Brazilian wonderkid Estevao scored his first Chelsea goal to hand Liverpool a third consecutive Premier League defeat on Saturday, allowing Arsenal to top the table after a 2-0 win over West Ham.
After winning their first seven games this season across all competitions, Liverpool endured a nightmare week, leaving manager Arne Slot with much to consider over the international break.
Despite injury troubles, Chelsea deserved their dramatic 2-1 victory at Stamford Bridge, ending a three-game winless streak. Moises Caicedo, a former Liverpool target, opened the scoring with a stunning strike in the 14th minute. Liverpool’s record signing Alexander Isak, yet to net in the league, set up Cody Gakpo to equalize shortly after the hour mark. But Estevao’s stoppage-time finish from Marc Cucurella’s cross sealed the win, sparking wild celebrations and a red card for Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca.
Liverpool now trail Arsenal by one point, while Chelsea climb to sixth.
In Mikel Arteta’s 300th match, Arsenal comfortably beat West Ham despite losing captain Martin Odegaard to injury for the third time this season. Arteta praised his squad’s depth, saying, “We dominated and fully deserved to win this… we were able to respond.”
Declan Rice, who left West Ham for £105 million in 2023, scored the opener for Arsenal, followed by Bukayo Saka’s penalty on his 200th appearance to secure the win.
Meanwhile, Manchester United gave manager Ruben Amorim some relief with a 2-0 victory over Sunderland. After a tough run with just 34 points from 33 games, Amorim was pleased: “We were a competitive and adult team today… it’s our responsibility to play like this.”
Old Trafford observed a moment of silence before kickoff in memory of victims of a recent terror attack on a Manchester synagogue. Debutant goalkeeper Senne Lammens kept a clean sheet, Mason Mount scored early, and Benjamin Sesko added a second to secure the win. A potential Sunderland penalty was overturned by VAR due to minimal contact.
Elsewhere, Tottenham’s defensive resilience under Thomas Frank ended Leeds’ year-long unbeaten league run at Elland Road with a 2-1 win. Mohammed Kudus scored his first goal for Spurs after Noah Okafor had equalized Mathys Tel’s opener. Frank reflected, “That feeling to get over the line, to get three points, was big,” as Spurs climbed to third.
AFP
