Liverpool, City shine; United, Chelsea suffer

A fourth straight win for Liverpool. Another big victory for Manchester City. More disappointment for Manchester United and Chelsea.

Oh, and the usual dose of VAR controversy.

It was a typical afternoon in the Premier League yesterday.

By beating Burnley 3-0, Liverpool achieved a club-record 13th straight league victory and stayed in first place on a maximum 12 points heading into the two-week break for internationals. No other team in England’s four professional leagues has won all its games since the start of the season.

City are hot on Liverpool’s heels in second place, already seemingly reprising the northwest clubs’ duel for the title last season.

They are now 14 goals this season for the defending champions after a 4-0 home win over Brighton that included a double from Sergio Aguero, who is the top scorer in the league with six goals.

City’s win was marred by a first-half injury to, arguably, the team’s best defender, Aymeric Laporte, which, according to manager Pep Guardiola, could keep the centre back out for “a while”.

Meanwhile, pre-season predictions that this will be a transitional year for United and Chelsea under inexperienced coaches are proving to be true, with the two teams already seven points off Liverpool before September with just one win apiece so far.

Both squandered leads yesterday, United failing to build on Daniel James’ early goal – his third of the season following his offseason arrival from second-tier Swansea – and drawing 1-1 at Southampton.

The sight of Paul Pogba hobbling away from St Mary’s stadium was a further blow to United.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said Pogba “got a bad knock on his ankle” but expected the midfielder to still turn up for international duty with France next week.

Chelsea will be even more unhappy, surrendering a two-goal lead at home to promoted team Sheffield United and drawing 2-2.

CONTENTIOUS ISSUES

Every weekend has featured some sort of contentious issues with VAR, which is being used for the first time in the Premier League this season, and the latest dispute was at Crystal Palace’s 1-0 win over Aston Villa.

Villa thought they had scored an equaliser in the seventh minute of stoppage time through Henri Lansbury, only for the goal to be ruled out because teammate Jack Grealish was adjudged to have dived in the build-up. Villa’s players were furious and it looked a tight call, with the video assistant referee choosing not to overturn the on-field decision of the referee.

A touch of fortune and a defensive error helped Liverpool ease to a 13th straight win.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s cross from the right glanced off the back of Burnley striker Chris Wood and span high and beyond the reach of goalkeeper Nick Pope into the far corner of the net in the 33rd.

Four minutes later, Burnley defender Ben Mee passed the ball straight to Roberto Firmino in midfield and the Brazil forward played in Sadio Mane, who slotted home his finish.

Firmino added the third in the 80th from a counter-attack.

Jamie Vardy scored twice in Leicester’s 3-1 win over Bournemouth, West Ham beat Norwich 2-0 through goals by Sebastian Haller and Andriy Yarmolenko, while Watford collected its first point of the season by drawing 1-1 at Newcastle.