LONDON: Liverpool will head into the international break at the top of the Premier League, thanks to a 1-0 victory against Crystal Palace. The match took place on October 5, 2024, at Selhurst Park, London, where Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate faced off against Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta. (Photo: REUTERS)
Diogo Jota’s early goal was enough to secure Liverpool’s impressive start under new manager Arne Slot, marking their sixth win from seven Premier League games this season. Liverpool now leads the table with 18 points, followed closely by Manchester City and Arsenal, both with 17 points.
Manchester City and Arsenal both had to come from behind to secure their wins on Saturday. City trailed at home against Fulham but managed a 3-2 victory thanks to Mateo Kovacic’s double. Arsenal faced trouble against winless Southampton but emerged with a 3-1 win, with goals from Kai Havertz, Gabriel Martinelli, and Bukayo Saka.
Newcastle United missed a chance to move into the top four, drawing 0-0 with Everton. Former Everton player Anthony Gordon had a penalty saved by Jordan Pickford. Leicester City, newly promoted, secured their first Premier League win by beating Bournemouth 1-0, with a goal from Argentine Facundo Buonanotte.
Brentford continued their trend of early goals, defeating Wolverhampton Wanderers 5-3. Unlike their previous games where they scored inside the first minute, this time it took Brentford 76 seconds to score, with a header from Nathan Collins. West Ham United also secured their first home league win of the season, beating promoted Ipswich Town 4-1.
While much of the focus has been on the expected title battle between Pep Guardiola’s City and Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal, Liverpool has shown they are a formidable force. Jota’s goal in his 100th appearance for Liverpool secured the win, giving manager Arne Slot his ninth victory in ten matches since taking over from Jürgen Klopp. This marks the best start by any Liverpool manager.
“It definitely is very satisfying. And it’s actually also quite special if you know how many great managers Liverpool had,” Slot said after his side’s fifth league clean sheet of the season. However, the win came at a cost with injuries to goalkeeper Alisson and Alexis Mac Allister.
Manchester City, after successive league draws, needed a win but were stunned when Andreas Pereira scored for Fulham in the 26th minute. Kovacic quickly equalized and added a second goal after the break, assisted by Jack Grealish. Although Jeremy Doku seemed to secure the win, Fulham made a strong finish, with Rodrigo Muniz pulling a goal back.
Arsenal faced a shock lead from Southampton when Cameron Archer scored in the 55th minute. But Havertz quickly leveled the score, scoring in his seventh successive home game in all competitions. Martinelli and Saka then secured Arsenal’s victory.
Brentford’s Community Stadium witnessed a thrilling match. Nathan Collins opened the scoring, but Matheus Cunha quickly equalized. Brentford regained the lead with a penalty from Bryan Mbeumo, only for Jorgen Larsen to make it 2-2. Christian Norgaard and Ethan Pinnock extended Brentford’s lead before halftime. Fabio Carvalho added another goal, and Rayan Ait Nouri scored a late consolation for Wolves.
Everton had a goal ruled out and then missed a penalty against Newcastle at Goodison Park. Gordon’s penalty was saved by Pickford, leaving Newcastle in sixth place and Everton in 16th.
