West Ham United showed that their place in the Premier League’s top four was fully warranted as they recorded a memorable 3-2 victory against Liverpool at a rocking London Stadium on Sunday.
Win for high-flying West Ham ended Liverpool’s 25-match unbeaten run in all competitions and lifted them above Juergen Klopp’s side into third place in the table.
An own goal by Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker gave West Ham United a dream start, but Liverpool went in level at half-time thanks to a superb Trent Alexander-Arnold free-kick.
Craig Dawson hit the bar for West Ham early in the second half as Liverpool wobbled at the back, before Pablo Fornals restored West Ham’s lead in the 66th minute when he was played through and his shot evaded Alisson.
Alisson was found wanting again eight minutes later when Kurt Zouma headed in West Ham’s third in the 74th minute.
Substitute Divock Origi gave Liverpool a lifeline with a shot on the turn in the 82nd minute, but the hosts clung on for a memorable victory.
West Ham have 23 points from 11 games, with Juergen Klopp’s side placed one point behind them.
Three points on 100th
Arsenal rode a second-half goal from Emile Smith-Rowe to log a 1-0 home win over Watford in manager Mikael Arteta’s 100th league and cup game in charge.
Smith-Rowe netted Arsenal’s 100th league goal under Arteta as he drilled in a low shot from 18 metres after striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had missed a first half penalty for the home side, who also had two goals ruled out for offside.
Bukayo Saka’s early effort was disallowed and Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster smothered Aubameyang’s 35th-minute spot-kick before he also kept out a close-range Gabriel header with a superb reflex save.
But Foster was powerless in the 56th minute when Arsenal defender Ben White surged forward after winning possession in midfield and teed up Smith-Rowe, who found the back of the net with a first-time shot.
Aubameyang had a 73rd-minute goal chalked off and Joshua King missed Watford’s solitary chance in the 86th before the visitors had Juraj Kucka sent off for a second yellow card after he fouled Arsenal’s left back Nuno Tavares.
Conte and Spurs
Antonio Conte’s first league game in charge of Tottenham Hotspur ended in a scrappy 0-0 draw at Everton, as a crucial VAR intervention helped them scrape a point.
The pivotal moment in a game of few clear chances came just past the hour mark when referee Chris Kavanagh awarded a penalty against Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris for a foul on Richarlison but changed his mind after checking the pitchside monitor.
Tottenham substitute Giovani Lo Celso almost won it for Tottenham late on with a shot against the post, but a draw was just about a fair result for the two out-of-form sides.
Everton ended a feisty match with 10 men after Mason Holgate was sent off in stoppage time for a wild tackle on Spurs midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojgberg.
Leeds United winger Raphinha’s superb free-kick was cancelled out by Leicester City forward Harvey Barnes in an entertaining 1-1 draw at Elland Road.
Brazilian Raphinha fired Leeds ahead in the 26th minute of a breathless opening half with a vicious low free kick that beat a diving Kasper Schmeichel and crept into the bottom left corner before Leicester hit back in style two minutes later.Barnes darted into the penalty area and unleashed a curling right-footed effort from a tight angle that gave Illan Meslier no chance in the Leeds goal to equalise and silence the raucous home crowd.
Coaches sacked
Aston Villa’s Dean Smith became the third Premier League manager to be sacked this week as the club confirmed his departure on Sunday after a run of five successive defeats.
“Aston Villa Football Club can confirm that the club have parted company with head coach Dean Smith,” Villa said in a statement, two days after a 1-0 defeat at Southampton.
Smith joined Villa in 2018 after a spell in charge of Brentford where he developed a reputation for playing exciting, attacking football.
The news followed bottom club Norwich City’s decision to end Daniel Farke’s reign on Saturday.
