Crystal Palace put Manchester United down

Crystal Palace condemned Manchester United to a miserable start to their Premier League campaign as Andros Townsend and a Wilfried Zaha double led the Eagles to successive wins at the start of a season for the first time in their history.

After Townsend squeezed a seventh-minute shot into the far corner from Jeffrey Schlupp's cross, the hosts struggled badly but the game slipped away from them thanks to Zaha's controversial 74th-minute penalty.

Referee Martin Atkinson used the VAR TV monitor to decide Victor Lindelof had handled inside his own box. But, after David de Gea thought he had saved Jordan Ayew's spot-kick, Atkinson ordered a retake because the Spain international had moved off his line. Zaha took responsibility for the second attempt and made no mistake.

On his debut, Donny van de Beek pulled one back 10 minutes from time but Zaha struck again against his former club to secure a deserved victory for Palace.

It was their biggest ever win at Old Trafford, the first time they have beaten United away from home in successive seasons and extended Palace's remarkable undefeated run in away games against the two Manchester clubs to five.

For United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, it was a horrible day. Too many of his players were off the pace, including Paul Pogba, who was replaced by Van de Beek midway through the second half.

Leeds hang on for points in seven-goal thriller with Fulham

Newly-promoted Leeds United continued their barnstorming return to the Premier League as they claimed their first points with a thrilling 4-3 win over Fulham at Elland Road on Saturday.

After a 4-3 loss to champions Liverpool on the opening day, Leeds, back in the top flight after a 16-year absence, produced more vibrant attacking football along with defensive jitters.

Helda Costa gave them a flying start only for Aleksandar Mitrovic’s penalty to level for Fulham before Mateusz Klich restored their lead also with a spot kick before halftime.

Patrick Bamford’s clinical finish in the 50th minute gave Leeds breathing space and Costa’s sumptuous second goal of the game six minutes later had Leeds running riot.

But Scott Parker’s Fulham, promoted via the playoffs, were far from finished as goals by substitute Bobby Decordova-Reid and Mitrovic in quick succession kept the result in the balance.

With the game being played at a punishing high tempo Leeds lived dangerously at times but hung on for their first top-flight victory since April 2004.

Like Leeds, Fulham’s style was easy on the eye but Parker’s side now have no points from two games, having conceded seven.  

Four-star Son leads Spurs rout of Southampton 

Son Heung-min scored four goals set up by Harry Kane as Tottenham Hotspur came from a goal down to overwhelm Southampton 5-2 on Sunday and earn their first Premier League win of the season.

In an action-packed first half at St Mary's, both sides had a goal ruled out by VAR before Danny Ings finished well from a tight angle in the 32nd minute to put Southampton ahead.

The hosts deserved their lead and had chances to add a second before Son, with Spurs' first shot at goal, latched onto a fine first-time pass from Kane before equalising in first-half stoppage time.

That same combination unlocked the hosts two minutes after the break, with Son taking advantage of a high Saints defensive line before racing clear to score.

Son's first Premier League hat-trick was completed in the 64th minute before Kane set him up again to complete a memorable afternoon with another clinical finish 17 minutes from time.

Kane himself completed the rout with a close-range finish before Ings grabbed a late Southampton consolation from the penalty spot.

Hat-trick hero Calvert-Lewin eager to impress for 'new' Everton
 

Striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s eye-catching form for Everton has been reminiscent of some of the club’s other great number nines, but he is not getting carried away after back-to-back wins at the start of the Premier League campaign.

The 23-year-old bagged his first senior hat-trick in Saturday’s 5-2 mauling of 10-man West Brom, which followed his winner away at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend as Everton suggest they could be a real threat for the European places this season.

With a vastly improved midfield that includes Colombian playmaker James Rodriguez, Everton created 32 goal attempts in their opening two matches, with four of them converted by Calvert-Lewin.

“You look at the quality we have got on the ball, it was important we utilised the extra man,” the striker told SkySports after the West Brom win.

“We created space and chances, and I was happy to be in the box to tap them in.”

Calvert-Lewin hailed the impact of manager Carlo Ancelotti, who is helping him hone his predatory instincts in the box.

“He’s on me every day for one-touch finishes and being in the box to put the ball in the back of the net. It’s nice to know that what I am working on in training is coming off.”

The England junior international is delighted to have Rodriguez in the side, who he hopes will help him push for a first senior cap in the not too distant future.

“He has played at the highest level and you can see the quality he has. He has settled right into the team and the Premier League. It has not been too difficult for him.

“But it’s important not to get carried away. I just need to keep taking care of business, scoring goals and playing well, and the rest will take care of itself.”

Maupay strikes twice as Brighton ease to win at Newcastle

NEWCASTLE - Brighton and Hove Albion got their Premier League season up and running with a clinical 3-0 victory over Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Sunday after an early brace by Neal Maupay.

The Frenchman put Brighton ahead from the penalty spot in the fourth minute when Allan Saint-Maximin brought down Tariq Lamptey after the teenage wing-back cut inside from the right and darted into the box.

Lamptey, 10 days shy of his 20th birthday, was also involved in Brighton’s second four minutes later, releasing Leandro Trossard down the right.

The Belgian fired in a low cross that Maupay slotted home from close range and though the goal was initially disallowed for an offside in the build-up, referee Kevin Friend overturned his decision after consulting the video assistant referee (VAR).

The home side showed more fight after the restart and Callum Wilson spurned Newcastle’s best chance to cut the deficit when he headed over from close range in the 63rd minute after Brighton were caught trying to play out from the back.

It was the visitors, however, who extended their lead late on, when Aaron Connolly curled the ball home after being picked out inside the box by Maupay to complete a comfortable win for Brighton who lost their opening game of the season to Chelsea.

The only blot on Brighton’s performance was a red card for midfielder Yves Bissouma in the 89th minute for catching Jamal Lewis in the face with a wild swing of his boot.  

Liverpool put Chelsea down

LONDON - Two goals from Sadio Mane just after halftime eased champions Liverpool to a 2-0 win over 10-man Chelsea in the Premier League season's first heavyweight clash at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

A dull game never threatened to live up to the eight-goal thriller when the side's met in July, and it proved all-too-easy for Liverpool to lay down the season's first big marker although Chelsea were architects of their own downfall.

Chelsea managed only one goal attempt in the first half but were solid enough until Danish defender Andreas Christensen was sent off shortly before the interval for hauling down Mane.

Mane headed Liverpool in front five minutes after the interval and four minutes later took advantage of a dreadful error by Chelsea keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga as the hosts crumbled.

Liverpool gave new midfield signing Thiago Alcantara a debut off the bench but the Spaniard's first impact was to offer Chelsea a lifeline by fouling Timo Werner to concede a penalty with a little under 20 minutes remaining.

But Jorginho's effort was saved by the otherwise redundant Alisson Becker to spare Liverpool any late tension.

Liverpool have won both their opening games while Chelsea have three points.

Late Nketiah strike gives Arsenal 2-1 win over West Ham
  

A late goal from substitute Eddie Nketiah gave Arsenal a 2-1 home win over West Ham United in the Premier League on Saturday after Michail Antonio's first-half strike for the visitors had cancelled out Alexandre Lacazette's 50th goal for the Gunners.

West Ham were more organised playing with a five-man defence than in their opening 2-0 home loss to Newcastle United as they faced an Arsenal side fresh from a 3-0 win at promoted Fulham.

But the hosts broke through in the 25th minute when captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, fresh from signing a new three-year deal, sprang onto a through ball down the left and chipped across to Lacazette, who headed past keeper Lukasz Fabianski.

West Ham levelled just before halftime with a brilliantly worked move from deep in their own half. Tomas Soucek ran the ball through the middle and sent a pass wide to Ryan Fredericks who whipped it into the path of Antonio to net from close range.

Antonio nearly doubled his tally with another tap-in shortly after the restart, but Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno got down at his feet to smother the ball right on the goal-line.

Instead, Nketiah claimed all three points for the hosts when he latched onto a Dani Ceballos layoff in the 85th, having come on less than 10 minutes before to replace Lacazette.