Liverpool’s Alisson in action

Liverpool dropped more points as a feisty Merseyside derby ended 0-0 at winless Everton on Saturday but Tottenham Hotspur maintained their fast start to the Premier League season with Harry Kane sealing a 2-1 victory over Fulham.

Liverpool had 23 goal attempts but could find no way through at Goodison Park where both sides hit the woodwork and Everton were denied a winner by a VAR decision.

Juergen Klopp’s side have nine points from a possible 18 and with champions Manchester City in action later on Saturday against Aston villa they are alarmingly off the pace.

Leaders Arsenal, who have a maximum 15 points from five games, are at resurgent Manchester United on Sunday.

“Rule number one: if you cannot win the derby, don’t lose it. We could have won it today but we could have lost it in a few moments as well,” Klopp said.

Chelsea hit back to beat West Ham United 2-1 at Stamford Bridge with goals from substitutes Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz cancelling out Michail Antonio’s opener.

But West Ham were left seething when an equaliser by Maxwel Cornet in the dying moments was ruled out after a VAR check ruled that Jarrod Bowen had fouled Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy.

Newcastle United also felt aggrieved as they had a goal chalked off following a VAR decision in a 0-0 home stalemate with Crystal Palace, their fourth draw in six games.

Ivan Toney scored a stunning hat-trick for Brentford in a 5-2 mauling of Leeds United.

Wolverhampton Wanderers claimed their first win of the season as they beat Southampton 1-0 with Daniel Podence on target just before halftime.

Nottingham Forest, who signed 21 new players in the transfer window for a combined 145 million pounds ($167 million), including several on deadline day, squandered a 2-0 lead at home to Bournemouth to eventually lose 3-2 and fall into the bottom three.

CRACKING DERBY

After back-to-back home wins, Liverpool’s season appeared to be back on track and they welcomed back new signing Darwin Nunez on Saturday after his three-game ban.

Nunez was denied by the woodwork in the second half as was Luiz Diaz although Everton’s Tom Davies also struck an upright in the opening half of a derby that somehow remained goalless.

Everton keeper Jordan Pickford made several fine saves to frustrate Liverpool but the hosts thought they had grabbed the lead when Conor Coady tapped in at the far post.

With pandemonium ensuing at Goodison, the goal was ruled out for offside after a long VAR review. A cracking derby then ended with Mohamed Salah firing against the post in stoppage time.

Everton’s 12-year wait for a win over Liverpool at Goodison goes on but manager Frank Lampard took plenty of positives from the draw. “I thought we were brilliant. It’s one of the best 0-0s you’re likely to see,” said the former England midfielder.

Tottenham are enjoying their joint-best start to a Premier League campaign and maintained the pace at home to Fulham.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg gave Tottenham a 40th minute lead after a wave of attacks from the hosts in which Son Heung-min was denied his first goal of the season by the crossbar.

Kane doubled Tottenham’s lead in the 75th minute with a tap-in from Ryan Sessegnon’s pass — his 188th Premier League goal taking him past Andy Cole into third place on the all-time scoring list in the competition.

Aleksandar Mitrovic curled a superb reply for Fulham — his sixth goal of the season — after Richarlison was denied his first for Tottenham by the inside of a post.

“We are going to score many goals with these strikers,” Tottenham manager Antonio Conte, who started with Richarlison, Kane and Son combined for the first time, said.

New signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is not afraid of the supposed curse of the No. 9 shirt at Chelsea and manager Thomas Tuchel said on Friday he expects the Gabon striker to bring a host of qualities to the squad.

Chelsea signed Aubameyang from Barcelona on Thursday’s transfer deadline day as the 33-year-old sealed his return to the Premier League seven months after leaving Chelsea’s London rivals Arsenal

Aubameyang will be Chelsea’s newest No. 9, taking over from Romelu Lukaku who rejoined Inter Milan after a lacklustre season at Stamford Bridge.

Several forwards who wore the No. 9 shirt — including Fernando Torres, Radamel Falcao, and Alvaro Morata — failed to leave a mark at Chelsea despite arriving with high expectations, but Tuchel has confidence in Aubameyang.

“If he is brave enough to take the nine (no. 9 shirt), he takes the nine,” Tuchel told reporters ahead of Saturday’s league game at home to West Ham United.

“It’s on us to prove it, for me to find a position, to create enough support for him and on him to finish our attacks. He is not afraid of the past and what a number means. He is ready to write his own history.

“Auba is happy to fight for challenges so if he wants to take the No. 9 shirt or he wants to show people in London he is better than they think, then all the better.”

Tuchel, who previously managed Aubameyang at Borussia Dortmund, said he had no concerns over Aubameyang’s discipline and that the striker has a positive attitude.

“He delivers goals and speed and work rate against the ball so it’s a big package he can bring to our group,” Tuchel said, adding that Aubameyang cannot train until next week due to a jaw injury he suffered in an armed robbery at his home in Barcelona.

With Chelsea languishing in 10th in the league after losing to Southampton in their last game, Tuchel urged his team to toughen up ahead of Saturday’s game against West Ham, who are 14th.

“We will show a reaction. It’s proven we can do it with this group so we need to find the right spirit and attitude in all of the matches,” Tuchel said.

Newly signed midfielder Denis Zakaria will not be in the squad for Saturday with the club still working on his work permit, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Reece James will return from injuries. N’Golo Kante remains sidelined.

Manuel Obafemi Akanji has Swiss mother and a Nigerian father

Manchester City’s recent injury problems at the heart of their defence and a hectic schedule prompted them to seal a transfer deadline day deal for Swiss international centre back Manuel Akanji, manager Pep Guardiola said on Friday.

City signed the 27-year-old from Borussia Dortmund on a five-year contract for a fee of around 15 million pounds ($17.32 million), making him their fifth signing of the transfer window which closed on Thursday.

Guardiola’s side will be without Aymeric Laporte for another month as he recovers from knee surgery while his fellow defender Nathan Ake is fit again after overcoming a muscle injury.

“We had four incredible centre backs… Aymeric had a tough injury, he’s getting better but still one month or half… Nathan had some concerns,” Guardiola told reporters before Saturday’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa.

Sept 2 (Reuters) – Manchester City’s recent injury problems at the heart of their defence and a hectic schedule prompted them to seal a transfer deadline day deal for Swiss international centre back Manuel Akanji, manager Pep Guardiola said on Friday.

City signed the 27-year-old from Borussia Dortmund on a five-year contract for a fee of around 15 million pounds ($17.32 million), making him their fifth signing of the transfer window which closed on Thursday.

Guardiola’s side will be without Aymeric Laporte for another month as he recovers from knee surgery while his fellow defender Nathan Ake is fit again after overcoming a muscle injury.

“We had four incredible centre backs… Aymeric had a tough injury, he’s getting better but still one month or half… Nathan had some concerns,” Guardiola told reporters before Saturday’s Premier League clash with Aston Villa.

“We couldn’t live with just two centre backs with this schedule. We had an opportunity to bring a player with one year left on his contract, incredibly experienced.

“He is perfect for what we need… good in the build-up. We felt it versus Dortmund. (We are) pleased he’s here.”

Guardiola said he will not force Laporte into action before the next international break later this month.

“One month ago we said September or October. Early October. He’ll be ready after the international break,” the Spaniard said.

“We won’t force it. Knee is a tough injury.”

City are second in the table with 13 points from five games, two points behind Arsenal who have made a perfect start.

Chelsea v West Ham United – Stamford Bridge, London, Britain – September 3, 2022 Chelsea’s Kalidou Koulibaly in action with West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen

Chelsea beat West Ham United 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday as goals from substitutes Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz cancelled out Michail Antonio’s opener, but they also had VAR to thank after an apparent West Ham equaliser was ruled out.

The Blues, looking to improve on their stuttering start to the season, were rocked in the 63rd minute when they failed to clear a corner and Declan Rice squared the ball for Antonio to convert on the goal line.

Thirteen minutes later the hosts were level when Chilwell squeezed between two defenders to get his head on a long forward pass by Thiago Silva and deftly angled the ball between the legs of West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski.

Havertz completed the comeback in the 88th minute when he connected with a cross by Chilwell to make it 2-1, moments after West Ham substitute Maxwel Cornet had headed against the post when he should have scored.

In the dying moments, Cornet thought he had levelled it for West Ham but his goal was ruled out after a VAR check found that Jarrod Bowen had fouled Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy, a decision West Ham disputed.

“It is a scandalous decision, absolutely rotten from one of the supposedly elite referees,” coach David Moyes told the BBC.

“I support a lot of the VAR stuff, I actually think the goalkeeper dives, he is faking an injury because he cannot get to the next one – he did the same on the first goal as well. The referee somehow gets that so wrong it is incredible.”

Chelsea coach Thomas Tuchel conceded his side got lucky with the disallowed goal but said it was a correct decision.

He also said he hoped the win would kick-start Chelsea’s season.

“We take it now step by step, we will try to use this momentum,” Tuchel was quoted as saying by the BBC. “Things are clear now, we can demand full commitment to everything. We are in the middle of creating this and it is not finished.”

Tuchel made five changes after Tuesday’s 2-1 loss to Southampton, giving Wesley Fofana a debut in central defence, recalling Conor Gallagher after his red card a week ago against Leicester City and offering a rare start to Christian Pulisic.

But Chelsea struggled to break down West Ham’s deep defensive lines in the first half, underscoring why they rushed to sign striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Barcelona shortly before the transfer deadline on Thursday.

s it happened at the inaugural edition of the African Nations Championship, Ghana have again knocked out Nigeria from reaching the finals of the championship.

Ghana’s Black Galaxies knocked out Nigeria at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in an ensuing penalty kick shoot out after an aggregate 2-2 draw.  

It is the second time this year that Ghana knocked out Nigeria after an earlier World Cup ouster.

At the inaugural edition in 2009, Nigeria narrowly lost 2-3 in the first leg after initially taking a 2-0 half time lead.

Needing just a goal win at home in Calabar, the Nigerian sides were frustrated to a 0-0 draw to miss the inaugural edition in Cote d’Ivoire.

It was almost in similar vein that the Ghanaians have again taken the drivers’ seat.

In the current edition, each of the teams won their respective home leg 2-0.

After a barren first half in Abuja, Zulkifilu Mohammed pulled a goal back for Nigeria in the 76^th minute.

The home-based Nigerian team levelled up in the fourth minute of the added time when the NPFL top scorer, Chijoke Akuneto put Nigeria on level terms and dragged the game into penalty shoot-out. Nigeria lost 5-4.

Serena Williams Has Waved Farewell To The Us Open – And Her Illustrious Career – Amid Emotional Scenes After She Lost To Australia’s Ajla Tomljanovic On A Thrilling Night In New York.

Williams, Who Turns 41 This Month, Expects It To Be Her Final Match.

It Will End A 27-Year Professional Career That Brought 23 Major Singles Wins And Sees The American Widely Labelled As The Greatest Of All Time.

Williams Lost 7-5, 6-7, 4-7, 6-1 And Had Tears Running Down Her Face Afterwards.

Almost Everyone Who Could Rose To Their Feet When She Departed The Court On Arthur Ashe Stadium – The Scene Of Her First Major Triumph In 1999 And Five More Of The Finest Wins In Her Storied Career – For What She Intends To Be The Last Time.

As She Waved Goodbye And Gave A Signature Twirl, Tina Turner’s Pop Classic ‘Simply The Best’ Boomed Out Over The Sound System.