Chelsea nicks first win of the season as Manchester United comeback from 2-0 down to beat Forest

By Ed Emeanua

Results

Saturday, August 26, 2023

Bournemouth 0-2 Tottenham (Maddison 17, Kulusevski 63)

Sunday, August 27, 2023

Burnley 1-2 Aston Villa

Sheffield United 0-0 Manchester City

Newcastle 0-0 Liverpool

The highpoint of day 3 in the 2023-2024 Premier League season belongs to the “Old Establishments-Chelsea and Manchester United-who both seem to be making amends of their lackadaisical run so far this season.

The uproar at Stamford Bridge that greeted ‘The Blues’ poor start to the season took a leap of joy as Chelsea rolled in their first maximum points of the season from all games so far.

It was Chelsea 3-0 Luton as the newly promoted Hatters bit off quite a chunk of dust on thier first visit to Stamford Bridge on Friday since their status upgrade to a Premiership side. The scorers for the home side were Raheem Sterling 17, 68, and Senegalese international forward Nicolas Jackson 75.

Bruno Fernandes was at the completion end from the penalty spot in a remarkable 3-2 comeback win for the ancient Trojan Horse  after the hosts, Manchester United had fallen behind twice inside the opening five minutes against Nottingham Forest in a full of energy and vigor Premier League explosion at Old Trafford on Saturday.

The home crowd were silenced just two minutes in when Nigeria forward Taiwo Awoniyi waltzed through the home side’s defense to put Forest ahead and left stupefied two minutes later when unmarked Ivory Coast defender Willy Boly headed in a second.

Pos.			P	W	D	L	GD	PTS
1		Man City	3	3	0	0	5	9
2		West Ham	3	2	1	0	4	7
3		Tottenham	3	2	1	0	4	7
4		Liverpool	3	2	1	0	3	7
5		Arsenal	3	2	1	0	2	7
6		Brighton	3	2	0	1	4	6
7		Aston Villa	3	2	0	1	2	6
8		Man Utd	3	2	0	1	0	6
9		Brentford	3	1	2	0	3	5
10		Chelsea	3	1	1	1	1	4
11		Crystal Palace	3	1	1	1	0	4
12		Fulham	3	1	1	1	-2	4
13		Newcastle	3	1	0	2	2	3
14		Nottm Forest	3	1	0	2	-1	3
15		Wolves	3	1	0	2	-3	3
16		Bournemouth	3	0	1	2	-4	1
17		Sheff Utd	3	0	0	3	-3	0
18		Burnley	2	0	0	2	-5	0
19		Luton	2	0	0	2	-6	0
20		Everton	3	0	0	3	-6	0

 

Danish forward Christian Eriksen then started the comeback after 17 minutes when he scored from Marcus Rashford’s cross but despite United’s pressure, Forest still posed a formidable threat.

Brazil’s Casemiro drew the home team level from close range in the 52′ before Forest were cut down to 10 men with Joe Worrall red-carded for wrestling Fernandes to the turf outside the area.

Ten minutes down the road Rashford fell down in the area off a minimal brush from Forest’s Brazilian midfielder Danilo dos Santos de Oliveira, leaving Fernandes to step up to beat American goalkeeper Matt Turner from the penalty spot and seal United’s second win of the season.

Arsenal were held to 2-2 draw as 10-man Fulham grabbed a late equalizer at the Emirates Stadium, London, Britain on Saturday. The result leaves the Gunners on second place on the table with seven points, behind their north London rivals Tottenham Hotspur on goal difference.

Andreas Pereira had shot Fulham into the lead in the first minute the game but Arsenal finally restored parity before going ahead with two goals in two frenetic second-half minutes blitz from Bukayo Saka and Eddie Nketiah goals.

Fulham had Calvin Bassey sent off for a second yellow card offence on 83′ but 10 men Fulham rescued a point all the same with Joao Palhinha slotting home on 87′ from a corner kick.

Joao Palhinha celebrates his late leveller for Fulham in a thrilling encounter at Arsenal

West Ham swept briefly to the top of the Premier League rostrum under a shrewdly planned 3-1 win over Brighton, whose victorious song in the beginning of the season was choked up.

Fresh from a 3-1 waylay of Chelsea, the Hammers adopted a flawless mesh of defensive steadfastness and attacking deviousness to produce a south coast upset. James Ward-Prowse shot West Ham ahead following an error from Aaron Webster and Jarrod Bowen scored the second from a well orchestrated counter-attacking goal.

Jamaica international Michail Antonio then bulldozed his way to scoring a third for the Hammers before Pascal Gross gave Roberto De Zerbi’s previously unbeaten Seagulls a hope of a comeback but David Moyes’ men stood repelled their pressure with Alphonse Areola making a total of nine saves in all.

The win temporarily shot the Hammers atop the Premier League for only the eighth day in their history. Their lead at the top lasted just until Champions Manchester City completed their week 3 fixture on Sunday.

Michail Antonio celebrates with team-mates Jarrod Bowen and Lucas Paqueta after scoring West Ham’s third

At Turf Moor on Sunday, Matty Cash’s first goal for Aston Villa goals in more than a year buoyed Unai Emery’s side to a 3-1 defeat of Burnley. Cash scored twice in the opening 20 minutes of the encounter.

Lyle Foster gave Burnley some hope with his powerful strike two minutes into the second half, but Moussa Diaby again shot the visitors into a two-goal lead just after the hour as Villa ended a five-match losing league streak on the road.

The win takes Villa to seventh on the table only behind Brighton with both teams level on 6 points and Seagulls ahead on goals difference.

Manchester City romped to the top of the Premier League with a deserved 2-1 victory over a determined Sheffield United thanks to a Rodri’s pile-driver late in the joust.

Jayden Bogle’s goal had looked certain to hand the Blades their first point of the season in the Elite Class of English League Football with his masterclass 85th minute finish but Rodri’s left-footed rocket nicked an 89th minute victory for the defending champions in a remarkable battle at Bramall Lane in which Norway forward Erling Haaland was main attraction.

Haaland had hit the post from his spot kick in the first half, one of three big chances missed by the big Man City man before finally connecting with Jack Grealish’s cross from the left-wing midway through the second half to give City the lead.

City appeared to have lost the plot with Bogle’s 85′ equalizer which could have easily been a just reward for the fortitude of Paul Heckingbottom’s Blades who endured a torrid pressure throughout without possessing much of the ball.

But it was just not meant to be as City swiftly went up the opposing end of the field to win it.