Liverpool Maintain Perfect Record in Premier League as Manchester United Gear Up for Chelsea Clash
Liverpool secured a 2-1 victory over Everton on Saturday to preserve their impeccable start to the Premier League season, while beleaguered Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim seeks a crucial triumph against Chelsea.
Tottenham overturned a two-goal deficit to secure a draw against Brighton, and Crystal Palace defeated West Ham, which positioned Graham Potters team in the relegation places.
Under Arne Slot, Liverpool led 2-0 within the first half-hour courtesy of goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike, yet they faced a determined response from their local adversaries.
This result positions Liverpool five points ahead of Tottenham in second place, and Everton remain winless at Anfield with spectators present in the 21st century.
Liverpool started strongly and opened the scoring in the 10th minute as Mohamed Salahs lofted delivery landed in the right side of the penalty box.
Gravenberch let the ball bounce before smashing a powerful volley past Everton keeper Jordan Pickford.
The French forward Ekitike capped a fluid sequence in the 29th minute, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister linking up prior to Gravenberch delivering a precise through ball.
Ekitike settled the ball and slotted it calmly between Pickfords legs.
This season, Liverpool have often made their victories hard-earned through late strikes, and a revitalised Everton tested them once more as Idrissa Gueye netted in the 58th minute.
Nevertheless, Slots squad endured to claim their sixth successive win across all competitions in pursuit of a historic 21st English championship.
"Today we required a different kind of resolve compared to previous occasions," remarked Slot, who benched Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, who together cost £225 million ($303 million).
"Our performance in the opening half shows our quality when energised. We lost some stamina later but maintained our determination."
Pressure on Amorim
Manchester Uniteds Amorim urgently requires a victory at Old Trafford, though he confronts a formidable challenge from Chelsea.
United ended last season in 15th position in the Premier League, their poorest showing in 51 years, and they have faltered again this term despite heavy investment in recruits.
They enter the fixture only one spot outside the bottom three.
Since assuming control in November, the Portuguese coach has triumphed in just eight of his 31 league outings and has yet to string together back-to-back successes.
Ahead of the game, Amorim insisted that even the pope could not persuade him to abandon his favoured 3-4-2-1 setup, despite the heavy backlash it has received.
Tottenham have begun the campaign impressively with new boss Thomas Frank, salvaging a draw away at Brighton.
Brighton held a lead thanks to strikes from Yankuba Minteh and Yasin Ayari, but Richarlison replied just before the interval, and an own goal by Jan Paul van Hecke levelled the scores.
Promoted side Leeds bounced back from an early concession to overcome Wolves 3-1, leaving the West Midlands outfit pointless after five games.
Tyrick Mitchells decisive goal for Palace at the London Stadium propelled the capital side to fourth, intensifying scrutiny on West Ham boss Graham Potter, as Burnley and Nottingham Forest ended in a 1-1 stalemate.
Arsenal welcome Manchester City to the Emirates on Sunday, aiming for a third consecutive victory over Pep Guardiolas outfit.
These two sides, viewed as Liverpools primary rivals, will be eager to avoid widening the gap to Slots team, who have cultivated a knack for prevailing even on off days.