Football
Gordon’s late strike dampens Bournemouth celebrations
Chelsea thrashed Wolves 6-2 while Liverpool registered second win of 2-0 against Brentford.Reuters
Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon equalised 14 minutes from time to secure a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday and spoil their hosts’ 125th anniversary celebrations.
Marcus Tavernier put Bournemouth ahead in the first half but Gordon stole in at the back post to steer home a 76th-minute cross from substitute Harvey Barnes to ensure a deserved share of the spoils.
Newcastle advanced to four points from their opening two games of the season. Bournemouth drew their first match at Nottingham Forest.
Bournemouth, hoping for a win to mark their anniversary festivities, had the ball in the net in stoppage time for what looked initially to be a dramatic late winner but Dango Ouattara’s effort was ruled out for handball after a VAR check.
Ouattara rose powerfully but a check showed the ball hit him on the top of his arm as he went up for the header and it was disallowed to the frustration of the home fans.
It was Newcastle who looked more likely to snatch a winner, however, with Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto making several key stops to deny Alexander Isak, Joelinton and a header from centre-back Dan Burn in the closing stages.
Bournemouth’s lead came after Antoine Semenyo had stolen possession from Joelinton and worked the ball past three defenders before setting up a tap-in for Tavernier.
Joelinton was caught midway in his own half by the Bournemouth winger, who looked to have taken on too much as he stormed in at goal but managed to get a square pass to Tavernier when surrounded by three defenders.
Semenyo, who struck the crossbar in the first half, was close to another assist in the 64th minute but his pass from the wing was miscued by a sliding Evanilson at the back post.
Bournemouth’s record signing was making his debut in one of five changes from last week’s line-up but Evanilson’s two other efforts on goal were easily dealt with by home goalkeeper Nick Pope and he was taken off after 72 minutes.
Madueke hits hat-trick as Chelsea thrash Wolves 6-2
Noni Madueke silenced the boos with a second-half hat-trick all assisted by Cole Palmer as Chelsea crushed Wolverhampton Wanderers 6-2 away in a frenetic Premier League clash at Molineux on Sunday.
Chelsea’s first Premier League points of the season and the first for new manager Enzo Maresca arrived in spectacular fashion as the visitors ripped Wolves apart after the break following an absorbing first period.
Maresca’s side led twice in the first half with goals by Nicolas Jackson and Palmer but both times Wolves deservedly hit back through Matheus Cunha and Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Wolves fell apart after the break, however, and Madueke took the game beyond them with three goals in 15 minutes.
Joao Felix came off the bench to mark his return to the club with his side’s sixth goal.
Much has been made of Chelsea’s huge squad assembled at massive cost and the baffling puzzle Italian Maresca has been hired to solve, but the youthful side he sent out on Sunday including nine players aged 23 or under gelled impressively.
Madueke was the villain for the home fans in more ways than one. The English forward was booed from the start after a deleted social media post in which he insulted the city of Wolverhampton.
He silenced the hecklers in emphatic fashion, however, to get Chelsea’s league campaign up and running after their opening defeat by champions Manchester City.
With Wolves in disarray, Pedro Neto, who left them for Chelsea in the summer, teed up Felix for a cool finish.
Slot off to winning start at home as Liverpool cruise past Brentford
Arne Slot’s comfortable start to life as Liverpool manager continued when his new side strolled to a 2-0 victory over Brentford in the Premier League on Sunday.
Liverpool dominated early on, scoring a fine opening goal on the counterattack when Luis Diaz arrowed his first of the season into the top corner with 13 minutes on the clock.
Brentford responded well, going close with two short-range headers either side of halftime, but Mohamed Salah ended the visitors’ hopes of taking anything from their trip to Anfield with a second goal 20 minutes from time.
Dutchman Slot now has two 2-0 wins from two games as he undertakes the difficult task of replacing Juergen Klopp as Liverpool boss, with a testing trip to Manchester United up next.
“The time with Juergen (was) amazing and the time with the new boss is a joy and he has a certain way of playing,” Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk told Sky Sports.
Before Sunday, no Liverpool boss since Graeme Souness in 1991 had secured wins in their two opening league games in charge.
Brentford, without star striker Ivan Toney in the squad again as speculation over his future continues, grew into the contest, but could not make a sustained spell of pressure before halftime count.
Liverpool upped the ante after the break and deservedly got their second goal, with Salah adding to his strike on the opening day at Ipswich Town with another well-taken shot to seal the victory.
Salah is now Liverpool’s outright fifth top scorer at Anfield in all competitions with 118 goals, moving ahead of Robbie Fowler as he again looks primed to be front and centre of a Red title tilt.