Manchester United unlocks actual potential, Chelsea humbled by Leeds United, and Arsenal claims pole position
Though every edition of the Premier League proves to be special, the 2022/23 season is turning out to be an unpredictable one. After losing their first two matches, Manchester United produced a spectacular performance to beat Liverpool 2-1, while Chelsea was handed a humbling 3-0 defeat by Leeds United.
Meanwhile, Arsenal defeated Bournemouth to register their third consecutive victory and claim first place in the standings.
Check out what happened over the weekend in the 2022/23 Premier League season:
Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Wolverhampton Wanderers
Having clinched a point at the very end of the London Derby against Chelsea, confidence was pretty high in the Tottenham Hotspur camp. However, Wolverhampton Wanderers were also up for the challenge, following the acquisition of two supremely talented players in Matheus Nunes and Goncalo Guedes.
Bruno Lage’s team undoubtedly had the better first half and should have taken the lead, but Spurs’ defense proved to be unbreachable. Their missed opportunities came back to haunt the Wolves, as Harry Kane scored from a corner in the 64th minute to secure all three points for his team.
Everton 1-1 Nottingham Forest
Despite being a newly promoted team, Nottingham Forest was always likely to give most teams a run for their money after signing a host of quality players in the summer transfer window.
After securing their first win of the season in the last match, Steve Cooper’s team did well to restrict Everton to a 1-1 draw. The Toffees perhaps were the better team, but the boys in red were the first to score through Brennan Johnson’s 81st-minute strike. However, just as when they thought they had secured the three points, a Demarai Gray strike in the 88th minute helped Frank Lampard’s team salvage a point.
Leicester City 1-2 Southampton
Given their financial troubles, Leicester City was always likely to have a difficult time in this season and their last match proved why the assumptions were accurate.
Against Southampton, the Foxes were the first to break the ice as James Maddison found the back of the net with a sublime shot in the 54th minute. However, two goals in a span of only 16 minutes from Che Adams saw the Saints walking away with a win.
Fulham 3-2 Brentford
Unlike their previous campaigns in the Premier League, Fulham is not having any problems dealing with the intensity of the top flight this time around. In their last match, they defeated London rivals Brentford 3-2.
Bobby Reid gave Marco Silva’s team the lead in the very first minute, while Joao Palhinha made the scoreline 2-0 in the 20th minute. Just as when many thought the game is all but over, goals from Christian Norgaard and Ivan Toney got the Bees back in the game. However, Thomas Frank’s side was dealt with a killer blow at the very end when Aleksandar Mitrovic sealed the win for Fulham.
Crystal Palace 3-1 Aston Villa
Aston Villa has not had a good start to the season, and after the 3-1 defeat against Crystal Palace, there will certainly be questions on Steven Gerrard’s managerial prowess.
It was in fact the Villans who scored first, through an Ollie Watkins strike in the 5th minute, but Wilfred Zaha drew the Eagles level only a couple of minutes later. The Ivorian striker found the back of the net once again in the 58th minute, whilst a 71st-minute goal from Jean-Philippe Mateta sealed the win for Patrick Viera’s men.
Bournemouth 0-3 Arsenal
Arsenal defeated Bournemouth 3-0
Arsenal is looking unstoppable at the moment and their position in the league table will highlight their dominance. After winning the first two matches, Mikel Arteta’s men made it three wins out of three by beating Bournemouth 3-0.
Martin Odegaard scored the first goal in the 5th minute, while the Norwegian midfielder himself made it 2-0 only six minutes later. French centre-back William Saliba came up with a spectacular effort to make it 3-0 in the second half.
West Ham United 0-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Like Arsenal, Brighton & Hove Albion is also looking lively in all of their matches. They defeated Manchester United at Old Trafford not very long ago, and in their last match, they defeated West Ham United 2-0.
The opening goal was scored by Alexis Mac Allister in the 22nd minute via a penalty. The Hammers did try to bounce back immediately, but while they were wasteful in the final third, clinical Leandro Trossard made it 2-0 for the Seagulls in the 66th minute.
Leeds United 3-0 Chelsea
Chelsea was handed a 3-0 humbling by Leeds United
The signs were visible in the matches against Everton and Tottenham Hotspur, but the Leeds United clash brutally exposed all of Chelsea’s shortcomings. The Blues suffered a humbling 3-0 defeat.
A fatal mistake by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy saw Brenden Aaronson opening the scoring in the 33rd minute, while in-form attacker Rodrigo Moreno made it 2-0 only four minutes later. The demolition job was completed when Jack Harrison scored in the 69th minute.
Newcastle United 3-3 Manchester City
All eyes were on the Manchester United-Liverpool clash, but the most enthralling game of the weekend was certainly the one between Newcastle United and Manchester City. Both teams played a nerve-wracking 3-3 draw.
Ilkay Gundogan opened the scoring for the Cityzens, but Miguel Almiron and Callum Wilson’s strikes gave Eddie Howe’s team a slender advantage. Kieran Trippier’s delightful strike doubled the Magpies’ lead, but Pep Guardiola’s men did well to stage a comeback. Erling Haaland and Bernardo Silva scored twice in a span of three minutes to salvage a point for their team.
Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool
We are only two weeks into what is going to be a very long Premier League season, but Liverpool has already got some catching up to do in terms of the title race. While their rivals Manchester City are looking flawless, the Reds played out a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace after drawing their first game.
Wilfred Zaha opened the scoring for the Eagles in the 32nd minute, and to make matters worse, Darwin Nunez got sent off in the 57th minute. Despite the numerical inferiority, Luis Diaz’s strike got the Reds back in the game in the 61st minute, but Jurgen Klopp’s men could not find a winner.