their cup mauling, and leaving Atletico 13 points behind leaders Barcelona.
Betis, fifth, continued their push toward the top four, now trailing fourth-placed Villarreal by four points, although they have played two more matches than the Yellow Submarine.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico waltzed into the Copa del Rey semifinals with a hefty 5-0 win at Betis on Thursday, but this was a far closer affair at Atletico’s Metropolitano stadium.
“It’s a tough defeat to take after the great game we had in the cup. We weren’t as good as the other day,” admitted Atletico captain Koke to Movistar.
“They set up a lot tighter at the back... We had very few chances and they played a great game.”
Betis coach Manuel Pellegrini made five changes to the team which crumbled at home and his side were determined to prove a point in the Spanish capital.
“I’m very happy for the goal and even more so for the victory — it’s been a very difficult week,” said Antony, who curled home after 28 minutes, beating Jan Oblak at his near post.
“We had to change, there was no other option... we’re sorry (to the fans) for the game in the cup.”
Atletico had the ball in Betis’s net with 15 minutes to go when Diego Llorente headed Giuliano Simeone’s cross into his own net, but Antoine Griezmann was judged to be fractionally offside and interfering with play.
Elsewhere, Athletic Bilbao beat Levante 4-2, Sevilla and Girona shared a 1-1 draw, and Getafe won 2-0 at Alaves.
