RIYADH: After a statement 3-0 home victory over Al-Ahli at Kingdom Arena on Tuesday, few expected Al-Hilal to struggle in their follow-up Saudi Pro League game, an away clash with Al-Shabab. In the event, it was a slower-paced performance from Simone Inzaghi’s side, but one that did indeed secure the three points to keep their perfect start to the season intact after five games. After scoring on his club debut on Tuesday, Ollie Watkins failed to make much of an impression during his first full start for Al-Hilal, drawing a blank in a game in which the Blues registered a combined “expected goals” statistic of 3.54. Gabriel Martinelli made his debut for the club, coming on in the 68th minute, and almost scored with his first touch, only for Al-Shabab goalkeeper Mory Diaw to get a hand to the ball and deny him. Crysencio Summerville was Al-Hilal’s greatest threat in possession, providing options to overcome Al-Shabab’s 4-4-2 defensive block. Yet it was not the trio of new signings that delivered the three points in the end, but the old guard. Sergej Milinkovic-Savic broke the deadlock in the 53rd minute after Ruben Neves threaded a ball over the Al-Shabab defense to right-back Mohammed Mahzari. He played a low cross to the Serbian, who was unmarked at the edge of the six-yard box and finished the move for the opener. Al-Shabab threatened mainly through Yannick Carrasco, but not enough for Thomas Letsch’s side to pose any meaningful threat to the visitors. Their best chance came in the fourth minute when Carrasco surged from his own half toward goal, but his tame shot that followed was an easy save for Yassine Bounou. Though they secured the victory, Al-Hilal will feel they should have had more from the game, as the expected goals figure suggests. In the 16th minute, a wonderful exchange between Milinkovic-Savic and Mohammed Kanno almost produced one of the best goals of the season: A Mahzari pass found Kanno, he lobbed the ball to Milinkovic-Savic who backheeled it on the volley back to the oncoming Kanno, but his powerful effort struck the outside of the post. Just after the hour mark, Kalidou Koulibaly failed to convert a gilt-edged chance to put the game to bed; a corner resulted in a Milinkovic-Savic header at the far post that hit the woodwork before bouncing to the Senegalese defender, who headed narrowly wide of an open net. Al-Hilal did eventually seal the victory in the 87th minute after a curled Summerville shot from the edge of the box hit the hand of Mohammed Al-Thani and the referee pointed to the spot. Neves stepped up and converted, despite Diaw getting a touch on the ball. The victory moved Al-Hilal clear at the top of the table with a maximum 15 points, three ahead of Al-Nassr, who have a game in hand, and Al-Qadsiah, who do not. Over in Jeddah, all eyes were on Al-Ahli and how they would respond after the confirmed departure of controversial sporting director Rui Pedro Braz a day earlier. A home tie against Mauricio Dulac’s Al-Riyadh was perhaps not the sternest of tests, though Al-Riyadh did almost take the lead — twice — before ultimately falling to a 5-0 thrashing. Leandro Antunes gave Al-Ahli that early scare, first with a long-range free-kick in the fourth minute that forced a save from Edouard Mendy, and then by rattling the crossbar in the eighth. After Al-Ahli settled, however, there was no looking back. With left-back Zakaria Hawsawi being rested, Saad Balobaid seized his opportunity by contributing to all three first-half goals. In the 16th minute, he was fouled in the box to earn the penalty that Ivan Toney converted for the opener. In the 43rd minute, Balobaid delivered a deft lifted ball into the box for the incoming Eduard Spertsyan, who placed the ball perfectly into the far corner with the outside of his foot despite receiving it under pressure. And on the stroke of half-time, Balobaid sent a low cross to Francisco Trincao, who put the ball past Milan Borjan for Al-Ahli’s third. New signing Artem Bondarenko, who has had a torrid start to his Al-Hilal career, was booed by his own fans at halftime, prompting teammates Toney and Roger Ibanez to gesture to the supporters, urging them to lay off. Bondarenko almost opened his account for the club when he was sent clear on goal in the second half, only to be brought down for a penalty. Toney converted with a Panenka for his second of the night, and Naif Masoud completed the rout with a powerful low drive from range in the 87th minute, his first goal for the club. Arthur Papas’ Al-Ettifaq secured a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Abha. Khalid Al-Ghannam’s cross in the 80th minute found Mousa Dembele, whose header rattled the post before bouncing off goalkeeper Donovan Leon and rolling into the net. The action on Saturday includes one of the season’s most-anticipated fixtures, as Al-Ittihad host Al-Nassr in Jeddah at 9 p.m. Al-Faisaly face visitors Al-Hazem and Al-Taawoun are at home to Al-Fateh earlier in the evening.