LONDON:
Dominik Szoboszlai’s sensible free-kick fired Liverpool to a dramatic 1-0 win over title rivals Arsenal on Sunday, whereas Manchester Metropolis misplaced 2-1 at Brighton to increase their troubled begin to the season.
Szoboszlai curled a elegant set-piece previous Arsenal keeper David Raya with seven minutes left at Anfield in a tense conflict between the 2 main contenders for the Premier League crown.
The Hungary midfielder’s gem was sufficient to seal a 3rd successive league victory for champions Liverpool as Arsenal misplaced for the primary time this time period following consecutive wins.
The Gunners completed as runners-up behind Liverpool final season and the golf equipment have been engaged in an costly arms race because the finish of the season.
Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike and Arsenal’s Martin Zubimendi and Viktor Gyokeres had their probability to shine beneath the highlight on Sunday.
Not one of the new additions dazzled. As a substitute it was Szoboszlai, deployed out of place at right-back, who delivered the defining second.
Zubimendi fouled Curtis Jones 25 yards from aim and Szoboszlai stepped up with a masterful end.
Liverpool, who’ve the one one hundred pc report within the high tier, go into the worldwide break in a well-recognized place on high of the desk as they chase a report twenty first English title.
“In the event you win in opposition to a staff like Arsenal, who final season had been such a superb staff and have strengthened a lot, it is vitally optimistic,” Liverpool boss Arne Slot stated.
“Ultimately we wanted a second of magic. We are going to know on the finish of the season what it is price.”
Arsenal should lick their wounds after a outcome that prompt their bid to finish a run of three successive second place finishes remains to be a piece in progress.
“On the finish of the sport, I stated we’ve got to discover a approach to win these huge matches,” stated Arsenal supervisor Mikel Arteta.
Earlier, on the Amex Stadium, Metropolis striker Erling Haaland marked his a hundredth Premier League look together with his 88th aim within the competitors since becoming a member of from Borussia Dortmund in 2022.
However the 25-year-old’s third aim this season wasn’t sufficient to assist Pep Guardiola’s facet bounce again from final weekend’s 2-0 dwelling loss to Tottenham.
James Milner’s second half penalty hauled Brighton degree earlier than Brajan Gruda’s late strike accomplished Metropolis’s collapse.
“We forgot to cross the ball, simply performed lengthy balls and we weren’t adequate,” stated Guardiola.
Matheus Nunes’s handball handed Brighton a lifeline within the 67th minute.
Milner despatched James Trafford the fallacious manner with a medical penalty earlier than copying Diogo Jota’s aim celebration in tribute to his former Liverpool team-mate who died in a automotive crash in July.
It was the 39-year-old’s first Premier League aim since 2019, making him the second oldest scorer within the competitors’s historical past behind Teddy Sheringham, who was 40 when he set the report.
Metropolis had been in disarray and German teen Gruda made them pay within the 89th minute, breaking into the realm earlier than delivering a composed end to spark wild celebrations.
West Ham eased the stress on boss Graham Potter with a 3-0 win at Nottingham Forest.
Potter had confronted requires his sacking after West Ham conceded eight targets in two successive top-flight defeats, then crashed out of the League Cup at Wolves.
Former Chelsea and Brighton boss Potter, who has solely been in command of West Ham since January, might have earned a keep of execution thanks to 3 targets within the final six minutes from Jarrod Bowen, Lucas Paqueta and Callum Wilson.
Aston Villa’s winless begin continued with a 3-0 dwelling defeat to Crystal Palace.
Jean-Philippe Mateta, Marc Guehi and Ismaila Sarr struck for the Eagles as Villa missed the presence of goalkeeper Emi Martinez.
The Argentine was absent from the Villa squad amid hypothesis he may make a switch deadline day transfer to Manchester United on Monday.
