Back
…as Arsenal, Fulham secure win
Nicolas Jackson’s well-taken double for Aston Villa ended Manchester City’s 100% winning start to the Premier League season.
City had taken maximum points from their first seven league games but Enzo Maresca’s team fell to their first defeat against a Villa side who have an exceptional recent record against them.
This victory was Villa’s fifth in their past seven meetings against City, a fourth successive win against them at Villa Park and came on the fourth anniversary of Unai Emery’s appointment as manager.
Villa captain John McGinn pounced on a poor touch by City defender Marc Guehi to play in Jackson, who turned inside Elliot Anderson and finished high into the net past Gianluigi Donnarumma for the hosts’ opener.
Iliman Ndiaye hit the post as the visitors pressed for an equaliser, which eventually arrived early in the second period when Erling Haaland climbed highest to nod in Ndiaye’s cross from the right.
However, parity lasted only eight minutes as Jackson met substitute Ibrahim Mbaye’s low cross with a first-time shot that went in underneath Donnarumma’s left hand.
Also, Tottenham won at Stamford Bridge for only the second time in the league for 36 years as 10-man Chelsea were beaten at home.
England midfielder Cole Palmer was also sent off in the 80th minute for two bookings to complete a miserable evening for Xabi Alonso’s side. Spurs had taken the lead three minutes earlier in fortunate circumstances.
Chelsea goalkeeper Mike Penders, on his first league start for the Blues after Emi Martinez suffered a fractured jaw against Everton, punched the ball into his own net when he jumped under pressure from Jan Paul van Hecke at a corner.
French forward Mathys Tel added a second in the 87th minute with a low strike from 25 yards out following a fine individual run from the halfway line.
Meanwhile, Arsenal moved level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table with a comfortable home victory over Everton.
Defenders Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhaes scored the goals to lift Arsenal to 21 points, to join City who had earlier lost at Aston Villa.
In another EPL match, Oscar Bobb’s late goal made it backto-back Premier League wins for Fulham as they claimed victory at Coventry City.
In a game which otherwise lacked quality, Bobb weaved past a defender in a crowded penalty area before whipping an excellent strike into the bottom corner to score the game’s only goal.