Aston Villa 3-1 Wolves
JHON DURAN CONTINUED his super-sub role as he came off the bench to complete a rousing Aston Villa comeback in a 3-1 victory against Wolves.
It looked like Villa were going to suffer a Champions League hangover after their midlands rivals took a first-half lead through Matheus Cunha.
Unai Emery’s men were distinctly off-colour for the opening 60 minutes but came to life and levelled through Ollie Watkins in the 73rd minute before taking the lead in the 88th through Ezri Konsa.
Duran climbed off the bench to find the net for the fourth time in five Premier League games this season, sweeping home in the third minute of time added on.
Victory continued Villa’s excellent start to the season as they won a fourth match and the early signs of a repeat top-four challenge are looking promising.
For Wolves, this was a second successive capitulation after losing two goals in the final 15 minutes against Newcastle last weekend.
They remain winless and with Liverpool to come next weekend, boss Gary O’Neil could be starting to feel the pressure.
One of the biggest challenges Villa face this season is how they respond after midweek European games, especially when they travel, and the early evidence is that it could be a problem.
After a midweek win in Switzerland against Young Boys, they were sluggish in the opening exchanges and deservedly fell behind in the 25th minute.
They contributed to their own downfall as were punished for some dangerous playing out from the back, with Diego Carlos passing straight to Cunha, who gleefully curled into the bottom corner from the edge of the area.
Wolves were playing well and should have doubled their lead but Rayan Ait-Nouri could not connect with Jean-Ricner Bellegarde’s pull-back and his volley trickled wide.
The visitors had another big chance to double their lead shortly before half-time when Yerson Mosquera’s curling ball sent Jorgen Strand Larsen through on goal but he lacked conviction and his shot was well saved by Emiliano Martinez.
Villa assumed control after the break but it took them until the 68th minute to test Wolves’ defence as Leon Bailey’s cross was met by Watkins, whose header was cleared off the line by Mosquera.
The visitors had kept Villa at arm’s lengthy but all of a sudden it looked like it was going to be a long final 20 minutes.
Indeed, they could not hold out beyond the 73rd minute as Watkins levelled for Villa.
A loose ball fell kindly for Morgan Rogers and he fed the England striker, whose finish deflected off Craig Dawson and into the net.
A long injury break to Mosquera, who appeared to suffer a serious knee injury, could not halt Villa’s momentum and they went ahead two minutes from the end of normal time when Konsa poked home Youri Tieleman’s cross at the far post.
Duran sealed the comeback by sweeping into an empty net from Morgan Rogers’ cross to seal the points.
Fulham 3-1 Newcastle
Fulham ended Newcastle’s unbeaten start to the Premier League season with a 3-1 victory at Craven Cottage.
Marco Silva called for ruthless finishing from Fulham on Friday and he got just that as Raul Jimenez’s impressive first-half strike helped him to his second in as many Premier League matches.
Emile Smith Rowe continued his fine start to life in west London to double the lead and, after Harvey Barnes pulled one back for Eddie Howe’s men, Reiss Nelson dealt the final blow in second-half added time to seal the three points for Fulham.
Newcastle came out of the blocks firing and they had a goal chalked off for offside. Joe Willock combined with Joelinton, whose first effort was saved before he slotted home the rebound, but Willock did not hold his run.
The warning shot shifted the hosts into gear and they went down the other end to score a legitimate goal of their own. Adama Traore ran down the right flank, cutting inside to find Jimenez.
The Mexican, with his back to goal, brought the ball down before he rifled his strike on the half-volley into the bottom right corner.
Fulham had the bit between their teeth and, after new-boy Smith Rowe’s long-range strike was denied by the bar, Jimenez evaded Dan Burn with a run in behind but his finish was aimed at Nick Pope who saved.
Smith Rowe’s persistence paid off as he helped Fulham double their lead in the 22nd minute. The winger, who joined from Arsenal in the summer, drove forward, playing a one-two with Alex Iwobi and his poked finish had too much on it for Pope to deal with.
Newcastle needed answers after the break and they caught Fulham napping as they pulled a goal back. Jacob Murphy picked up a pocket of space and drove forward. He made a simple pass to Barnes, who cut inside and buried his effort with a well-placed finish which clipped the post before going in.
The goal invited pressure as the nerves grew around Craven Cottage. Newcastle began to throw numbers forward in search of a leveller but centre-backs Joachim Andersen and Calvin Bassey put their bodies on the line consistently to bail Silva’s men out of danger.
Among those Newcastle players who looked lively was Anthony Gordon. After 70 minutes, the England international slalomed between white shirts on the break, but some good defending forced him onto his weaker left side and his strike was stopped by Bernd Leno.
The tension for home fans eased in added time, when Nelson got on the end of a defensive error and smashed home the third.
Leicester 1-1 Everton
Leicester and Everton remain winless in the Premier League after Stephy Mavididi’s strike cancelled out Iliman Ndiaye’s opener in a 1-1 draw at the King Power Stadium.
Everton have made a habit of taking the lead over recent matches and did so again when Ndiaye notched his first Premier League goal.
Sean Dyche’s men were the better team in the first period and deservedly held the lead heading into the break as boos rang round the stadium on Darren England’s half-time whistle.
Everton are yet to win on the road in 2024, their last victory being over Burnley in December, thanks to Mavididi’s second-half strike.
Everton relinquished a third lead in three consecutive league games but at least held on to register their first point of the season.
James Garner, James Tarkowski and Dominic Calvert-Lewin were doubtful ahead of kick-off but their inclusion was a boost for the Toffees while Bilal El Khannouss was handed a first Leicester start as both sides looked for a first victory.
Everton started brightly but Ndiaye slammed the ground in frustration as the unmarked Jesper Lindstrom shanked wide from his pinpoint cross towards the back stick.
Everton looked especially menacing down the left and cashed in on their early dominance.
Ashley Young missed the decisive penalty for Everton’s cup loss in midweek but the opener was all about him – his defence-splitting pass allowing Ndiaye to stroke past Mads Hermansen and in off the post.
Everton were denied a second after Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s blocked shot came out to Lindstrom and his follow-up was blasted straight at Hermansen.
A torrential downpour hit the King Power Stadium, which matched the mood of some fans as murmurs of discontent started to rain down from the parts of the stands.
Leicester’s best opening of the half came when Mavididi’s mis-hit cross almost caught Pickford out, the England goalkeeper scrambling to save the ball from going over the line at the front post.
Steve Cooper’s side continuously got caught with their high defensive line – the impressive Ndiaye latching onto a counter and playing in McNeil, who dragged wide of the target with another good chance for the visitors.
It is no secret that Everton are delicate from winning positions and Hermansen denied Calvert-Lewin from inside the area to keep those doubts over a first victory lingering.
Leicester grew into the contest and almost had an equaliser – Mavididi’s dancing feet fashioning an opportunity for Caleb Okoli but his close-range header was high and wide.
Everton began to sit deeper and paid the price.
Abdoulaye Doucoure’s miscued clearance gave the hosts a corner which bounced the way of Mavididi who bundled home from close range.
The game turned scrappy in the final minutes but it was Leicester who threatened the winner, the ball falling kindly for Facundo Buonanotte who saw his goalbound volley blocked.
Southampton 1-1 Ipswich
Sam Morsy struck a dramatic added-time equaliser as Ipswich snatched a 1-1 Premier League draw against fellow promoted side Southampton at St Mary’s.
Saints were set to pick up a precious first top-flight victory of the season following a maiden career goal from 18-year-old academy graduate Tyler Dibling.
But Tractor Boys captain Morsy levelled five minutes beyond the 90 with a deflected drive from the edge of the penalty box.
Both sides remain without league wins this term, having each played five matches since coming up from the Sky Bet Championship.
Southampton forward Cameron Archer wasted two golden chances, including hitting a post, to give the hosts breathing space while goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale produced superb saves to prevent Omari Hutchinson and George Hirst levelling before the late twist.
Ipswich arrived in Hampshire on the back of successive draws and having done the double over Southampton last season in the second tier.
Manchester City loanee Kalvin Phillips was replaced by Jens Cajuste in the Tractor Boys’ midfield due to a thigh injury while Saints’ four changes included a first league start this term for Adam Lallana.
Former England international Lallana swiftly justified his selection by delightfully setting up a team-mate half his age.
The 36-year-old carved open the visitors’ defence with an exquisite through ball, leaving teenager Dibling to take a couple of touches and gleefully bury a milestone finish beyond Arijanet Muric.
Despite the early setback, Ipswich were initially the greater threat. Sammie Szmodics directed a half-volley wide and later fluffed a close-range free header, albeit from an offside position.
Southampton survived more nervy moments but should have stretched their lead in the 27th minute.
With Ipswich appealing in vain for a foul on Liam Delap, Archer was released by Dibling and, having held off Jacob Greaves and Dara O’Shea, rounded goalkeeper Muric, only to roll the ball against the base of the left post.
Town boss Kieran McKenna, who dismissed pre-match suggestions the clash was a six-pointer, would have been frustrated to be behind at the break.
Saints keeper Ramsdale saved from Leif Davis and O’Shea before producing a spectacular stop to turn over Hutchinson’s powerful effort in added time.
Archer, who was culpable of a pivotal penalty miss in last weekend’s 3-0 loss to Manchester United, failed to capitalise on another excellent chance early in the second half, poking straight at Muric after again escaping O’Shea and Greaves.
Town were struggling to rediscover the attacking enterprise they showed in the first half.
Substitute Jack Taylor sparked a mass brawl with a mistimed sliding tackle during an ill-tempered spell which disrupted the rhythm of the match.
McKenna’s men appeared destined to return to Suffolk empty-handed after Ramsdale tipped over a header from substitute Hirst.
But, from the resultant corner, the partially-cleared ball broke kindly to Morsy and his drive took a significant touch of Joe Aribo to fly into the top-left corner.
