Mauricio Pochettino says Chelsea’s owners must look past their disappointment and back him to implement the plan he was hired to draw up in order to lift the club out of their slump.

Defeat to Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge on Sunday means the team have taken an average of 0.85 points per game over the last 35 matches, three short of a full league season.

Over a single campaign they would have won 32 points, a tally that would have seen them relegated in every Premier League season since the league became 38 games in 1995, and would have left them bottom of the table in five of them.

That run goes back to October 19 last year when the team, then managed by Graham Potter, drew 0-0 away at Brentford.

Pochettino is the fourth manager to have led the side in that period, with Potter having been removed on April 2 and Frank Lampard taking over until the end of the campaign, with a single game in charge for caretaker boss Bruno Saltor.

Despite the turnover of coaches, the Blues have won only six times in the league in the 11 months since, drawing 12, giving them a return of 30 points from 35 games.

The squad assembled by co-owner Todd Boehly’s Clearlake Capital consortium at a cost of more than £1billion over the last 16 months are currently 14th in the table after six games and have not scored in 285 minutes of play.

Pochettino encouraged supporters to keep faith and focus on the quality of recent performances rather than the club’s relegation form over the last year.

“It’s about learning, it’s about the process,” he said after Ollie Watkins’ second-half goal for Villa condemned his side to their third loss of the season.

“We are a young team (in) a process that they need to learn all together. It’s difficult to talk about positives because when you lose it’s difficult, but we need to talk about positive things.

“No doubt that with time the team is going to perform, but of course now we cannot hide the situation. It’s a situation that disappoints all the fans, the club, us and the players.

“They (the owners) are disappointed, they arrive to the club and (were) so excited to build some project. Of course they feel disappointed, but at the same time they need to support the plan.”

If there was a bright spot for Chelsea it was the return of striker Armando Broja after nine months out with an ACL injury.

The Albania international came off the bench in the second half and headed wide in the closing minutes as the team sought an equaliser.

“It was good to see Broja after nine, 10 months,” said Pochettino. “Again I think to have the possibility to have different options is good for the team. But he needs to build his confidence also.”

Watkins’ goal was his first in the league this season and the striker admitted it was a weight off his shoulders.

“The first one is always hard to get,” Watkins told VillaTV.

“I’m delighted to get off the mark now.

“It’s a bit of a relief, really, because the more the games go by, there’s a lot of talk and pressure.

“But I just try and block that out and I back myself in front of goal no matter what anyone says.

“I’m looking forward to the games coming up now and plenty more goals for the season.”

Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton remain without a win since their promotion to the Premier League after the weekend’s games.

It is only the second time a trio of promoted teams have all been winless having all played at least five games and, with those teams making up the current relegation zone, the PA news agency looks at the history of slow starts for Premier League newcomers and what it means for their survival prospects.

Wait goes on after Blades battered

Newcastle set a Premier League record as eight of their players scored in a stunning 8-0 rout of Sheffield United on Sunday, sending the Blades bottom on goal difference, with all three promoted sides on one point each.

Luton opened their account the previous day, albeit with the help of a controversial penalty against 10-man Wolves, while Burnley’s only point came from last Monday’s 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest. The Blades held Everton 2-2 on September 2.

While the Newcastle hammering was the South Yorkshire side’s sixth game of the season, Luton and Burnley have played only five after their season opener was postponed due to reconstruction work at Kenilworth Road.

Only once before, in 2004-05, have all three promoted teams been winless after five games – and even then, Norwich and West Brom each had three draws on the board, with Crystal Palace trailing on one point.

Palace and Norwich were duly relegated that season, but West Brom survived with victory over Portsmouth on the final day – Pompey’s bitter rivals Southampton were the other team relegated.

Indeed, of 17 promoted teams to go five games without a win before this season, the Baggies are the only one to avoid relegation. Bryan Robson’s side also became the first in Premier League history to stay up having been bottom at Christmas, the position they still occupied going into that final game.

More pain in store?

All three teams are still some way from the record winless start for a promoted team, with Swindon taking until their 16th game to get in the win column in 1993-94.

Town finished that season bottom of the 22-team table with five wins and 30 points from 42 games in what remains their only top-flight campaign.

Norwich took 14 games in the aforementioned 2004-05 season to break their duck, albeit with eight draws along the way, and 11 on their way to another relegation in 2021-22.

Three other teams – Watford in 2006-07, Reading in 2012-13 and Burnley in 2014-15 – went 10 games without a win following promotion.

The early-season form of this season’s bottom three is prompting talk of Derby’s record low Premier League points total of 11 in 2007-08 – indeed, Luton were identified in some quarters as a candidate for the unwanted record before the season even began.

But even the Rams won their sixth game of that cursed season, 1-0 against Newcastle, before failing to win the rest of the way – that ongoing 32-game run remains a Premier League record over 15 years later.

The Blades have already gone longer without a win, while their counterparts may be looking to October 3’s rescheduled meeting to keep their names out of unwanted company.

Rodri will serve a three-match suspension for his sending-off against Nottingham Forest – but how much will Manchester City miss their midfield lynchpin?

Here, the PA news agency looks at the Spaniard’s impact in Pep Guardiola’s side.

“A big miss”

Rodri’s influence has increasingly been recognised over last season and this, peaking with his winning goal and player-of-the-match display in the Champions League final.

Team-mate Phil Foden said after Saturday’s game: “He is one of our most important players and he seems to play all the minutes. He is going to be a big miss.”

While not quite ever-present, Rodri led all City outfielders in playing time last season and had played all but 21 minutes in this season’s Premier League prior to his dismissal for tangling with Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White.

The 27-year-old Spain international leads the Premier League in passes and overall touches of the ball this term, still 67 passes and 87 touches clear of second-placed Brighton defender Lewis Dunk even after his dismissal, and trailed only Dunk in both categories last season.

He is also City’s leader this season and last in tackles and, while the same is true for fouls committed, he had up to now avoided serving a suspension since his arrival at the club in the summer of 2019.

The former Atletico Madrid man had eight Premier League bookings and 11 in all competitions in his first season but has had no more than six in the league or nine overall since then, while Saturday’s was the first red card of his career for club or country.

He ranks third for the club this season in shots and has been outscored by only Erling Haaland in the league and, additionally, Julian Alvarez in all competitions as he seemingly takes on some of the attacking duties left by Ilkay Gundogan’s summer departure.

Call for Kalvin

Gundogan was not the only high-profile player to leave City this summer and, coupled with injuries and now Rodri’s ban, Guardiola’s midfield options are rapidly dwindling.

Kevin De Bruyne lasted 23 minutes of the new league season before aggravating a hamstring injury, with Bernardo Silva and Mateo Kovacic also currently sidelined along with defender John Stones, who excelled in a hybrid role last season.

Summer signing Matheus Nunes and forgotten man Kalvin Phillips could therefore have major roles to play – England international Phillips, who came on in the second half against Forest, has played barely 400 minutes of league football since joining from Leeds last summer.

Foden could also operate in a deeper role but options on the wing are not plentiful either, with Riyad Mahrez and Cole Palmer leaving this summer while Jack Grealish has only just returned from a knee problem. Jeremy Doku has hit the ground running while Alvarez has been used more regularly as a foil for Haaland up front.

James Maddison believes Tottenham are starting to shed their ‘Spursy’ tag after they continued a fine start to the new season with a battling 2-2 draw at rivals Arsenal.

Spurs had lost on their last three visits to the Emirates and not won there in the Premier League since 2010.

Tottenham’s losing streak to Arsenal could have continued after Cristian Romero’s own goal and Bukayo Saka’s penalty twice put the hosts ahead in the north London derby, but Son Heung-min equalised twice – both from Maddison assists – to earn a share of the spoils.

A lengthy trophy drought coupled with frequent collapses on the biggest of occasions contributed towards the ‘Spursy’ tag growing during the past few years, but the club’s new number 10 hit back following another strong showing by Ange Postecoglou’s team.

“We’re not in there celebrating a point, I think there was a few little moments at the end especially in the dying minutes where we could have maybe won it from a set-piece,” Maddison told talkSPORT.

“I think winning late last week and coming back twice (here), when you hear fans and neutrals talk about Tottenham they often say, ‘soft, weak, they’ll bottle it, Spursy’, all that rubbish. I think the last couple of weeks shows that we might be going in a slightly different direction.

“We scored in the 98th and 101st minute against Sheffield United to win late on when it looked like it was going to be one of those days.

“Here we go behind twice at arguably one of the best teams in the world, we pull it back and we’re still fighting right until the end. Hopefully we can continue that.”

Maddison was crucial to Tottenham leaving the Emirates with a point after he set up both of Son’s goals to make it four assists in six league matches since his summer switch from Leicester.

It could have been a different story had Gabriel Jesus made it 2-0 in the 32nd minute when he robbed the ball from Maddison on the edge of Spurs’ penalty area, but the Arsenal forward blazed over.

Postecoglou continued to encourage his team to play out from the back and that bravery was rewarded with a fine display where Tottenham enjoyed 53 per cent possession, a marked improvement on the 35 per cent they had under Antonio Conte at the Emirates last season in a humbling 3-1 loss.

Maddison added: “I was really proud of how courageous the lads were and how brave we were. There were a couple of occasions in the first half, myself included, where we gave the ball away.

“I gave the ball away edge of the box, they nearly scored and it is so easy to sink and not carry on playing the way the manager wants us to play, but that’s what bravery is.

“It is having big b**** to take the ball under pressure. I gave it away but the manager makes me feel so good that I can get it again and if I give it away, it’s OK because that’s how he wants us to play.

“He won’t be cheering if I keep giving it away on the edge of the box, but it was only once and once was enough to remind me to be a bit quicker because these derby games are a rapid pace.

“After that I thought we passed the ball really well and had spells where we dominated.”

Meanwhile, Maddison was happy to give back some stick post-match to England team-mate Saka, who mimicked Maddison’s own darts celebration for both of Arsenal’s goals, but was turned by the Spurs playmaker for Son’s first goal.

Maddison, who was forced off with a slight knee injury, quipped to SpursPlay: “Me and Bukayo had a bit of banter and a bit of trash talking if you like on international duty.

“I got told he did the dart celebration and he must have still been doing it when I turned him for the first goal.”

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta brushed off talk of Manchester City’s growing lead at the Premier League summit, but did admit injuries were already starting to test his squad.

The Gunners were pegged back twice by rivals Tottenham on Sunday and dropped points again following an entertaining 2-2 derby draw.

It left Arsenal already four points off City, who are perfect after six fixtures, with the memory of Pep Guardiola’s side being able to overturn an eight-point deficit in April to clinch title success last season still fresh at the Emirates.

Guardiola’s City visit north London on October 8 but Arteta, when asked about the current points deficit, insisted: “We’re not thinking about this. We have a game every three days, we try to win our games.

“We tried to win our game again and we didn’t manage it for very obvious reasons. That’s it and we have to improve.”

Declan Rice added to Arsenal’s growing injury list when he was forced off at half-time with a back problem.

It makes the England international an early doubt for Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie at Brentford, although the ex-West Ham midfielder would likely have been rested in west London anyway.

“He had some discomfort in his back. He was telling us during the first half that he was uncomfortable,” Arteta said of Rice.

“When we assessed him at half-time, he could not continue so we had to change him.

“We have to assess him. It’s strange that a player like him asked to come off because he was uncomfortable. Hopefully not (long-term), but let’s see.”

Arsenal were light of attacking options against Tottenham after Leandro Trossard suffered a muscle problem in the midweek thrashing of PSV Eindhoven and Gabriel Martinelli was absent after picking up a hamstring injury at Everton.

With Jurrien Timber (knee) out long-term and Thomas Partey sidelined for “weeks” with a groin issue, Arteta’s team are being stretched with cup competitions to juggle alongside league commitments.

“It (injuries) was already a test because we missed five big players (for Tottenham), but it’s what we have,” Arteta said.

“As well, it gives opportunities to the other ones. We have a game every three days and that’s the level we have to show, so go for it.”

Fifth-placed Arsenal remain level on points with Tottenham after this draw and, while Arteta praised Ange Postecoglou’s team, he was reluctant to list them as title contenders.

“I think they are a really good side,” he acknowledged.

“They are really well coached. You can feel the spirit in the team, the energy in them, but I think six games is too early for everybody to discuss where we’ll (all) be.”

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe says Anthony Gordon could be on England boss Gareth Southgate’s radar after his fine performance in the 8-0 romp at Sheffield United.

Gordon came on as an early substitute for the injured Harvey Barnes at Bramall Lane and gave the Blades defence nightmares, scoring a fine goal in the second half and also assisting Sean Longstaff’s opener.

The 22-year-old has taken his time to find his feet at St James’ Park following his January move from Everton, but has started the season well.

And having been part of England Under-21s’ successful European Championship campaign, he could now be in contention for a call-up to the senior squad for next month’s matches.

Howe said: “I’m sure Gareth is aware of him and I’m sure he’s been aware of him for a long time.

“All Anthony can do is just keep performing like he has and keep his mentality as strong as it has been. He has been a joy to work with and he is reaping the benefits.

“That is probably his best game for us, I thought he was very, very good. Very direct, I thought his goal was very good. He just looked a real threat, he has got so much ability, so much to give and he has got the attitude to go with it as well.

“He has got desire to improve, I see it every day in training, it is great to see him rewarded with that.”

Gordon and Newcastle ran riot as they inflicted Sheffield United’s heaviest-ever league defeat on them.

The Blades have taken just one point from their first six games following their return to the Premier League and a long season looks on the cards.

They actually started brightly but the way they capitulated set the alarm bells ringing for Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom.

“That is the biggest thing from the game for me, which I spoke to the players about,” he said.

“Is this going to define our season? No. It’s three points we’ve lost but what has happened there is something that while I’ve been here, we’ve never seen before.

“That is what has to be addressed. This is a reminder that if we drop below our levels, that can happen, we are playing against good sides. We need to make sure we need to learn from it, it’s not an easy league. You have to compete and that is what we have to take from that.

“We need everyone to step up and it is an eye-opener for the new boys what we are about.

“Newcastle outran us today and that’s not acceptable.”

What the papers say

Brentford would be willing to let England striker Ivan Toney leave the club if their £60million valuation is met, the Sunday Mirror reports.

The same paper also states that Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham are monitoring Paris St Germain winger Ousmane Dembele, despite the France international moving from Barcelona to Ligue 1 in the summer.

The Sunday Express reports that Delle Alli is still attracting significant interest, with Everton attempting to renegotiate terms for the 27-year-old former England midfielder’s transfer from Tottenham.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Aaron Ramsdale: The Arsenal and England goalkeeper is attracting interest from Chelsea and Bayern Munich but is in no rush to leave the Gunners.

Jota: The former Celtic forward may be reunited with Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham, despite only joining Al-Ittihad this summer.

Pep Guardiola has joked he may come out of retirement for Manchester City’s Carabao Cup trip to Newcastle.

The treble winners are three games into a run of seven matches in three weeks and manager Guardiola intends to make changes for Wednesday’s third-round tie at St James’ Park.

However, with injuries affecting the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, John Stones, Mateo Kovacic and Bernardo Silva, the options for rotation among his main first-team squad are actually limited.

That has prompted the former Barcelona midfielder to jest that at 52, 17 years after calling time on a distinguished playing career – and notwithstanding his recent back surgery – he could lace up his boots once again.

He said: “Some players who’ve had a lot of minutes are not going to play against Newcastle.

“The Carabao Cup is great for all the guys who don’t play regularly. They can play some minutes and that’s perfect.

“But for the other players I’m not going to waste one per cent of energy for Carabao Cup. The likes of Kyle (Walker), Ruben (Dias) – playing 90 minutes for us, 90 for the national team, they are exhausted already.

“That’s why we are going to play with the guys who need it, the Academy, maybe me. My back is getting better so I might manage a few minutes!”

One decision taken out of Guardiola’s hands is the availability of Rodri after his sending off against Nottingham Forest on Saturday. The Spain midfielder picked up an automatic three-game ban for violent conduct for raising his hands to the neck of Forest’s Morgan Gibbs-White in City’s 2-0 Premier League win at the Etihad Stadium.

It is unlikely Rodri would have been involved at Newcastle but his absence against Wolves next weekend, and particularly Arsenal on October 8, could prove costly.

Guardiola was rather more serious when expressing his anger over the conduct of his key holding midfielder on Saturday.

It seems unlikely the club will appeal against his suspension.

Guardiola said: “I have to talk with the club but I’m not going to change it. For me it’s not three games, but the rules are the rules. Part of that, he has to learn, and hopefully it won’t happen again.”

Rodri’s absence could offer a chance for England midfielder Kalvin Phillips, who has found opportunities limited since his arrival from Leeds in the summer of 2022.

He played the final 39 minutes against Forest as City reshaped with 10 men.

Guardiola said: “He played really well, the type of game that we needed. I’m so pleased for him because he’s an incredible guy.

“He’s not fazed about his minutes and he’s a national player with England. With us he hasn’t played much but he’s really helped us.”

Jonny Evans is convinced Manchester United have a “good thing going” under Erik ten Hag despite their shaky start to the season.

Things have gone awry after a promising first campaign under the Dutchman, with the Red Devils losing four of their first six matches in all competitions for the first time since 1986.

There were some mitigating factors in that poor run but that did not stop the pressure mounting on the Old Trafford giants heading into Saturday evening’s Premier League trip to Burnley.

Ten Hag’s troops were far from their best but Bruno Fernandes’ brilliant volley secured a 1-0 win for a side that begin their Carabao Cup defence at home to Crystal Palace on Tuesday.

Evans watched February’s Wembley triumph from the stands and is now back at the club he came through at as a boy, with the experienced defender confident about United’s future.

“I’ve had some up and down moments at Man United over the years,” said the defender, who won three Premier League titles and a Champions League during his previous spell at the club.

“I think you get that if you want to be at the top. You know, it’s going to be very up and down.

“You’ve got to be able to deal with setbacks and this club is a fantastic club, always want to be challenging at the top, so it’s all part and parcel of it.

“The manager’s got a good thing going here.

“I’m a fan of the club so I was able to watch them a lot last year, been at both finals to support. Like I say, I think the manager’s got a good thing going.”

Evans made his second appearance of the season and first United start in eight-and-a-half years on Saturday evening.

The 35-year-old impressed against Vincent Kompany’s Burnley, scoring a goal that was disallowed before providing an exceptional pass for Fernandes’ volleyed winner.

“That was great,” the beaming Northern Irishman said after his 200th United appearance. “I was really looking forward to it all day.

“I got the shout yesterday in training that I was going to be starting, so I couldn’t wait for the game, really.

“I was more nervous in the pre-season, my first pre-season game, to be honest, playing up in Edinburgh.

“I didn’t feel any nerves tonight. I actually felt a lot of excitement going into the game. I couldn’t wait for it and I felt good, I felt ready.”

Evans produced an impressive all-round display at Turf Moor, leading captain Fernandes to pass on the man of the match award that he had been handed.

The centre-back joked it was just the third of a career he never expected to return to such heights having left Leicester on the back of relegation and an injury-hit campaign.

Asked if he ever thought he would get back to this level, Evans immediately responded: “No, definitely not.

“It’s not a case of winding down. I think people’s career trajectories kind of end up that way and it’s very difficult for a club when you’re 35 years old to take a chance on you.

“I had a lot of injury problems last year as well, so for the club to do that and see the value in me, I’m very grateful to be given the opportunity.

“On one side it feels really surreal and then on the other side it just feels completely normal.

“It’s quite difficult to get my head around sometimes, but I’m loving it.

“For a 35-year-old I suppose to come back in – they wanted me to come back in and provide cover – not many people get to do that.

“I know it’s going be a big challenge but hopefully it’s one that I can take on.

“I feel like it’s one that was perfect for me at this stage of my career.”

Sheffield United have no immediate plans to sack Paul Heckingbottom after the club suffered their heaviest league defeat when they were hammered 8-0 by Newcastle.

The Blades were put to the sword by a rampant Newcastle to go six games without a win on their Premier League return, but Heckingbottom’s job is currently safe, the PA news agency understands.

There has been speculation linking former boss Chris Wilder to a Bramall Lane return, but even this embarrassing defeat will not change the board’s position.

When asked whether he will be the manager for the next game, he said: “Yes, 100 per cent.

“This might be a theme now by the looks of it. I can’t answer any of that, the game, the players, my department, yeah no problem, but things like that you are asking the wrong man.”

Heckingbottom, who guided the club to promotion last season, has overseen a difficult few days following the death of women’s player Maddy Cusack earlier in the week.

The midfielder, who also worked for the club’s marketing department, was just 27 and the club were left “devastated”.

And the boss admits he will be glad to see the back of a horrible week.

There were poignant pre-match tributes to Cusack and Heckingbottom said: “It has affected a lot of people, there were tears on the pitch before the game.

“But we were determined to end what has been a really tough week strongly and we weren’t able to do that. It has been a tough week for everyone at the club and one we want over.”

The Magpies rewrote the history books, registering their biggest away win and also becoming the first Premier League side to have eight different players score in a game.

Eddie Howe’s side, who endured a difficult start to the season, now look like they are clicking and performed superbly on the back of their midweek Champions League trip to AC Milan.

They did not take their foot off the gas in the second half as they racked up the goals and that was the most pleasing thing for the boss.

Howe said: “It has been a great week for us. That is football for you.

“Before the Brentford game, we knew the importance of that game, a massive point in the week and great to see us back to our very best today.

“I never doubted us in the final third, we have got some outstanding players, and we have had a very tough start to the season in terms of fixtures, but today we were ruthless and kept looking to score, which is they key thing.

“We respect Sheffield United and Paul Heckingbottom and the job he has done here but we just had to do our thing and keep pushing and trying to score goals.

“We weren’t aware of anything during the game regarding the records. We were just trying to keep pushing the lads to keep scoring goals, having that mentality and desire that we want in every game.

“We want to attack well, we want to entertain and be good value when people come and watch us play. One of our fundamental beliefs is that we are always looking to score.

“With top-quality players, results like this can happen, but very rarely, that is why we will enjoy it tonight.

“You hope this ignites something in us and we try to repeat, not the scoreline, but the performance on a regular basis. That is our aim, but the Premier League is very difficult.”

Newcastle completed the Sheffield double in style as they equalled their biggest win of the Premier League era at Sheffield United, whose difficult week ended in an embarrassing 8-0 defeat.

The Blades, who paid tribute before kick-off to women’s player Maddy Cusack following her death aged just 27 this week, endured a chastening afternoon on the pitch at Bramall Lane.

The Magpies hit Sheffield Wednesday for eight under Sir Bobby Robson in 1999 and they did the same to their city rivals on Sunday as Sean Longstaff, Dan Burn, Sven Botman, Callum Wilson, Anthony Gordon, Miguel Almiron, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak all scored.

Any questions about how Newcastle would cope with juggling the demands of the Premier League and Champions League were answered emphatically in a vibrant display which asserted themselves as top-six contenders again following a slow start to the campaign.

The result will add extra pain to the Blades who were already suffering from the events of this week and it was their heaviest league defeat in history.

They were within minutes of beating Tottenham last week until succumbing to the latest Premier League comeback in history, but on this evidence, they are heading straight back to the Championship.

The pressure will mount on boss Paul Heckingbottom, whose side have taken one point from their first six games.

The build-up to the game was dominated by the Blades’ tribute to Cusack, who also worked in the club’s commercial department, with a poignant eulogy followed by her mum and sister laying a wreath on the centre circle.

The hosts were desperate to get a result in her memory and they started well with Luke Thomas having two good chances at the far post.

First he saw a drilled effort blocked and then put a similar effort, on this occasion with time and space, wide from James McAtee’s cross.

But things crumbled in a 14-minute period where Newcastle ran amok.

They took a 21st-minute lead as Gordon did well to get to the byline, but as he beat John Egan the ball bounced up and hit his hand before he pulled back to Longstaff to fire in from eight yards.

Despite the apparent handball, VAR did not intervene as it was ruled accidental.

There was no disputing Newcastle’s second goal 10 minutes later as Burn wriggled free of Anel Ahmedhodzic from Kieran Trippier’s corner to head home at the far post.

Tempers were beginning to boil as Jack Robinson received a yellow card for a strong tackle on Longstaff, even though he won the ball.

There was even more home anger from the resulting free-kick as Botman found space to head home and make it 3-0.

As Newcastle celebrated in front of the home end, fans threw missiles, with a drinks bottle hitting Elliot Anderson on the leg.

It could easily have been 4-0 but Wilson was denied by Wes Foderingham while Newcastle could have had a penalty but VAR opted not to get involved when Gordon was tripped by Jayden Bogle.

They needed 11 minutes after the restart to get their fourth as Wilson headed home yet another Trippier assist, with both players left in acres of space.

It was 5-0 just after the hour mark when Gordon capped a scintillating display by cutting inside and curling a fine 20-yard shot into the bottom corner.

Five became six when Almiron scored a beauty, firing into the bottom corner after Guimaraes incisive through ball played him in.

Guimaraes then added a seventh in the 73rd minute when he converted a loose ball before substitute Isak completed the rout by latching on to a loose header from Tom Davies.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp hailed the “massive steps” striker Darwin Nunez has made already this season after his key contribution in the 3-1 win over West Ham.

The Uruguay international’s fourth goal of the season – which keeps him level with Mohamed Salah, who netted the opening penalty – was pivotal in turning the match the hosts’ way after Jarrod Bowen’s diving header had restored parity.

Substitute Diogo Jota’s late goal made sure of a fifth successive Premier League victory to move the Reds into second place in the table, but it was Nunez’s all-round display that particularly caught the eye, his brilliant volley the game’s standout moment.

“He has made massive steps in the last few weeks. He is a threat. You all saw the goal, that was probably pretty good, right? That was really strong,” Klopp said.

“Incredible. Everybody is looking at me when I talk about the goals but these eyes – I saw it only once – can’t wait to see it properly back.

“He was always available. It’s super-important for us now that we have a ball player: chip the ball (into him), get it on the chest and play from there.

“That’s how we scored the third goal at Wolves, super-important for us. The defensive work he puts in is probably the main difference.

“He always wanted (to do it) but it was less coordinated. Now that looks much better.

“We have found a way to do it around him, Curtis (Jones) and Dom (Dominik Szoboszlai) help a lot, how flexible they are in that way. It’s really good, absolutely.”

In the end the result was comfortable but for long periods that was not the case as a resilient West Ham always posed a threat and were good at breaking up Liverpool’s momentum.

“It was expected. A difficult game; some very good moments in the first half but we were not enough in control to deny them completely.

“I really thought we played good in different phases, lost some balls we shouldn’t have lost, but we scored our goal which was a super counter-attack.

“When they scored, I was not completely surprised. We should have defended it better, that’s clear. The most important is you stay in the game and that’s what we did in the second half.

“We controlled much better and gave them a proper challenge. We really caused them some problems and we scored some super goals.”

West Ham manager David Moyes, who has yet to win in 20 career visits to Anfield, was frustrated his side could not hold on for longer at 1-1.

“We did a pretty good job in first half. We created a few chances in the first half,” he said.

“We were probably trying to offer them problems and until the penalty I thought we had a really good grasp of the game.

“I thought Liverpool counter-attacked us more than we did to them because we had really good control of the game.

“You might come here and only get three chances and they will get 10 and have to hope they will miss nine and we take two.

“I was disappointed with the second goal. Lots of positives to take but more disappointed with the second and third goal, probably more the third.”

Moyes has also dismissed the chances of re-signing former midfielder Jesse Lingard, who trained with the club after leaving Nottingham Forest as a free agent in the summer, with the player now seemingly destined for Saudi Arabia.

“I am quite comfortable, more than relaxed with it,” he added. “We like Jesse a lot, I just don’t know if we need another player in the position.”

Mauricio Pochettino said his Chelsea players need to grow up as a team after they were beaten 1-0 at Stamford Bridge by Aston Villa to fall to their third loss of the season.

The game turned with the sending off of Chelsea’s Malo Gusto after 58 minutes when the score was still 0-0. His challenge on Lucas Digne was late and caught the Villa defender on the ankle, and after a pitchside VAR review referee Jarred Gillett upgraded the initial yellow card to a red for dangerous play.

Pochettino brought on Ben Chilwell and moved Axel Disasi to right-back, but the dismissal did not much alter Chelsea’s attacking intent as they continued to seek out a winner.

It was a decision that would come to haunt them, as with the home side committed inside Villa’s half Moussa Diaby broke with the ball and fed Ollie Watkins, who after seeing his first shot blocked by Levi Colwill scored with his second, angling the ball beyond Robert Sanchez and in off the far post.

It was the second time in two seasons that Watkins has netted in a Villa victory at Stamford Bridge, as Unai Emery’s side took full advantage of Chelsea’s ongoing inability to turn promising situations in the final third into goals, before pouncing when their own moment came.

Striker Nicolas Jackson, who has scored just once since his £31million summer move from Villarreal, again cut a frustrated figure as he picked up his fifth booking of the season for attempting to block a Villa free-kick, incurring him a one-game ban.

Pochettino refused to criticise the officials and said it is the players that must take the rap for the team’s poor start to the season.

“It’s our responsibility and the players’ responsibility,” said Pochettino. “We can’t blame the VAR or the referee. The situation, we need to act different, in a different way. I’m not going to blame or say anything against Malo Gusto. Situations happen in football and they affect the game and the team in a negative way.

“We need to grow up like a team, not only in an individual way. A player like Nico (Jackson) that is so young, feeling the Premier League and he’s learning, he needs time. In this type of game, we’re competing and we want to win. But players, when they are young, need to learn with experience.

“That’s why we feel disappointed because we are playing too many situations like this. Another small detail and in the end we are losing the game. We are in a situation we need to change as soon as possible.”

Chelsea largely dominated up until the red card with Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk particularly lively attacking down either flank.

But the team were dogged by a familiar failure to turn pressure and possession into gilt-edged chances as their scoreless run in the league extended to three games.

“It was a little bit unlucky,” said Pochettino. “How many chances did we have like Aston Villa? They shoot, we block, then they shoot and it touches the post and goes in. For us, how many one v one against (Emiliano) Martinez? We were a little bit unlucky but that happens.

“We need to accept the reality. But it was unlucky because how many chances did they create? Not many. With 10 men we were forcing them to go back.

“That is unlucky. We need to be aware about what is going on but in some way we need to be calm because the team is creating, the team is alive, the team is fighting every single action.

“We cannot say anything about the players, we cannot say that they gave up after 70 minutes. They were fighting until the end with one player less.”

Villa boss Emery reflected on a performance that he said was proof of his side’s powers of recovery after their 3-2 loss to Legia Warsaw in the Europa Conference League on Thursday.

“Overall I think we are progressing,” he said. “We changed some players, we had some difficult injuries. The most important thing, we tried to create our style and ideas as quick as possible with the players we added this season.

“The first way to get it I think is to be consistency defensively, be competitive like we were today.

“We’ve been strong at home, playing really good and winning a lot of matches. But away we have to try to get the same performances and the same structure.

“Today, to win here at Chelsea, 90 minutes everything that happened today was something normal. To win here is not easy. If the match had gone different we could have lost as well. I’m very happy. We felt strong defensively, better than the last match we played away.”

Ange Postecoglou hailed Tottenham’s bravery at Arsenal, but expressed his bemusement at the handball rule and joked “armless defenders” will be required after Cristian Romero gave away a penalty in the 2-2 draw.

Spurs grabbed a share of the north London derby spoils after captain Son Heung-min struck either side of half-time.

An own-goal from Romero in the 26th minute broke the deadlock at the Emirates, with the Argentina defender deflecting Bukayo Saka’s shot beyond team-mate Guglielmo Vicario.

Son fired home before half-time from James Maddison’s cross, but Arsenal made the perfect start following the restart when Romero was penalised for handball after he blocked Ben White’s shot from close proximity.

Saka rolled home the 54th-minute spot-kick but 108 seconds later Tottenham were level when Maddison won possession from Jorginho and played in Son, who netted his 150th Spurs goal.

“It’s not about being happy with the result, for me it was about the performance,” Postecoglou said.

“You can get a result here, a draw, and like I said before you can walk away knowing that ‘you know what, we escaped’, but I don’t have that feeling now.

“I think we went toe-to-toe with a top team and at times I thought we really asserted our dominance on the game. At times they did but that’s what happens when you face top sides.

“Even if we had lost today, and I don’t like losing, but for me to keep pushing these guys, they need to feel that out there that what we talk about and work on, they can see it come to fruition and when it does against a top team, being brave with our approach, that’s the key thing. For me I’m pleased.”

Postecoglou was less enthusiastic about the decision to award a penalty for Romero’s close-range block on White and likened it to the handball given against Wolves’ Joao Gomes at Luton on Saturday.

He added: “I’ve got no idea about the handball rule. I really don’t. I saw the one yesterday at Wolves and it just seems if it hits your hand it’s a penalty and then other times if it hits your hand, it isn’t a penalty.

“I’ve got no idea. It is the one rule in the game I just don’t understand.

“Unless we start developing armless defenders I don’t know how you are supposed to block things and be in a natural position.

“It is what it is. You kind of hope these things even themselves out over the course of a year but I don’t understand the handball rule.

“I think any clarity would be good because I have got no idea.”

Opposite number Mikel Arteta was disappointed Arsenal failed to make it three wins in a row over their rivals.

A key moment occurred after Romero’s own-goal when Gabriel Jesus won back possession from Maddison inside the area, but his 14-yard effort was blazed over the crossbar.

Arteta said: “We are very disappointed not to earn the three points, that’s for sure, and especially when you go in front twice in the game and have the opportunity to win it.

“We had control of the game, could have made it 2-0 with Gabi and then you concede the goal and you have to bounce back. We did and scored the goal but it’s a shame that within a minute you concede the other one.

“I think that affected the team emotionally quite a lot and we lacked some composure to make more passes in the final third.”

Arteta also leapt to the defence of Jorginho, who was introduced at half-time in place of the injured Declan Rice, after the ex-Chelsea midfielder was robbed of possession by Maddison for Tottenham’s second goal.

“What happened is I love him and we love him,” the Arsenal boss insisted.

“Errors are part of football. They’re allowed to make errors because they play and we don’t play. We are all with him.”

Roberto De Zerbi claimed Brighton’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth was one of their worst performances since he took charge.

The Seagulls trailed to Dominic Solanke’s opportunist strike but went in level at half-time thanks to a Milos Kerkez own goal.

Boss De Zerbi, who had made nine changes to his starting line-up from Thursday’s Europe League defeat by AEK Athens, sent on Ansu Fati and Kaoru Mitoma at half-time.

And the pair had an instant impact, combining for an exquisite goal just 15 seconds into the second half, with Mitoma applying the finishing touch.

Japan winger Mitoma then wrapped up the victory with a late header as Brighton leapt up to third in the Premier League.

“Today we played one of the worst games in my time. In two, three or four situations we were lucky,” said De Zerbi.

“Bournemouth played a great first half. In the second we played better but not our best level. But we knew before the game it was one of the most difficult games of the season.

“Today was the first time we played after playing in the Europa League. I changed a lot of players, maybe too many.

“We need to adapt as we are not used to playing three games a week. This season we will play three games every week. I am really pleased because we won with character and patience and not the style and quality of play. Character is maybe the most important part of football.”

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola felt his side should have had a penalty before the equaliser when Marcus Tavernier was caught by the flailing arm of Simon Adingra.

“He slaps Tavernier in the face. People watching on TV can see what happened and they wonder why it’s not a penalty – it’s pretty obvious,” he said.

“We were winning 1-0 at the time and those decisions are very important. When you are winning you have to make more damage.”

Bournemouth remain winless under Iraola six games into the season.

Iraola added: “I think it was a tough one, this game. Especially the way we played the first half, to end the half 1-1 was difficult. We were in control of the game.

“Then after the first play of the second half we were losing the game and we had been playing well.

“We had chances after that. But it is much more difficult to play Brighton when they are winning and don’t need to attack.”