Online Reporter
COULD things get any better for Crystal? Now the only unbeaten side left in the Premier League having stretched their run to 18 matches, thanks to a dramatic 2-1 late victory over champions Liverpool.
Palace are about to embark on their first European tour when they face Dinamo Kyiv in the Conference League on Thursday and have a manager who is proving to be a bit of a genius.
Arne Slot’s expensively assembled side thought they had kept up their run of rescuing late points when Federico Chiesa equalised Ismaïla Sarr’s opener.
But the winning goal came from another substitute as Eddie Nketiah’s injury-time sent the home supporters wild as they recorded their first victory against Liverpool since November 2014.
But while Marc Guéhi put in another faultless performance against the club that came so close to signing him earlier in the month, above all this was a triumph for the system that has been implemented by Oliver Glasner since he arrived in south London 18 months ago.
On this form, Palace are a match for anyone.
Fernandes blows penalty as Brentford defeat piles pressure on Amorim
The holy grail continues to elude Ruben Amorim. Call it progress, consistency, momentum. Or just back-to-back Premier League victories for the first time.
The manager had taken encouragement from last Saturday’s 2-1 home win over Chelsea, even if United had almost located their own feet with heavy gunfire in the closing stages.
It needed to be a platform. And yet, as so often, United followed one step forward with two in the opposite direction.
The question beforehand had concerned which United would turn up because nobody can ever be sure, least of all Amorim.
They gave their answer during a laughably bad opening 25 minutes when they conceded two horror goals and were fortunate that the damage was not worse.
Igor Thiago continued his positive start to the season for Brentford, scoring both of them, and, for United, the tone was set.
There was a first United goal for Benjamin Sesko in the 26th minute but his team pretty much went through the bingo card of frustrating stuff after that.
There was even a penalty miss by Bruno Fernandes on 76 minutes, his second in west London of the season, after the one he blazed into the Thames at Fulham.
This time, after another long wait, Caoimhín Kelleher read his intentions and went the right way to save.
Amorim finished with Kobbie Mainoo, Joshua Zirkzee and Mason Mount on as substitutes.
It was Mainoo alongside Fernandes in midfield, Bryan Mbeumo at right-wingback, Mount at left wing back. It was total attack.
And yet, predictably, it would end in a total mess as Brentford broke in stoppage time and the substitute Mathias Jensen flashed a shot from outside the box through the hands of Altay Bayindir.
Manchester City piled on the misery on Burnley with a thumping 5-1 win.
With its lightning ball-recycling that swept play left to right and then back into the area for a second Maxime Estève own goal, Manchester City’s third was a picture of their dominance under Pep Guardiola before last season’s decline.
Jérémy Doku raced inside from the left and found Phil Foden, whose instant turn-and-pass to Matheus Nunes scattered Burnley.
The right-back’s cross was smacked in at velocity and Oscar Bobb’s attempt rebounded off Estève and past Martin Dubravka.
The 65th-minute strike left Guardiola hugging Pep Lijnders and will surely be pointed to by the manager as the blueprint City need to consistently call upon because until this his men had been ponderous, lacking the slickness that befuddles most foes.
City had kicked off holding a 12-1 aggregate lead in the past three meetings with Burnley and inside 15 minutes this moved to 13-1.
Doku’s fine early-season form continued as he burst in from the left and shot; Dubravka palmed the ball straight to Foden, whose hit, at close range, pinged off Estève for the latter’s first own goal of an unfortunate outing.
“You’re going down with United,” the jubilant home support sang after the opener, as City’s dominance continued — for a while. Rodri was absent on fitness grounds, so Nico González deputised, and one effort from the No. 14 deflected out for a corner he flicked on for Erling Haaland, who marginally missed his connection.
Maxim De Cuyper and Danny Welbeck pounce late as Brighton punish 10-man Chelsea
The rumblings of discontent at Chelsea grow louder. The frustration from the Stamford Bridge crowd was audible as they watched their team lose at home in the Premier League for the first time since last December.
Enzo Maresca’s substitutions came under the spotlight again and Chelsea, who are facing a defensive crisis before hosting Liverpool next weekend, were in a giving mood during this 3-1 defeat to Brighton.
It was sweet for Brighton, given how many players and executives have swapped the south coast for west London during the past three years.
The celebrations were wild when Danny Welbeck’s second goal of the afternoon wrapped up the points deep into added time.
Chelsea were in control at half-time, Enzo Fernández giving them the lead, only for the complexion of the game to change when Trevoh Chalobah was sent off early in the second half. — AFP
