Man City fight back for thrilling 3-3 draw at Newcastle
Quickfire goals by Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva helped Manchester City recover from two goals down to draw 3-3 with Newcastle United in a rip-roaring Premier League clash at St James' Park on Sunday.
Neither side had conceded a goal in the league this season but Ilkay Gundogan opened the scoring for champions City in the fifth minute, ghosting in and catching the Newcastle defence flat-footed before finishing from close range.
City should have gone two up in the 16th minute when Phil Foden attacked down the right, but he chose to shoot from a tight angle rather than squaring the ball to Haaland and the chance was wasted.
The home side levelled through Miguel Almiron in the 28th minute as he bundled a pinpoint cross from Allan Saint-Maximin into the net before enduring a nervous VAR check that allowed the goal to stand.
Saint-Maximin tormented City full back Kyle Walker and he put Newcastle in position to pull off a huge upset when he set up Callum Wilson to make it 2-1 before halftime
A brilliant free kick by Kieran Trippier nine minutes after the break put them 3-1 ahead.
That sparked City into life, however, with Haaland hitting a post before pulling a goal back on the hour mark and Silva converted a glorious pass from Kevin De Bruyne to make it 3-3.
Newcastle's challenge looked set to come unstuck when Trippier was shown a straight red card for a cynical high trip on De Bruyne, but after a VAR review the decision was overturned and he was given a yellow.
City dominated possession in the final stages but had to settle for a draw that left them second in the table on seven points, two behind leaders Arsenal. Newcastle are sixth on five points.
Rampant Leeds beat Chelsea as they continue to impress under Marsch
Leeds United produced a relentless display to earn a 3-0 Premier League victory over Chelsea on Sunday as they continued to impress under American coach Jesse Marsch.
In a raucous Elland Road atmosphere, two goals in five first-half minutes saw the hosts race into a 2-0 lead with Chelsea, who finished with 10 men, unable to cope with the intensity.
The opener came after a monumental error from away goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, allowing American Brenden Aaronson in to score his first Premier League goal on 33 minutes, before Rodrigo headed in his fourth of the season to make it two.
There was no letting up from Leeds as they put the game to bed with a 69th-minute third through Jack Harrison, before Chelsea's close-season signing Kalidou Koulibaly was sent off late on.
A second victory from three at the start of the new campaign came at a canter from there on in, helping Leeds climb up to second in the standings with seven points, while Chelsea's first loss leaves them down in 12th with four.
"We scored an own goal and conceded from a set piece," Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel said. "The defeat is nothing to do with pressing, nothing to do with running less kilometres and nothing to do with the style of Leeds.
"We were able to be the better team. But then it was 2-0 and our body language was not like it was in the last match. I don't see the connection that we lost to the style of Leeds. We knew it was coming."
Looking to get back to winning ways after a fiery draw with Tottenham Hotspur last time out, Chelsea flew out of the traps, with close season signing Raheem Sterling flashing a strike wide after just 36 seconds.
Tackles were flying in in the West Yorkshire sunshine as the intensity levels remained high. Harrison also went close early on, while Sterling had the ball in the net 15 minutes in, but was correctly ruled offside.
Mason Mount was next to go close, bringing a fine save out of home goalkeeper Illan Meslier, only for Mendy to gift the hosts the lead.
The Senegal international made a mess of collecting a back pass from Thiago Silva, he was then dispossessed by Aaronson, who was free to walk the ball home.
The home fans enjoyed the opener against traditionally one of their fiercest rivals -- animosity that stretches back to the 1970s -- with the roof almost coming off Elland Road after in-form Brazilian forward Rodrigo headed home the second from Harrison's free kick.
Tuchel rang the changes in the second half, but the visitors, other than Reece James’ drilled effort that was tipped wide by Meslier, never looked like getting into the match.
Harrison's close-range finish was no more than the home side deserved, ensuring they could stroll to a second successive home league win -- a feat they did not achieve all last season.
A second yellow card for an innocuous foul from Koulibaly left the home fans heading for the exits with a beaming smile.
"It was the best performance since I have been here," Marsch said. "You are starting to see a bunch of players who understand their role, some in the form of their lives.
"Our way of playing dictated the match. We made them make mistakes. These quality players can pass the ball all day if we give them time. We wanted to make them uncomfortable, and today we did."
Brighton maintain impressive start with win at West Ham
Brighton & Hove Albion maintained their impressive start to the Premier League season and piled on the misery for West Ham United with a 2-0 victory at the London Stadium.
Alexis Mac Allister's 22nd-minute penalty following a foul by debutant Thilo Kehrer on Danny Welbeck put Brighton ahead.
Graham Potter's well-drilled side sealed a thoroughly deserved three points in the 66th minute when Leandro Trossard raced through to score after a slick move.
West Ham did not manage a shot on target in the first half but tried to respond late on with Tomas Soucek forcing a couple of fine saves from Brighton keeper Robert Sanchez.
West Ham, who are still without a point or a goal, and sit bottom of the table after three games, were booed off at the final whistle. Brighton have seven points from three matches.
Brighton are becoming specialists at playing in London and are now unbeaten in their last seven league matches in the capital, winning four and drawing three.
They won at Manchester United this month and after ending up ninth last season, their best top-flight finish, they will be aiming even higher.
"The result is what we are here for. To see out some tough periods when he had to, create two goals and keep a clean sheet is pleasing," Potter said.
"We are just focused on the next game, you can see how difficult it is with results this weekend. We are humble and we know how difficult the Premier League is. The focus is on the next game, and we will try and win that."
For West Ham, who gave a debut to 30-million pound striker Gianluca Scamacca as a second-half substitute, these are worrying times. They have lost eight of their last 10 Premier League games.
It might have been different had Said Benrahma's curled shot ended inside the post rather than just outside after a minute.
Brighton then largely controlled the match and took the lead when Welbeck was taken out by Kehrer after a counter-attack and, following a VAR check to confirm the foul was inside the area, Mac Allister sent keeper Lukasz Fabianski the wrong way.
West Ham's attack failed to function although they did have a brief spell of pressure after the break when Aaron Cresswell had a goalbound effort blocked by Joel Veltman.
Brighton rarely looked troubled, however, and doubled their lead in style. Mac Allister's low pass was cleverly flicked around the corner by Pascal Gross and Trossard kept his composure to advance and shoot past Fabianski.
