EPL

Liverpool trio achieve competition first while De Gea finally saves a penalty – the Premier League weekend's quirky facts

By Sports Desk September 20, 2021

Liverpool ran out 3-0 winners over Crystal Palace on Saturday, to take their place at the top of the Premier League.

Title rivals Manchester City could only draw at home to Southampton, but Manchester United and Chelsea subsequently joined Liverpool on 13 points.

Here are some of the more curious facts from across the Premier League weekend.


Premier League first for Reds trio

Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Naby Keita scored Liverpool's goals in their win over Palace at Anfield.

It is the first time in the Premier League that a game has ended 3-0, with all three goals being scored by African players.

Mane opened the scoring with his 100th goal for Liverpool. The Senegal forward has now scored in each of his last nine league appearances against Palace, making him the first player in Premier League history to score in nine straight matches against a single side.

All three of Liverpool's goals came from corners. Not since City beat West Brom in March 2015 has a top-flight game ended 3-0 with all the goals coming from corners.

Dave saves... finally

There was late drama aplenty at London Stadium on Sunday as United joined Liverpool at the top of the table thanks to a 2-1 win over West Ham.

After Cristiano Ronaldo continued his fantastic start to his second United stint to drag the Red Devils level, Jesse Lingard came on to break West Ham hearts late in the game.

London Stadium is the 66th different stadium that Ronaldo has scored at in matches played in Europe's big five leagues, and he has scored at more unique venues than any other player since his United debut in 2003-04, ahead of Zlatan Ibrahimovic (64).

Lingard, meanwhile, became the 47th player to score for and against West Ham in the Premier League. Excluding own goals, West Ham have had more players score for and against them than any other side in the league's history.

But it was David de Gea who proved to be United's hero, as he saved a last-gasp penalty from Mark Noble, who was brought on specifically by David Moyes to take the spot-kick.

De Gea's save ended a drought stretching back to April 23, 2016 of 40 spot-kicks faced without making a save for both club and country, in the process helping United claim a dramatic win at London Stadium. 

Of those penalties, 11 were scored by Villarreal players in May's Europa League final, with De Gea ultimately missing the decisive kick in the Red Devils' shoot-out defeat. 

The 30-year-old did keep out a Jordan Ayew penalty in last September's league meeting with Palace, but that was retaken and scored by Wilfried Zaha after De Gea was deemed to be off his line. 

Veteran Silva helps give Spurs the blues

Aged 36 years and 362 days, Thiago Silva became the second-oldest Chelsea player to score in the Premier League behind only Didier Drogba, who scored against Leicester City aged 37 years and 49 days in April 2015, when the Brazilian headed Thomas Tuchel's side ahead at Tottenham.

N'Golo Kante's deflected effort made it 2-0. The midfielder scored for the first time in 49 league appearances, having last found the net against Man City in November 2019. Three of his last four top-flight strikes have come from outside of the box.

Antonio Rudiger condemned Spurs to a second successive 3-0 defeat; they have lost consecutive Premier League matches by a 3+ goal margin for the first time since their opening two games of the 2011-12 campaign.

Harry Kane, meanwhile, cut a forlorn figure up top for Nuno Espirito Santo's side. He has failed to score in his first four Premier League appearances of a season for the first time since 2015-16, attempting just four shots so far.

Super-sub Bailey bursts Benitez's bubble

Everton's unbeaten start under Rafael Benitez came crashing to a halt as Leon Bailey starred with a blistering cameo in Aston Villa's 3-0 win.

Bailey came on from the bench and had an instant impact. With Matty Cash's first Premier League goal having put Villa ahead, the Jamaica forward whipped in a corner that Lucas Digne turned into his own net.

Digne has now scored three own goals in the Premier League, level with Younes Kaboul for the French player to have done so on the most occasions.

Villa were not finished there, however, and Bailey burst clear to lash home his first Premier League goal. Moments later, he went off with an apparent thigh injury, becoming only the second Villa player to come as a substitute, score, and then be substituted in a Premier League match, after Julian Joachim against Derby in September 2000.

Farke's losing streak rolls on, Toney at the top

Ivan Toney scored and assisted another as Brentford defeated Wolves 2-0 on Saturday.

Since the start of last season, Toney is the outright leading goalscorer in the top four tiers of English football (excluding play-off matches), with 33 strikes to his name.

Another promoted club, Norwich City, suffered their fifth defeat of the campaign. In total, the Canaries have now lost each of their last 15 Premier League games, meaning Daniel Farke is the manager with the longest losing run in top-flight history.

Mick McCarthy (14) was the last manager to go close to almost as long as Farke without a top-tier win, though that was back in 2005.

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  • Juventus and Atalanta share points from Serie A stalemate in Bergamo Juventus and Atalanta share points from Serie A stalemate in Bergamo

    Juventus and Atalanta were forced to share the points after grinding out a goalless draw in Serie A on Sunday.

    After an even start to the match in Bergamo both teams came close later in the first half, with Davide Zappacosta trying his luck before Nicolo Fagioli and Moise Kean tested Juan Musso in the Atalanta goal.

    However, the hosts had the pick of the chances in the second half when Wojciech Szczesny got his fingertips to Luis Muriel’s free-kick before Teun Koopmeiners had two good shots in the closing stages.

    The stalemate sees Massimiliano Allegri’s men sit four points behind league leaders Inter Milan in the table, while Atalanta remain a point behind Juve.

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    Both sides opened the game well but Atalanta had the first clear-cut chance in the 14th minute when a great ball from Oscar Ruggeri on the left found Zappacosta in the box and the full-back’s effort whistled wide of a post.

    A slow first half saw both sides have equal possession of the ball and Federico Chiesa was trying to create chances for Juve.

    The visitors then had a chance on the half-hour mark as a corner ball fell to Fagioli on the edge of the box, but Musso managed to push it away.

    Kean then tested Musso from distance, with the goalkeeper making a comfortable save to his right.

    Atalanta put pressure on the visitors early in the second-half as Ederson hit a teasing cross into the box but Zappacosta was unable to meet the ball and Juve were straight up the other end of the pitch as Chiesa had a powerful effort palmed away by Musso.

    The hosts were making good runs around the box but Juventus were able to counter the danger and they threatened again in the 69th minute from a corner.

    Sead Kolasinac’s flicked header was turned away by Manuel Locatelli at the back post before Ederson’s resulting overhead kick flew wide.

    Atalanta had an excellent opportunity in the 73rd minute when Muriel’s free-kick was curling towards the top corner, but Szczesny made a fantastic save, just getting his fingertips to the ball, and it deflected off the bar before being cleared away.

    They threatened again from a corner as Berat Djimsiti headed over the bar before Ederson’s low strike was blocked by the Juve defence.

    Atalanta nearly found the winner in the 88th minute when Muriel’s thumping shot was spilled by Szczesny into the path of Koopmeiners, but the Dutchman was unable to finish from the rebound.

    Koopmeiners had another opportunity to snatch three points for the hosts after finding space in the box but his shot blazed over the bar and Juventus defended well to hold on for a point.

  • Referees have to help themselves – Forest’s Steve Cooper frustrated by decisions Referees have to help themselves – Forest’s Steve Cooper frustrated by decisions

    Nottingham Forest boss Steve Cooper felt it was another bad day for the Professional Game Match Officials Limited after some controversial decisions in his side’s 1-1 draw with Brentford.

    The PGMOL were forced to stand intended fourth official Darren England down at the City Ground after his mistake on Saturday night when, as VAR in Tottenham’s game against Liverpool, he failed to act properly in overturning the decision to rule out Luis Diaz’s goal for offside.

    And both managers were left complaining after the draw as Nicolas Dominguez’s header cancelled out Christian Norgaard’s opener, which came immediately after Moussa Niakhate was sent off.

    That is the decision that irked Cooper the most, the boss insisting that his defender’s tackle, where he raked his studs down Yoane Wissa’s calf, was accidental.

    Cooper said: “Honestly, if he doesn’t give him a second yellow, nobody mentions it. All of your colleagues on TV and radio have said the same.

    “With it being the only Premier League game of the day, the PGMOL needed a real clean day and unfortunately they have got the opposite. We want to help referees, we will moan and complain as much as anyone else, it is just the nature of it.

    “We’ll try and do it respectfully, but sometimes it’s hard. They have got to help themselves. I’m annoyed with the first yellow, he shouldn’t have lunged in. The second yellow would not even have been mentioned…of course it was accidental.

    “You need football understanding to see that. It’s a contact game.

    “Some have gone for us, so I’m not sitting here saying we’re hard done by. We all want refereeing to be at the right level and we all want to help them and they have to help themselves. The last thing they needed today was talking points about decision-making, but that’s what they’ve got.

    “Come on, let’s work together and we will help. Some things have gone in our favour, not as much as have gone against us. This league is amazing and every part of it needs to be at that level.”

    Brentford boss Thomas Frank says he is “tired” of talking about VAR after he thought his side were denied a clear penalty.

    Frank believes Wissa was fouled by Matt Turner early in the second half when he closed down the Forest goalkeeper and was caught by Turner’s follow through, while Brentford also had two penalty appeals turned down.

    Referee Paul Tierney did not give anything and the incident was not even checked by VAR Michael Oliver.

    “I am tired of talking about it, I understand you guys need to ask the question,” he said.

    “I just want to talk about performances.

    “I think the two handball situations, some managers would claim them as penalty, I won’t. I think I would really hate that if they were given against my team.

    “But the Wissa one is a clear penalty, you can’t go through the man, that is an unfortunate mistake from VAR, especially when that is clear and obvious.

    “Unfortunately our players are too honest, we need to be a little bit more nasty, I would never say that to the players, I like honest players.”

  • Liverpool beat Arsenal in front of record WSL crowd as Man Utd grab late winner Liverpool beat Arsenal in front of record WSL crowd as Man Utd grab late winner

    Liverpool pulled off a shock 1-0 win at Arsenal in front of a record Women’s Super League crowd.

    There were 54,115 fans at the Emirates Stadium for the season opener, which was settled by a goal from Miri Taylor early in the second half.

    Taylor slotted in a cross from Missy Bo Kearns in the 48th minute to stun the Gunners home support.

    The Reds held off plenty of Arsenal pressure but Jonas Eidevall’s side, who were knocked out of the Champions League qualifiers last month, could not find a way back into the match.

    Manchester United came from behind to beat Aston Villa 2-1 with a stoppage-time goal from substitute Rachel Williams at Villa Park, where the hosts saw Kirsty Hanson sent off.

    Scotland winger Hanson was shown a straight red card in the 74th minute for her high tackle on United midfielder Hayley Ladd.

    Villa, though, soon took the lead through England international Rachel Daly, only for Lucia Garcia to quickly have United back on level terms.

    Just when it seemed both teams would have to settle for a point, Williams headed in Nikita Parris’ deflected cross to secure United a dramatic victory.

    Leicester came from behind to beat newly-promoted Bristol City 4-2 at Ashton Gate.

    The Robins, back in the top flight after an absence of two seasons, went ahead through a fine strike from Carrie Jones in the 33rd minute.

    New Leicester signing Aimee Palmer, playing against her former club, fired the visitors level in added time at the end of the first half.

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    Leicester took control after the break, as Shannon O’Brien put them in front and German striker Lena Petermann, making her debut, headed a third in the 52nd minute.

    Fellow debutant Jutta Rantala increased Leicester’s lead with seven minutes left before Amalie Thestrup scored her first Robins goal from the penalty spot.

    Elisabeth Terland scored twice in the first half as Brighton opened their WSL campaign with a 2-0 win at Everton.

    Norway forward Terland headed in after the ball came back off the crossbar to give the visitors a third-minute lead and soon added a second after being played in by Katie Robinson.

    Everton captain Megan Finnigan reduced the deficit just after the hour, but the home side were unable to conjure an equaliser.

    Manchester City won 2-0 at West Ham as Jill Roord scored on her debut.

    Lauren Hemp broke the deadlock early in the second half with a curling effort before Chloe Kelly then saw her penalty saved.

    Netherlands international Roord, a club-record summer signing from Wolfsburg, slotted in to open her City account in the 55th minute.

    City finished a player down after Leila Ouahabi was shown a straight red card for kicking out at Emma Harries, but the Hammers could not get themselves back into the game.

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