Premier League: Liverpool, Arsenal Secure Wins, Man City Held To Draw

Liverpool remain unbeaten in the Premier League this season as they crushed Crystal Palace 3-0 at Anfield on Saturday.

Liverpool were wasteful in the first half as Diogo Jota fired over the bar from a few yards out in a glorious position, while Thiago and Jordan Henderson were also denied by keeper Vicente Guaita.

Jurgen Klopp’s side created numerous chances against a resilient Palace before Sadio Mane pounced on a rebound at the back post in the first half. The goal was Mane’s 100th goal for Liverpool.

Mane’s opener on Saturday made him the first player to net in nine consecutive league matches against a single opponent.

It took his total to 13 against Palace in the Premier League – the most anyone has scored against them – and was the perfect way to notch up his 100th goal in all competitions for Liverpool.

Mohamed Salah doubled their lead with just over 10 minutes remaining when he smashed home a flick-on from a corner.

Naby Keita’s late curling strike made it 3-0 for the hosts.

Elsewhere, Arsenal got their first away win of the season as they defeated Burnley 1-0.

Martin Odegaard curled home a freekick in the 30th minute after Ashley Westwood had clipped Bukayo Saka on the edge of the area.

It was Odegaard’s first goal since joining the Gunners on a permanent basis from Real Madrid in a £30m deal last month.

Arsenal’s midfield axis of Odegaard and Emile Smith Rowe either side of a deep-lying Thomas Partey was particularly effective, even if the goal threat of Nicolas Pepe and skipper Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was negligible.

Still only 22, Odegaard still has plenty of time to prove why Real Madrid bought him as a 16-year-old in January 2015.

Although he only made 11 appearances for the Spanish giants, the Norwegian evidently has plenty of confidence.

He was happy to take responsibility from the set-piece after Westwood had fouled Saka and provided the perfect finish, over the ball and beyond the dive of Burnley goalkeeper Nick Pope.

Manager Mikel Arteta might have wanted more goal threat from his team, who dominated possession but surprisingly had fewer shots and corners than their hosts.

Burnley were denied a chance to equalise from the penalty spot when referee Anthony Taylor overturned his initial decision after reviewing Aaron Ramsdale’s challenge on substitute Matej Vydra on the pitchside screen.

It was the high point of a spirited second-half performance by the hosts, whose manager Sean Dyche was this week given a new four-year contract and handed a debut to Ivory Coast wide-man Maxwel Cornet.

A second successive win eases Arsenal into mid-table following their poor start to the campaign, but Burnley remain second from bottom with a single point to show from their opening five games.

Defending champions, Manchester City, could not find a way through a resolute Southampton side and ended up fortunate to get a 0-0 draw despite the noisy backing of the home fans at Etihad Stadium.

City, who did not manage a single shot on target until the 90th minute, were sloppy in possession as well as lacking their usual spark in attack and Saints will feel they should have left Manchester with all three points, not just one. The visitors were awarded a penalty on the hour mark when Kyle Walker was sent off for bundling Adam Armstrong over in the box, but both decisions were overturned when VAR intervened and referee Jon Moss watched replays of the incident.

Armstrong had burst into the box after City had again given the ball away cheaply but, despite being first to the ball he was adjudged to have fouled Walker as the City defender attempted a challenge.

That reprieve brought a raucous response from the City supporters, who had already been making themselves heard all afternoon, but they could not galvanise their side.

City thought they had snatched victory right at the end of the 90 minutes when Raheem Sterling followed up after substitute Phil Foden’s header was saved, but he was flagged offside as he converted the loose ball and a lengthy VAR check did not over-rule the decision.

This was a frustrating 90 minutes for City boss Pep Guardiola, but this time he cannot argue his side’s fans did not do their bit.

Any suggestion that Guardiola’s controversial midweek comments asking more City fans to come to this game might cause a rift between him and supporters were emphatically answered from the off.

The City fans in a near-capacity 53,500 crowd serenaded their manager within 70 seconds of kick-off, singing “we’re glad all over, we’ve got Guardiola” and kept the volume up throughout.

If Guardiola’s intention was to get the crowd going immediately, it worked – but while the crowd was lively, his players looked lethargic for long spells against a well-organised and hard-working Southampton side.

Saints remain winless after sharing the points for the fourth time in five league games, while the draw leaves City three points behind leaders Liverpool.