Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp questioned the pressure being put on officials after the Professional Game Match Officials Limited vowed to investigate the decision to rule out a Luis Diaz goal in the Reds’ dramatic 2-1 loss at Tottenham.
Diaz looked to have put Liverpool ahead in the 34th minute when he raced on to Mohamed Salah’s through ball and rifled into the bottom corner of the net, but the offside flag was immediately raised.
A VAR check by Darren England in Stockley Park occurred, with screens inside the stadium informing supporters, but play was able to quickly resume with the effort remaining offside.
Referees’ body PGMOL has since acknowledged a “significant human error” occurred and that VAR “failed to intervene” to prevent the error.
Liverpool went on to finish the match with nine men and suffered stoppage-time heartbreak when Joel Matip deflected Pedro Porro’s cross into his own net in the sixth minute of stoppage time, but the post-match discussions focused on the crucial first-half error.
“Who does that help now? We had that situation in the Wolves-Man United game. Did Wolves get the points? No,” Klopp reflected when informed of the PGMOL statement.
“We will not get points for it so it doesn’t help. Nobody expects 100 per cent right decisions on field but we all thought when VAR comes in that it might make things easier.
“I don’t know why the people…are they that much under pressure? Today the decision was made really quick I would say for that goal. It changed the momentum of the game, so that’s how it is.”
After a breathless start at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Liverpool were reduced to 10 men in the 26th minute when Curtis Jones was sent off following a VAR review.
Jones caught Yves Bissouma with a high, studs-up tackle on his shin that initially earned him a yellow card but referee Simon Hooper upgraded the decision to a red card after he used the pitchside monitor to review the incident.
Diaz found the net six minutes later, but after it was ruled out Tottenham went ahead when captain Son Heung-min tapped home from Richarlison’s centre in the 36th minute.
Cody Gakpo levelled for Liverpool on the verge of half-time but Klopp’s problems mounted when Diogo Jota was dismissed midway through the second half following two fouls on Destiny Udogie in quick succession.
It meant Liverpool had to play the final 21 minutes in north London with nine men and their stubborn resistance was finally broken when Porro’s dangerous cross was diverted past Alisson by Matip.
Klopp added: “I told the boys after the game I am super proud and especially with 10 men they were really good. They did everything that is necessary and on top of that we were courageous.
“I don’t think there is anything to say about the offside goal. I knew at half-time.
“In the first moment I thought it was clear offside but then it is right to think they have a better view and at half-time we knew with normal pictures. Easy to see, no offside.
“But I am pretty sure whoever did make that decision did not make it on purpose. It didn’t take extremely long to come to the conclusion, that is a bit strange, but someone else has to clarify that.”
Tottenham head coach Ange Postecoglou, meanwhile, was happy to accept the rub of the green with the Diaz ruled out effort but highlighted that VAR will never be “errorless” after he watched his team’s unbeaten record stretch to seven matches in the Premier League.
He said: “I think I’m on record as saying that I’ve never really been a fan of it since it came in. Not for any other reason than I think that it complicates areas of the game that I thought were pretty clear in the past.
“We used to understand that errors were part of the game, including officiating errors. You’d have to cop it and some people would cop it better than others but that was part of the game.
“The game is littered with historical refereeing decisions that weren’t right but we all accepted it that it was part of the game because we’re dealing with human beings.
“I think that people are under the misconception that VAR is going to be errorless.
“So much of our game isn’t factual. It’s down to interpretation and they’re still human beings. They’re going to make mistakes the same way managers make mistakes, the same way players make mistakes.
“When you put such a high bar on something it invariably is going to fail, so if people are thinking that VAR is going to be something that at some point that is perfect, that’s never going to happen.”
The Professional Game Match Officials Limited has acknowledged a “significant human error” occurred during Tottenham’s 2-1 win over Liverpool after a Luis Diaz effort in the 34th-minute was incorrectly ruled out for offside.
Spurs claimed a dramatic three points after Joel Matip turned Pedro Porro’s cross into his own net in the sixth minute of stoppage time to continue the hosts’ flying start under new boss Ange Postecoglou.
Referee Simon Hooper sent off Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota either side of half-time, but Liverpool were left aggrieved by the first-half decision to rule out a Diaz 34th-minute effort.
Mohamed Salah played Diaz through and the Colombian rifled into the bottom corner, but the offside flag was raised and a quick VAR check by Darren England at Stockley Park deemed the Liverpool attacker was offside.
Still images of the incident appeared to show Cristian Romero play Diaz onside and Spurs took the lead two minutes later when Son Heung-min poked home.
Cody Gakpo did level before half-time, but Matip’s last-gasp own-goal inflicted a first Premier League defeat of the season on Jurgen Klopp’s men.
“PGMOL acknowledge a significant human error occurred during the first half of Tottenham Hotspur v Liverpool,” a PGMOL statement read.
“The goal by Luis Diaz was disallowed for offside by the on-field team of match officials.
“This was a clear and obvious factual error and should have resulted in the goal being awarded through VAR intervention, however, the VAR failed to intervene.
“PGMOL will conduct a full review into the circumstances which led to the error.”
Europe need just four points from the final day’s 12 singles matches to complete their revenge mission in Rome and regain the Ryder Cup.
Luke Donald’s side will also have plenty of extra motivation after the second day’s play ended with angry scenes on the 18th green which later continued outside the clubhouse at Marco Simone.
Rory McIlroy was annoyed that Patrick Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava initially refused to move from his eyeline as he waved his cap over his head in celebration of Cantlay’s birdie on the last.
McIlroy and team-mate Matt Fitzpatrick still had birdie putts of their own to halve the hole and the match, but neither was able to convert.
“I talked to Rory,” Donald said. “He politely asked Joe to move aside. He was in his line of vision. He stood there and didn’t move for a while and continued to wave the hat, so I think Rory was upset about that.
“The Ryder Cup is always passionate. We’ve seen that many times over the past. I will address all 12 of my guys. I’ll give them the right messaging and they will be ready to play.”
Donald unsurprisingly sent out his strongest players early in the singles, with Jon Rahm first out against Scottie Scheffler, Viktor Hovland taking on Collin Morikawa and Justin Rose drawn against Cantlay in match three.
McIlroy, who had gone out first in the last three Ryder Cups, was fourth in the line-up against Sam Burns.
Shot of the day
Statistic of the day
Top statistician Justin Ray outlines the size of the task facing the American side.
Quote of the day
Jon Rahm responds to being accused of acting like a child by Brooks Koepka after taking a swipe at a board on the 17th hole on Friday.
Tee times
(Europe names first, all times BST)
1035 Jon Rahm v Scottie Scheffler
1047 Viktor Hovland v Collin Morikawa
1059 Justin Rose v Patrick Cantlay
1111 Rory McIlroy v Sam Burns
1123 Matt Fitzpatrick v Max Homa
1135 Tyrrell Hatton v Brian Harman
1147 Ludvig Aberg v Brooks Koepka
1159 Sepp Straka v Justin Thomas
1211 Nicolai Hojgaard v Xander Schauffele
1223 Shane Lowry v Jordan Spieth
1235 Tommy Fleetwood v Rickie Fowler
1247 Robert MacIntyre v Wyndham Clark
Weather forecast
Sunday will feature sunny skies with a few afternoon clouds building up over the mountains along with temperatures near 30 degrees centigrade (86F) by early afternoon. No rain is expected with light winds up to 10mph.
Rory McIlroy had to be restrained by team-mate Shane Lowry as tempers boiled over after a dramatic end to the second day’s play at the Ryder Cup in Rome.
The world number two became involved in a heated exchange with Patrick Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava on the 18th green at Marco Simone and the arguments later continued in the car park.
Pictures emerged of McIlroy shouting and angrily pointing his finger at someone outside the clubhouse before being pulled away and pushed into a waiting car by Lowry.
Europe captain Luke Donald revealed McIlroy had felt a “line had been crossed” by LaCava as he celebrated Cantlay holing the lengthy putt that ultimately secured a vital fourballs point for the United States.
At the time, however, both McIlroy and playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick still had putts remaining that could have halved the match.
McIlroy thought LaCava had stepped across his line as he celebrated by waving his cap in jocular reference to Cantlay’s hatless appearance.
There had been reports throughout the day that Cantlay had not been wearing a team hat in protest at not being paid to play, something he denied.
McIlroy took exception to LaCava’s actions and a row broke out between the pair which the watching Lowry also became involved in.
Donald said: “Obviously I was on 18 and I saw it unfold. When Patrick made that putt, Joe was waving his hat – there was some hat-waving going on throughout the day from the crowd, not our players.
“I talked to Rory and he politely asked Joe to move aside as he was in his line of vision, he stood there and didn’t move for a while and continued to wave the hat and I think Rory was upset about that.
“Rory felt the line was crossed on the 18th green. He is a passionate player – we all are in this event – and I will speak to him later about it.”
After the match but prior to the car park incident, McIlroy said the matter would merely add motivation to his desire to succeed on Sunday.
The Northern Irishman said: “Obviously they had a great finish and Patrick made three great putts at the end to seal the deal, so hats off to them.
“They played a great match, yes, a few scenes there on 18 and just fuel for the fire tomorrow.”
Cantlay was also asked about what occurred beside the 18th green after the match but gave little information.
“He is the best,” he said of LaCava, who is better known for his previous work with Tiger Woods. “That is all there is to say.”
Donald was not aware of what later happened in the car park when he spoke to media after a day which his European side ended lead 10.5-5.5.
Donald said: “I will talk with Rory when I get back. I didn’t see the incident personally, I saw the one on 18.
“We always try to play with passion and energy but play with respect and that will certainly be my message to the players.”
US captain Zach Johnson said: “What I saw on 18 was a phenomenal putt and a celebration by some of our guys.
“I saw passion and all of what is great in the Ryder Cup come out, and to my knowledge, based on what I was told, that was defused after the match so I’m told it is all good. That’s really all I know.”
Jude Bellingham continued his fairytale start to life at Real Madrid with another starring performance in a 3-0 victory over previously undefeated Girona.
Bellingham set Real on their way with a superb assist for Joselu’s first-half opener and, after Aurelien Tchouameni had made it 2-0, the England midfielder wrapped things up with his seventh goal for the Spanish giants.
Real Madrid’s victory, their seventh in eight LaLiga games, saw them return to the top of the table with Girona dropping from second to third.
The final scoreline was harsh on a Girona side who had recorded six successive wins since their opening-weekend draw at Real Sociedad, but the Catalan underdogs paid the price for not taking their chances.
Madrid have developed an unwelcome habit of conceding early goals this season and Girona could easily have been 2-0 up inside the opening five minutes.
Yangel Herrera should have done better with a header which cleared the crossbar before Viktor Tsygankov struck the outside of the post with a far-post header that left flew across the outstretched hand of Kepa Arrizabalaga.
Real were riding their luck but took the lead in the 18th minute following a moment of magic from Bellingham.
The summer signing from Borussia Dortmund curled in an inch-perfect cross with the outside of his right foot which picked out Joselu’s run at the far post and the Spain striker’s finish was too powerful for Paulo Gazzaniga to keep out.
The buoyant visitors were celebrating a second goal barely three minutes later when Tchouameni escaped his marker at a corner to power home a header.
Girona were suddenly looking shaky at the back and Bellingham almost made it 3-0 in the 28th minute after racing onto Vinicius Jr’s pass, with Gazzaniga denying the 20-year-old.
Gazzaniga also produced a fine save to tip over Toni Kroos’ effort on the stroke of half-time as Madrid looked to finish their opponents off before the break.
However, Girona managed to keep the deficit at two goals going into the interval and, like in the first half, they came out all guns blazing at the start of the second and should have pulled a goal back.
The unmarked David Lopez saw his powerful header from a free-kick parried away by Kepa before Herrera headed another good opportunity down into the ground and over the bar.
That was as close as Girona would come to getting back into the game, though, and Real wrapped up the points with Bellingham again centre stage.
The £88.5million man was denied at close range by Gazzaniga just after the hour but there was no stopping the red-hot midfielder in the 71st minute as he made it 3-0 with a clinical finish.
Joselu saw his shot parried back to him by Gazzaniga and, after the ball looped up into the air off the forward, Bellingham pounced to fire a volley into the ground and past the helpless Girona keeper.
The hosts would have breathed a sigh of relief at seeing Bellingham substituted soon after, but the damage has been done, although Real’s win was soured following a late red card for Nacho Fernandez.
The visitors’ captain was initially shown a yellow card for his flying studs-up challenge on Cristian Portu, but that was quickly changed to a red after the referee consulted the pitchside monitor, and a touchline melee involving both teams followed.
Harry Kane was on target as Bayern Munich came from two goals down draw 2-2 at RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga.
Leipzig struck early through Lois Openda and Castello Lukeba but Kane and Leroy Sane replied in the second half to earn the reigning champions a point.
But the draw saw Thomas Tuchel’s men end the day in third, two points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
Bayern almost scored inside three minutes when Kane’s smart pass in midfield played in the elusive Jamal Musiala but the attacking midfielder failed to hold his nerve and his shot was saved by Janis Blaswich.
Straight after, Bayern goalkeeper Sven Ulreich was nearly caught outside his box, but Leipzig took their second opportunity to open the scoring after 20 minutes.
Xaver Schlager retrieved the ball in midfield and he slipped through Openda who sped away from his man before his deflected effort nestled in the corner to give the hosts a 1-0 lead over the German champions.
And in the 26th minute Bayern shipped another goal as Leipzig stormed into a 2-0 lead.
Ulreich misjudged the flight of David Raum’s whipped corner and a knockdown in the box found the alert Lukeba who scored and stunned Tuchel’s side at Red Bull Arena.
Leipzig played with a higher intensity and quality which forced fouls from Kane and Dayot Upamecano who received bookings as Bayern searched for a way back.
And they brought one back in the 57th minute from the spot through Kane.
Musiala’s free-kick cannoned off the elbow of Benjamin Henrichs and after a VAR review the referee pointed to the spot which allowed Kane to bury his eighth Bundesliga goal.
Bayern grew in confidence and completed the comeback in the 70th minute.
Musiala showed his explosive pace when he countered from a Leipzig corner before he slipped in Sane who opened his body up and slid his effort home.
With 10 minutes to go Bayern searched for a winner and were camped in Leipzig’s final third, looking for openings to complete the turnaround.
Sane enjoyed touches of the ball in dangerous positions but Leipzig’s Schlager was quick to tackle and drive his team forward before he nearly picked out Benjamin Sesko in the 88th minute against the run of play.
Ulreich sensationally rushed out and beat Sesko to the ball in a 50-50 when the striker was played through and the game ended level after six minutes of added time.
Tottenham celebrated another jaw-dropping 2-1 stoppage-time victory as Joel Matip’s own goal finally broke nine-man Liverpool’s resistance.
Saturday evening’s box office battle pitted together exciting, resurgent sides that had both begun the new Premier League season unbeaten having bounced back from chastening campaigns last term.
Jurgen Klopp’s men were seconds away from leaving north London with a fantastic point after Cody Gakpo cancelled out Son Heung-min’s opener in a match which saw the visitors have two players sent off.
Curtis Jones and half-time introduction Diogo Jota were sent off at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, where Spurs finally beat Liverpool at the fifth time of asking.
Just like in their last home game against Sheffield United a fortnight ago, Ange Postecoglou’s men triumphed thanks to a stunning stoppage-time conclusion.
This time it was Liverpool defender Matip providing the key touch, inadvertently turning home Pedro Porro’s cross to spark wild celebrations in the sixth minute of added time.
AC Milan turned on the second-half style to record an impressive 2-0 Serie A victory over Lazio.
Christian Pulisic and Noah Okafor were on target to finally end stubborn Lazio resistance at the San Siro, but Rafael Leao was the star attraction in a commanding performance.
Leao set up both Pulisic and Okafor – and the Portugal winger now has 72 goal contributions since joining Milan in 2019.
Felipe Anderson and Valentin Castellanos had half-chances for Lazio during a first period that took some time to burst into life.
But Lazio, who kept Ciro Immobile until the final 15 minutes, were largely toothless up front.
Milan lost Ruben Loftus-Cheek – who had scored his first goal for the Rossoneri against Cagliari in midweek – to an early injury but gained momentum as the contest moved past the half-hour mark.
Leao saw his near-post effort from a tight angle saved by Ivan Provedel in the Lazio goal.
The deadlock was almost broken on the stroke of half-time after Olivier Giroud brought Provedel into action again.
Provedel could not hold the shot and the loose ball fell to Tijjani Reijnders, who took it around the goalkeeper but, off balance, back-heeled it against the outside of a post.
Milan really upped the tempo after the break and took a deserved lead after an hour.
Leao surged down the left and his cut-back found Pulisic unmarked on the penalty spot.
The American’s shot had enough to get past Provedel for his third goal of the season, although the goalkeeper got a hand to the effort.
Provedel distinguished himself by saving from Yunus Musah after the American had brought the ball down and fired goalwards in one sharp movement.
Reijnders fired into the side netting before Milan put the issue beyond doubt two minutes from time.
Leao was again the instigator with another excellent run and cross which allowed Okafor to convert with a simple tap-in.
It was Okafor’s second Milan goal after his first for the club in the 3-1 win at Cagliari.
Lazio were denied a spectacular consolation in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Spanish substitute Pedro sent a 25-yard shot into the top corner of Mike Maignan’s net.
The officials had spotted an offside in the build-up and there was to be no joy for Lazio after a VAR check.
This was Milan’s third successive league win, while Lazio’s season has yet to get going after this fourth defeat in seven games.
Europe need just four points from the final day’s 12 singles matches to complete their revenge mission in Rome and regain the Ryder Cup.
Luke Donald’s side will also have plenty of extra motivation after the second day’s play ended with angry scenes on the 18th green which later continued outside the clubhouse at Marco Simone.
Rory McIlroy was annoyed that Patrick Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava initially refused to move from his eyeline as he waved his cap over his head in celebration of Cantlay’s birdie on the last.
McIlroy and team-mate Matt Fitzpatrick still had birdie putts of their own to halve the hole and the match, but neither was able to convert.
“I talked to Rory,” Donald said. “He politely asked Joe to move aside. He was in his line of vision.
“He stood there and didn’t move for a while and continued to wave the hat, so I think Rory was upset about that.
“The Ryder Cup is always passionate. We’ve seen that many times over the past.
“I will address all 12 of my guys tomorrow. I’ll give them the right messaging and they will be ready to play.”
The incident threatened to overshadow a record-breaking performance from Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg, who had earlier thrashed Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka 9&7, the largest margin in any 18-hole match in the event’s history.
That sparked a 3-1 win in the morning foursomes and although the United States took the fourballs by the same scoreline thanks to Cantlay’s late heroics, Europe ended the day leading by 10.5 points to 5.5.
The United States have never trailed entering the singles on European soil and come back to win. The largest comeback of four points in any singles was achieved by the US at Brookline in 1999 and Europe at Medinah in 2012.
Cantlay was taunted by European fans all afternoon after it was reported that he was refusing to wear a team-branded baseball cap in protest at players not being paid to compete in the Ryder Cup.
But he and his team-mates had the last laugh, waving their caps above their heads after Cantlay birdied the 16th, 17th and 18th to partner Wyndham Clark to victory over McIlroy and Fitzpatrick and ruin McIlroy’s perfect record.
“It just doesn’t fit,” Cantlay told NBC regarding his hat. “It is as simple as that. I didn’t wear it in Whistling Straits. That is all it is.”
Donald felt his side were still in a “great spot” to secure overall victory, adding: “I think if you asked us to be at 10.5 after two days we would take it.
“There is always momentum shifts and I thought we were going to maybe snatch a 2-2 this afternoon but Cantlay birdied the last three holes. I have a plan (for the singles) and will relay it to the team.
“I’m going to put (out) some strong players and put some blue on the board early.”
Donald’s players had achieved that perfectly in the foursomes, the record win for Hovland and Aberg followed by victories for the powerhouse pairs of Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood and Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton.
The only bright spot of the morning session for the visitors came when Max Homa and Brian Harman secured a first full point for the Americans, Homa chipping in for an eagle on the 16th to see off Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka 4&2.
Scheffler, who was pictured fighting back tears and being comforted by his wife Meredith following the crushing loss with Koepka, lobbied to be given the chance to make amends in the afternoon fourballs but was left out by US captain Zach Johnson.
That decision paid dividends as Hovland and Aberg ran out of steam in a 4&3 defeat to Sam Burns and Collin Morikawa, while Homa and Harman enjoyed their second win of the day, beating Fleetwood and Nicolai Hojgaard 2&1.
Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre recovered from an early deficit to beat Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth 3&2 before the late drama in the anchor match gave the United States a glimmer of hope.
Rory McIlroy had to be restrained after getting involved a heated exchange following the second day’s play at the Ryder Cup in Rome.
The world number two was pushed into a car as Europe team-mate Shane Lowry attempted to defuse what appeared to be an argument outside the clubhouse.
Pictures of the confrontation emerged after a fiery conclusion to Saturday’s fourballs session in which McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick were beaten on the final green by American pair Patrick Cantlay and Wyndham Clark.
McIlroy apppeared to take exception at the time to the American team’s celebrations after Cantlay holed a lengthy putt.
Both McIlroy and Fitzpatrick still had putts remaining that could have tied the match.
Arguments reportedly ensued between McIlroy and Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava, with the watching Lowry also becoming involved. It is thought McIlroy may have been upset that LaCava stepped across the line of a European putt as he waved his cap in reference to Cantlay’s hatless appearance.
Reports had emerged during the day that Cantlay was not wearing a team hat in protest at not being paid to appear, something he later denied.
After the match McIlroy said the incident would merely add motivation to his desire to succeed on Sunday.
The Northern Irishman said: “Obviously they had a great finish and Patrick made three great putts at the end to seal the deal, so hats off to them.
“They played a great match, yes, a few scenes there on 18 and just fuel for the fire tomorrow.”
It appears the arguments resumed as the players left the course, however, with TV pictures showing McIlroy angrily pointing his finger at somebody out of shot.
Lowry then steps in to usher McIlroy towards a waiting car.
Cantlay was asked about what occurred beside the 18th green after the match but gave little information.
“He is the best,” he said of LaCava. “That is all there is to say.”
Europe will enter the final day leading 10.5-5.5.
Pep Guardiola said Manchester City failed to properly execute their “process” and was keen to praise Wolves after his side’s 100 per cent start to their Premier League title defence ended with a 2-1 loss at Molineux.
City went into the contest looking to make it seven league victories at the start of a campaign for the first time.
But the treble-winners were condemned to defeat by Hwang Hee-chan’s 66th-minute finish, eight minutes after an early Ruben Dias own goal had been cancelled out by Julian Alvarez’s free-kick.
City boss Guardiola, who watched from the stands as he served a one-match ban for picking up three yellow cards, said: “Congratulations Wolves, they defended really well.
“We had our moments. We didn’t do properly our process, to attack (with) a little bit more fluidity and that’s why we struggled a little bit.
“And the transitions – (Pedro) Neto (who was key for the first goal) was better than us, so they beat us in that situation.
“When they defend that well, (Mateo) Kovacic or Ruben has to attack central defenders of the opponents and we didn’t do it, that was why it was more difficult.
“The opponent played really good, defended really well, and after, when they contact with the players up front, they had the ability to keep it and drive and dribble and drop you. They are so strong.
“Today some details didn’t happen, because it’s football, because the players, it happens, maybe I apply bad some decisions, I don’t know.”
City’s starting line-up included Matheus Nunes, signed from Wolves last month, with it reported that he had stopped training with the midlands outfit ahead of the move.
The Portuguese was the subject of boos and chants from the crowd during the first half before being brought off at the interval for Oscar Bobb.
Guardiola said, when asked why he had made the change: “I needed more dynamic. Oscar is really good to find in small spaces, the creativity he has.
“That was the reason why – not because he wasn’t playing not good at all. It’s just because I thought Oscar could give us something different.”
On having to watch from the stands, Guardiola said: “The view is perfect. The problem is when you are banned and you are in the hotel. But they allow you to be here…in the Champions League it cannot happen.
“I spoke before the game, half-time and after the game. During the game you can be involved in something, but not much.”
Coventry boss Mark Robins believes Ellis Simms’ two goals for the club in a 3-1 win at QPR can be a turning point for the striker.
Simms, signed from Everton during the summer, had failed to score for the Sky Blues but got off the mark in a resounding victory at Loftus Road, where Josh Eccles also netted for the visitors.
Robins said: “The two goals scored by Ellis were brilliant. He got the first one – and he needed that chance – and connected with it brilliantly.
“His other goal was fantastic. Jamie Allen has guided it in and you can’t underestimate the finish.
“The first goal has given him the confidence to finish the second one. If it happens the other way around I don’t know if he does it – he’s capable, but a bit of doubt creeps in.
“He’s been desperate to score and it’s taken nine for him to get on the scoresheet, but that will do him the world of good.
“All it is is a bit of confidence and that should give him a load of it. He’s going to be a really good player.”
City took control by scoring three times in the space of 12 minutes in the second half.
It meant a superb save by keeper Ben Wilson in the first half proved to be crucial, having pushed away a header from QPR striker Lyndon Dykes during the hosts’ best spell of the game.
“He’s done what he’s paid for – he’s made a really good save. It was a good header, in fairness,” Robins said.
“QPR threw everything at us. It was a good win and a welcome win. If you can get that win it can start to build momentum and confidence and that’s important.”
QPR boss Gareth Ainsworth was furious that two crucial refereeing decisions went against his team.
Ainsworth felt Simms’ opening goal should have been disallowed for offside and, shortly after the second goal, Rangers were incensed when they were not awarded a penalty despite Sinclair Armstrong being upended by Wilson.
Ainsworth said: “The officiating today, in my opinion, wasn’t good enough for the Championship. There was an offside goal and an absolute stonewall penalty.
“I’ve been in to see the officials and they know (the decisions were wrong). They’ve almost apologised and that’s great, but that doesn’t change the result.
“I’m gutted at my lads seeming to collapse. Maybe the offside goal really dented them, but we were then wide open on two counter-attacks for the other two goals.
“But at 2-0, Sinclair’s penalty is a stonewaller and if that gets us back in the game then I think we go on and get something.”
Rangers, who were among the pre-season favourites for relegation, have won just once at home in almost a year.
“I’m not stupid – a 3-1 defeat at home is not good enough. I’m sure the haters will be out there loving this one, but there’s a bit more of a story to it,” Ainsworth said.
“But we’ve got to be better at home. We’ve got to put away the chances that we had in the first half.
“We were the better team in the first half and for all the world I didn’t see that coming in the second half. But we have to test their keeper more.
“We haven’t looked threatening enough. After all the territory and all the possession we must be better than that going forward.
“We didn’t take our chances and that was the story of the game, although the officials played a big part too.”
Rob Edwards expressed his pride after a landmark win for Luton at Everton.
The Hatters’ 2-1 victory at Goodison Park was their first ever win in the Premier League and first in the top flight since April 1992.
Tom Lockyer and Carlton Morris scored from set-pieces in the first half, with Everton pulling one back before half-time through Dominic Calvert-Lewin but unable to find an equaliser.
“I’m just very, very proud of the players and pleased for the club,” said Hatters boss Edwards.
“I know it’s a big moment, I get that. I don’t want this to come across in any kind of arrogant way but I expected us to (win) today, I really did. I told the boys before the game, ‘I know this is going to be a good day’.
“We really believed we could come here and win the game. We had a really good plan. Everton have got some good players and they were very fluid, especially in that first half.
“At 2-0 up there was a lot of movement, a lot of stuff going on. We had to adjust, which we did at half-time, then I thought we looked more solid again. I thought we deserved it. It felt great.”
Luton’s band of supporters celebrated with glee at the final whistle, and the three points were enough to lift the newly-promoted side out of the bottom three.
“Amazing day for the supporters,” said Edwards. “They deserve it, our board deserve it. They’ve really stuck with us. I know they’re going to because we’re on a brilliant journey and where the club has been. They’re going to enjoy this.
“But it’s important we give them something to shout about as well, and not just, ‘Well done lads, unlucky’. They’re amazing supporters, I love them. They’ve travelled a long, long way today in the rain and they get to enjoy their day.”
Everton began the game on the front foot and with optimism flowing that they could build on victories over Brentford and Aston Villa during the past week.
But instead they suffered a fourth straight home victory, leaving manager Sean Dyche hugely frustrated at a big opportunity lost in front of their prospective new owners.
“I’m disappointed in the result, obviously,” he said. “Performances, broken-record time – dominated so much of the game, give away really poor goals and don’t take our chances.
“Changing the story, which I’ve spoken about endlessly this season, is our responsibility. We had a brilliant chance I thought today, a platform to begin the process of changing the story, the depth of it the last two years, all the noise and the rest of it, and we don’t take it.
“It’s very frustrating because the team are there, it’s like, ‘Go on then, change the story, be the person that makes the difference, don’t wait for someone else to do it’. Then it spreads like wildfire.
“And we sort of nearly do. Today just that weird thing when everyone’s sort of looking for someone else to change it. It’s an odd thing and I’ve been trying to break it since I’ve been at the club. And we keep trying.”
Stoke boss Alex Neil says he “didn’t enjoy any part” of his side’s 3-2 come-from-behind win at Bristol City.
A late strike from 18-year-old substitute Nathan Lowe capped a stirring Stoke fightback at Ashton Gate.
Bristol City looked to be on course for a comfortable win when Sam Bell fired them ahead from a near post corner after five minutes and Nahki Wells doubled the advantage 10 minutes later after intercepting a poor back pass from Ki-Jana Hoever.
But Mehdi Leris gave Stoke hope with a brilliant long-range strike after 25 minutes and two minutes after the break Sead Haksabanovic equalised with a low finish from a Hoever cross.
Lowe completed the fightback with a tap-in at the far post in the 89th minute, but Neil was in no mood to get carried away.
He said: “To be honest, I didn’t enjoy any part of that game. We have played miles better in virtually every other match this season. That’s the crazy nature of football and the Championship in particular.
“We couldn’t have made a poorer start, conceding from the sort of set-piece we had talked about defending and for the rest of the first half we played scared football.
“My half-time message was that we had to play without fear. What the players did show from then on was a collective spirit and determination, which ended up winning the game.
“What we can take encouragement from is the character shown. When things are going against you, it’s easy to start feeling sorry for yourself.
“There is no room for that sort of attitude and we got our rewards today because we didn’t let it happen. Hard work, grit and determination got us the win.
“Nathan Lowe has merited getting on the pitch and there is nothing nicer than when you throw one of your kids in and they get a goal.
“That certainly applies with Lowy, who loves the club. You don’t get a better feeling in football than seeing someone like that score a goal.”
Bristol City assistant Curtis Fleming admitted his side let Stoke back into the contest.
“In a way, we feel like we have been mugged,” he said. “If any team was going to win it in the second half, I always felt it would be us because we were on the front foot.
“But the truth is we haven’t defended well enough and that’s why we have suffered a kick in the teeth. We conceded weak goals, which is a problem we felt we had overcome.
“At Leicester in our previous game, players were throwing themselves in front of shots and putting their bodies on the line.
“That didn’t happen today. There is a lot of frustration in our dressing room and no one is happy.
“From 2-0 up we took our foot off the pedal a bit. It was all a little too comfortable, rather than playing with our usual intensity.
“It’s the sort of thing that was happening to us at times last season. Now we are in a better place to handle it and it’s all about how we react.
“You can’t afford to dwell on setbacks in the Championship because more tough games are just around the corner.”
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