EPL PIX: Manchester City rally to down Chelsea

IMAGES from Saturday's English Premier League matches.

Manchester City returned to winning ways with a 2-1 success over Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday, ending the Londoners’ run of six straight victories and keeping Pep Guardiola’s side nine points behind leaders Liverpool.

City’s loss at Anfield before the international break made this a key game but they had to work for their three points, coming from behind against Frank Lampard’s enterprising side.

Chelsea midfielder N’Golo Kante had given the visitors the lead but a deflected strike from Kevin De Bruyne and a fine Riyad Mahrez effort put City in front before halftime.

It was a game where Chelsea showed, once again, that they are a team with huge potential but not yet the steel and defensive solidity to compete with the very best.

While City will be relieved to have emerged with the points, Guardiola will be concerned that his team still look substantially short of their top form.

The Spaniard made five changes from the loss at Liverpool with, most significantly, keeper Ederson returning from injury.

Chelsea welcomed Jorginho back into their midfield and American winger Christian Pulisic was passed fit despite having struggled with a groin injury.

Lampard’s side started brightly, bubbling with confidence and moving with such speed and invention that City were struggling to keep up but it was a move of direct simplicity that opened the scoring in the 22nd minute.

Mateo Kovacic superbly picked out Kante’s forward burst and the French midfielder held off compatriot Benjamin Mendy before smartly slipping the ball past the advancing Ederson.

But six minutes later Belgian midfielder De Bruyne got the champions level when the ball fell to him on the edge of the box and he wrongfooted the defence and unleashed a low drive which took two deflections before rattling past Kepa Arrizabalaga.

Chelsea had looked the slicker and sharper of the two teams — and indeed enjoyed the rare status of having more possession at the Etihad - but it was Guardiola’s side who went in with the advantage at the break.

Mahrez cut in from the left and, with Chelsea’s defence backing off, drove a left-foot shot into the far bottom corner.

Chelsea nearly put themselves out of the game two minutes before the break when Kepa gifted the ball to Sergio Aguero but the Argentine’s shot from distance crashed off the bar.

Inevitably there was some VAR controversy before the end, with Raheem Sterling’s stoppage-time effort ruled out for what appeared to be a very tight offside call.

The encounter was the first home match under Guardiola that City did not enjoy the majority of possession — they had just 46.7 percent.

Mourinho off to winning start at Spurs

Jose Mourinho got off to the best possible start as Tottenham Hotspur manager as his new side beat West Ham United 3-2 at London Stadium on Saturday -- their first Premier League away win in 10 months.

First-half goals from Son Heung-min and Lucas Moura and another after the break from Harry Kane -- his 175th for the club -- inflicted West Ham's fifth league defeat in seven games and piled more pressure on manager Manuel Pellegrini whose side sit close to the drop zone.

Mourinho, however, will not be happy with the way Spurs conceded two late goals as substitute Michail Antonio and Angelo Ogbonna capitalised on familiar errors in a defence that has kept just one league clean sheet all season.

After Kane had an early effort ruled out for offside, Son put the visitors ahead on 36 minutes, sweeping by Papa Diop and firing past West Ham's unconvincing keeper Roberto for his sixth goal in as many games.

Mourinho, returning to English football after 11 months, punched the air in celebration and his mood improved further before the break when an outrageous scooped pass from Dele Alli freed Son on the left.

The South Korean's inviting cross was forced home at the back post by Moura, who was one of three changes on Mourinho's first teamsheet.

Kane was completely unmarked to head home Tottenham's third on 49 minutes and move third on Spurs' list of all-time scorers, behind Jimmy Greaves (266) and Bobby Smith (208).

Substitute Antonio conjured an excellent individual effort to lift the home side on 74 minutes, with Ogbonna netting their second deep into stoppage-time after VAR had disallowed a Declan Rice effort.

But the final scoreline flattered West Ham, who looked second best for much of a game in which they made too many basic errors.

Alli admitted the Spurs players had found Mauricio Pochettino's sudden departure last week difficult to deal with.

"It's been a very tough week for us emotionally," he said.

"We’ve spent a long time with Pochettino and we were very sad but we had a job to do. We had to go out for the fans and try and stay as positive as we can."

Alli justified Mourinho's faith with a fine performance and was hugged warmly by his manager as he left the field.

"I think I have been performing well so far this season but I need to get better than my old form and get to my best," said Alli.

"We have to carry on momentum and keep winning, we need to start that from now. There is still a lot to work on and we need to improve from now on."

Pellegrini was pleased by his team's fightback.

"My players never give up. They keep fighting all the way to the end of the game. The moment we get a win under our belts things will change," he said. 

Late Firmino strike gives Liverpool win at Palace

Premier League leaders Liverpool extended their unbeaten run to 30 games after a late goal by Roberto Firmino gave them a scrappy 2-1 win at Crystal Palace on Saturday.

Firmino struck from close range in the 85th minute, shortly after Wilfried Zaha cancelled out Sadio Mane’s opener for the visitors who looked toothless in the first half with Mohamed Salah on the bench nursing a sore ankle.

Liverpool stayed top on 37 points from 13 games, eight ahead of Leicester City who beat Brighton and Hove Albion 2-0.

Jordan Ayew and Gary Cahill missed chances for Palace before the home side had a 43rd-minute effort ruled out after a VAR check, with the replay showing Ayew pushed Dejan Lovren before James Tomkins headed the ball in at the far post.

The visitors looked sharper immediately after the break, with Mane firing wide before he netted a 49th-minute goal with a scrambled shot which goalkeeper Vicente Guaita got a hand to but could not keep the ball out.

Zaha equalised in the 82nd with a crisp low shot from 12 metres, only for Firmino to tuck the ball away from close range after Palace failed to clear the danger from a goalmouth scramble.

Leicester cruise to 2-0 win over Brighton

Second-half goals from Ayoze Perez and Jamie Vardy earned Leicester City a convincing 2-0 Premier League win over Brighton & Hove Albion at the Amex Stadium on Saturday.

After failing to score with any of their first 11 attempts on goal, Leicester returned from the halftime break to punish Brighton twice and stay second in the table.

Perez, whose three previous league goals for Leicester came in a 9-0 rout of Southampton last month, found the net from close range after Vardy broke through on the right flank.

Vardy slotted home a penalty at the second attempt. The English striker's initial attempt from the spot was saved but James Maddison's rebound was chalked off by VAR for encroachment.

The visitors controlled possession from the kick-off and came close to a breakthrough twice inside five minutes, with Perez hitting the crossbar before Vardy's header forced a diving save from Brighton goalkeeper Mat Ryan.

It was only after a change of approach from manager Brendan Rodgers that Leicester could capitalise on the break and record a seventh win in their last eight league matches.

Arsenal's Lacazette strikes late to rescue point against Saints

Arsenal forward Alexandre Lacazette's added-time strike rescued a point in a 2-2 draw versus Southampton in the Premier League at the Emirates on Saturday, a result that extended the Gunners' winless run to six games in all competitions.

The visitors, who had picked up one point from their previous eight league games, twice led with goals from Danny Ings and James Ward-Prowse and looked odds on to repeat their win at the same stadium last season.

But Lacazette, who had also cancelled out Southampton's early opener, pounced late, although the home fans remained unimpressed and boos echoed round the ground at the end.

The draw left Arsenal in seventh place with 18 points from 13 games, while second-bottom Saints have nine.

Ings opened the scoring with his seventh goal in eight games after Ryan Bertrand rolled a quick free-kick into his path after eight minutes. The goal stood even though Arsenal complained that the ball was still moving when the free-kick was taken.

Lacazette equalised 10 minutes later but Southampton always looked dangerous and were awarded a spot kick when Ings was dragged back by Kieran Tierney.

Although Bernd Leno saved Ward-Prowse's shot, the midfielder followed up as Saints, who had picked up one point from their previous eight league games, scented a rare win.

It was not to be as Lacazette's final strike salvaged a draw for the home side but that will hardly ease the pressure on manager Unai Emery, who chose not to celebrate the goal.

Wolves punish 10-man Bournemouth to extend unbeaten run

Wolverhampton Wanderers continued their sparkling run of form in the Premier League with a 2-1 victory over 10-man Bournemouth at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday.

The visitors dominated the early exchanges and took the early lead inside 20 minutes after Joao Moutinho curled a sublime free kick beyond Bournemouth goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale for his first goal of the season.

Portuguese midfielder Moutinho created the second with a quick free kick to release Adama Traore, whose low cross was stroked home by Raul Jimenez for his 14th goal of the season in all competitions.

Bournemouth's hopes of a comeback suffered a blow after Simon Francis, who was shown a yellow card for a foul on Diogo Jota, brought down on the Spanish striker again to receive his marching orders.

Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe introduced Jefferson Lerma and Arnaut Danjuma Groeneveld at the interval to try to gain the hosts a foothold in midfield before defender Steve Cook pulled one back with a glancing header from a corner.

But it was too little, too late for Bournemouth as Wolves held on to extend their unbeaten run to eight matches in the competitions.

Rare away goals give Norwich 2-0 win over Everton

Todd Cantwell and Dennis Srbeny scored a brace of rare away goals to give struggling Norwich a 2-0 win over Everton, a result which sees them climb off the bottom of the Premier League table.

Boasting one of the poorest defences in the Premier League and an attack that hadn't managed an away goal since Teemo Pukki's strike in a 4-1 loss to Liverpool in their season opener on August 9, Norwich looked to contain an Everton side that had won three of its last five games in all competitions.

After a goalless first half, Everton had a number of chances early in the second but it was Norwich that took the lead in the 55th minute, Pukki teeing up the onrushing Cantwell, who slotted home confidently.

Emboldened by the goal, the visitors enjoyed a brief period of dominance but soon found themselves under the cosh again as Everton poured forward looking for an equaliser.

Substitute Seamus Coleman slotted in on the right for Everton and sent a string of crosses and passes into the box as Gylfi Sigurdsson, Cenk Tosun and Alex Iwobi all went close without scoring.

Srbeny replaced Pukki and scored almost immediately in stoppage time to secure their first away win of the season to put Norwich 18th on 10 points, while Everton slide to 15th place on 14 points.

Woeful Watford's home troubles continue with Burnley defeat

Bottom club Watford's miserable season continued with a 3-0 defeat to a clinical Burnley at Vicarage Road in the Premier League on Saturday.

Watford have now gone 11 league home games without a win while the victory ended a run of eight away games without a victory for Sean Dyche's Burnley.

The visitors took the lead through Kiwi international Chris Wood, who hooked home in the 53rd minute after a James Tarkowski header from a corner was deflected towards him -- the goal was Wood's sixth in six games.

Ashley Barnes made it 2-0 from the spot in the 83rd minute, converting after a VAR review ruled Jose Holebas had fouled Barnes in the box.

Defender Tarkowski then wrapped up the win, beating Ben Foster at the second attempt after being left unmarked from a free-kick.