By Martyn Herman
MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) -Manchester City avoided a third successive Premier League defeat as they beat Brighton & Hove Albion 2-1 to return to the top of the table and Liverpool enjoyed bragging rights yet again over Everton as they won the Merseyside derby 2-0 on Saturday.
Chelsea looked on course for their first statement result of the Mauricio Pochettino era as they led Arsenal 2-0 at Stamford Bridge but they had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
Newcastle United roared into the top five as they crushed Crystal Palace 4-0 and there were wins for Brentford and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
The restart of Premier League action after the international break was overshadowed, however, by the announcement that former England and Manchester United great Bobby Charlton had died at the age of 86.
United visit bottom club Sheffield United later on Saturday in what will be a sombre occasion.
Champions City’s serene early-season progress had been jolted before the stoppage with defeats by Wolves and Arsenal but they returned to winning ways against a dangerous Brighton side who made life difficult.
City began in dominant fashion and needed only seven minutes to take the lead as Jeremy Doku’s pace down the left set up Julian Alvarez to scuff a shot past Jason Steele.
Norwegian goal machine Erling Haaland had gone almost a month without scoring for City but he was presented with a chance in the 19th minute after sloppy Brighton play and made no mistake to smash home a left-foot finish.
Brighton did not wilt, though, and got lifeline when Ansu Fati slotted home in the 73rd minute but City held out despite defender Manuel Akanji being sent off deep in stoppage time to secure their 21st consecutive home win in all competitions.
In the day’s early kickoff, Liverpool were given a helping hand as Everton’s Ashley Young was sent off in the first half. But they still took 75 minutes to go ahead thanks to Mohamed Salah’s penalty following Michael Keane.
PERFECT PASS
Salah made the game safe in stoppage time when substitute Darwin Nunez broke free and played a perfectly timed pass for the Egyptian to calmly slot home and extend Liverpool’s record to one defeat in their last 29 games against Everton.
Salah has either scored or assisted in every one of his last 13 Premier League appearances at Anfield, a home streak topped only by Alan Shearer (18) and Thierry Henry (17).
“Consistency is the most difficult thing in football,” Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said of Salah on TNT.
“To do it each and every game … big players step up when we need them and we’re very pleased for him and very pleased for our football club.”
Chelsea produced one of their best performance since the arrival of Pochettino and led through a 15th-minute Cole Palmer penalty and an effort just after halftime by Ukraine’s Mykhailo Mudryk.
But Declan Rice gave Arsenal a lifeline in the 77th minute before substitute Leandro Trossard equalised from a cross by Bukayo Saka to maintain Arsenal’s unbeaten start, although they failed to move top of the table.
City and Arsenal have 21 points but City have a superior goal difference. Liverpool have 20 points, the same as Tottenham Hotspur who will go top if they beat Fulham on Monday.
Newcastle winger Jacob Murphy scored his side’s first goal and made two more in a sizzling display against Palace.
Murphy set Newcastle on their way in the fourth minute as he met Kieran Trippier’s cushioned first-time pass with a volley.
He teed up Anthony Gordon to double the lead and Sean Longstaff effectively sealed the points in stoppage time at the end of a one-sided first half. Callum Wilson got Newcastle’s fourth as the Magpies moved to 16 points.
Bournemouth remained winless in the Premier League after Sasa Kalajdzic scored late to earn Wolves, managed by their former boss Gary O’Neil, a 2-1 win on the south coast.
Burnley also stayed stuck in the relegation zone after going down 3-0 at Brentford but fellow promoted side Luton Town continued to show fight as they secured a dramatic late 2-2 draw at Nottingham Forest.
Chris Wood’s brace had put Forest in command but Chiedozie Ogbene pulled a goal back and Elijah Adebayo struck in stoppage time to send the visitors home happy.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond)
