Match day 3 in the Premier league kicked off with an early kick off game where United played away from home to Brighton and Hove Albion at their home ground at the Amex Stadium, it was supposed to be a somewhat easy game on paper for United and an opportunity to bounce back to winning ways after losing to Crystal Palace on Match Day 2, also Chelsea was playing away from home to Epl new boys West Brom, amongst many other matchup of the weekend.
MANCHESTER UNITED GRINDS OUT A 3-2 WIN OVER BRIGHTON IN STOPPAGE TIME
Manchester United edged this one out in a very controversial manner, with the winning penalty which Bruno Fernandes converted calmly awarded moments after the final whistle had gone. A very exciting afternoon of football started when Trossard fired the 1st Brighton attempt on goal within 9 minutes of the game had set up the mood for a very competitive afternoon which suggested that Brighton won’t be sleeping on this one and they were all out for it, he even hit the post again in the 23rd minute and it was all Brighton for a moment and they came close yet again hitting the post in quick succession. United had the ball in Brighton’s goal by a Mason Greenwood finish but the goal didn’t stand as he was adjudged to have been in an offside position in the buildup.
Brighton got ahead eventually as they earned a penalty which was given when Bruno Fernandes was adjudged to have fouled Tariq Lamptey in the box and a Maupay stepped up and was calm as he slotted in the cheeky penalty giving De Gea no chance in goal for United. The Brighton lead didn’t stay for too long as Fernandes got a chance at a free kick which was kept in play by Matic and Dunk under pressure from Maguire and slotted the ball into his own net.
United shot into the lead through a Marcus Rashford 1st goal of the season as he found space to drive in for a solo effort goal, taking out Brighton defender Ben White in the process, it was a very lovely goal for the young United striker to open his goal account for the season. Brigthon brought the pressure from then on and the pressure paid off at the final minutes of the added time, in the 95th minute as unmarked March headed home for an equaliser from a cross from Alireza’s cross. A really tension filled final minutes was not over yet as Maupay handed the ball in the area, but the final whistle had gone a moment after that but the man in the middle was pressured to consult to VAR and a penalty was awarded which Fernandes stepped up to take and gave the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the most unlikeliest of wins.
It ended 2-3 in favour of United.
VARDY STARRED FOR LEICESTER CITY AS THEY THUMP MANCHESTER CITY 5-2
Last season’s golden boot winner Jamie Vardy hit 3 past Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City who were humbled at home at the Etihad Stadium 5-2 yesterday to keep up their 100 percent record winning all 3 opening matches of the season so far. City’s Algerian Striker fresh from testing negative to COVID-19 starting in the Epl match for the 1st time this season put his side into the lead from a well taken volley from outside the box within 4 minutes and it was a well taken goal to announce his return into the starting lineup. Leicester got back in the game in the 37th minute through a Jamie Vardy well taken penalty, he was brought down in the box by City defender Kylie Walker before the penalty was given by the referee, it was Leicester’s City’s 1st shot on goal in a very largely quite 1st half for the foxes.
Second 45 and it was Leicester City who quickly got into it this time as Vardy was on hand to score a brilliant flick goal to put the Foxes into the lead as in the 54th minute, as sweet as the flick finish looked, the build up to the goal was even more sweeter to watch as it involved some brilliant interchange of passing moves between Timothy Castagne and Youri Tielemans.
Vardy was still in the mood again in the 58th minute as referee Mike Oliver awarded yet another penalty for a foul on him by Eric Garcia. He stepped up to the penalty and slotted the ball into Ederson’s goal to complete his hat-trick on the day, his second hat-trick against City in 9 matches. Leicester City were still not done yet as yet again they got the 4th goal of a very embarrassing afternoon for the Cityzens as James Maddison fired in the 4th from 30 yards out to make the score-line 4-1 in the 77th minute.
City’s new boy Nathan Ake reduced the deficit by netting a second goal for City as he headed home from a well taken corner kick by Riyad Mahrez to put the score line at 4-2,
Leicester would again have the final say in the match as they were awarded a 3rd penalty of the game which Tielemans stepped up to and beat Ederson in goal for City to cap up a very underwhelming City performance on the day.
A GAME OF TWO HALVES AS CHELSEA BOUNCED BACK FROM 3 GOALS DOWN TO STEAL A POINT AT WEST BROM.
Chelsea survived what was almost looking like their first premier league loss of the season after they fought really hard to earn a point from the Hawthorns.
Callum Robinson had shot the home team in the lead inside the 4th minute of the game through a very well-taken Matheus Pereira assist to set up the mood for a very competitive evening of football.
Chelsea handed the captain’s arm band to debutant Thiago Silva who was making his premier league debut, but it was a debut to forget as he was caught napping, he gave away a loose ball which Callum Robinson was not sleeping on yet again as he pounced on to slot in the second goal of the day beyond Willy Caballero who got the nod to start in goal for Chelsea ahead of underperforming Kepa Arizabalaga. Roy Hogson men would later shoot into a three-goal lead in the first half two minutes later as Kyle Bartley lashed on to a loose ball from a Darnell Furlong flick header resulting from a Matheus Pereira corner in the 27th minute to compound Chelsea’s problems in the 1st half despite Chelsea having majority of the 1st half possession. It stayed that way till the end of the first half despite Frank Lampard’s prying and mounting all the pressure on West Brom’s goal.
Second 45 and Chelsea came with more conviction and expectedly, they came in pilling all the pressure and it was all Chelsea dominance from the get-go and the pressure paid off as early as the 55th minute, Mason Mouth with a well taken shot from outside the box to beat the West Brom keeper, Sam Johnstone in goal to make it 3-1. Chelsea kept up the pressure and it was pretty much a one sided half as West Brom had no reply to all the pressure from Chelsea and on the 70th minute after a nice interchange of passes with Kai Harvetz, Callum Hudson-Odoi making a substitute appearance after coming on for Mateo Kovacic, slot in a second goal to set up a very tense final 20 minutes of regulation time.
Chelsea would later find a way through to earn a very vital point through Tammy Abraham who tapped him a simple call after Sam Johnstones had parried a Mason Mouth shot into his path.
Chelsea really showed strength and determination to fight till the end to earn this draw.
WEST HAM THUMPED WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS 4 NIL
David Moyes’s team were in dominant form as they scored two goals in each half to “hammer” Nuno Espirito Santo’s Wolves at home at the London Stadium yesterday in the English premiership match day 3 matchup to hand Wolves their second loss in the season as they earned their 1st win of the season.
The Hammers heading into this one with a poor scoring record against Wolves as they have lost all 4 previous matches without netting a goal shot into the lead as early as the 17th minute following quickly a well-taken free kick by Pablo Fornails which was met by the Jarrod Bowen who curled the ball past Rui Patricio in goal for Wolves.
Wolves tried to get back into it all the remainder of the half but couldn’t find a way. The 1st half ended with the West Ham’s lone goal lead.
Second 45 and it was still a cagey affair as both sides tried to size each other up by trying to carve out an opening, with Wolves slightly better off in terms of ball movements and possession but it was West Ham again that got the second goal and it was Jarrod Bowen who was at the right place at the right time to tap in a simple finish after the ball had bounced off the post from a Pablo Fornals long range effort from outside the area.
Wolves were still bossing the possession but weren’t creating many attempts on goal as West Ham added a third goal when Tomas Soucek headed home from Aaron Cresswell’s corner, the ball had taken a huge deflection off Raul Jimenez on its way into the net for an own goal.
Wolves kept prying till the closing stages of the match and yet again it was West Ham who got the final words as they got a 4th and final goal of the game through a Sebastien Haller header in stoppage time to land the Hammers their 1st win in the new campaign.
In other EPL matches, Day 3 weekend matchups, Everton continued their impressive start to the season as they defeated Crystal Palace 1-2 at their home at the Selhurst Park, Dominic Calvert Lewin with a goal to bring his tally to 5 goals already in the season, Cheikhou Kouyaté with the reply for Palace, but Richarlison got a penalty goal to seal the win for Everton, their 3rd win in 3 matches to keep their 100 percent record for Carlo Ancelotti side.
Danny Ings’ 5th minute goal was all it took for Southampton to seal all 3 points against Burnley at the Turf Moor.
Leeds United got a 0-1 win away from home at the Bramall Lane, away to Sheffield United, another premier league win to make it their second win in a row since falling to an opening day defeat against Champions Liverpool.
Jose Mourinho ‘s Tottenham Hotspur were held to a 1-1 draw at home at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, by visiting Newcastle United, Lucas Moura had given spurs a 25th minute lead and it stayed that way till Newcastle got a 97th minute penalty which was converted by Callum Wilson to earn a crucial point for his team.
There would be Monday night actions tonight in the Premier league as Fulham would be hosting Aston Villa at the Craven Cottage and Arsenal would be visitors at Anfield to play Champions Liverpool.
