Tokyo, 22 October, /AJMEDIA/
On a day when English soccer mourned the passing of Bobby Charlton, Manchester City and Liverpool got back on track with wins in the Premier League.
The death of Charlton, the 1966 World Cup winner and perhaps England’s greatest ever player, was announced during the halftime break of Saturday’s five afternoon games, casting a pall over a busy day as the Premier League returned after the international break.
City and Liverpool bounced back from two straight disappointing results with comfortable wins to reignite a title rivalry that is showing signs of once again going deep into the season.
Liverpool beat crosstown rival Everton 2-0 in the Merseyside Derby in the early kickoff, before City ended a two-game losing streak in the league with a 2-1 win over Brighton.
City had lost two consecutive league games for the first time since 2018 after defeats to Wolverhampton and Arsenal but a third never looked likely against a Brighton team that has looked like an outside challenger for a top-four spot this season.
Julian Alvarez and Erling Haaland netted for City in the opening 20 minutes, with the Norway striker ending a mini-drought after going two league games without scoring. He has never gone three Premier League games without a goal since joining City last season.
Ansu Fati pulled one back for Brighton in the 73rd but the visitors couldn’t find an equalizer even after City’s Manuel Akanji was sent off for a second booking in stoppage time.
On a day with plenty of red cards, Liverpool needed two late goals by Mohamed Salah to get past 10-man Everton after having a couple of refereeing decisions go its way this time.
Ashley Young was sent off after what appeared to be a soft yellow card in the 18th minute and a second booking in the 37th for another foul on Liverpool winger Luis Diaz.
Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate then avoided a second yellow after pulling back Everton striker Beto, which Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp acknowledged could easily have led to another red card.
Liverpool was also awarded a penalty for the first goal in the 75th minute after Diaz’s cross struck the outstretched right arm of substitute Michael Keane in the area.
Liverpool was coming off a loss and a draw in its last two games, with the defeat at Tottenham coming after VAR officials failed to award Liverpool a goal that had been wrongly disallowed for offside.
Newcastle moved above Brighton into fifth place with a 4-0 win over Crystal Palace, while Wolves and Brentford also earned victories. Brentford beat Burnley 3-0 at home, with the visitors also going down to 10 men in the 78th, while Wolves earned a 2-1 away victory at Bournemouth. That game saw a straight red card for Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook in the 54th minute, when the score was 1-1.
Luton trailed by two goals in the 83rd minute before rallying to draw 2-2 at Nottingham Forest, after Chris Wood had netted twice for the hosts.
Arsenal rallied from two goals down to remain unbeaten in the Premier League after a 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea had looked headed for its biggest statement win yet under Mauricio Pochettino after Cole Palmer converted a first-half penalty and Mykhailo Mudryk caught Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya out of position with a lob from a tight angle shortly after the restart.
But Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez made an even bigger mistake at the other end to gift Arsenal a way back into the game. His pass into midfield in the 77th minute was intercepted by Declan Rice, who had an open net to hit from 25 yards out and didn’t miss.
That rejuvenated the visitors and substitute Leandro Trossard equalized in the 84th by tapping in a cross at the far post.
“First half from us was the worst we’ve played this season in terms of sloppiness,” Rice said. “But in the second half we showed what we’re about — that hunger and never-say-die attitude. We showed great heart and character.”
The halftime break had featured a tribute for Bobby Charlton, the England great whose death was announced earlier in the day, with applause ringing out around Stamford Bridge.