LONDON, Liverpool won this Saturday 1-0 on their visit to Crystal Palace, a result that ensures the ‘Reds’ leadership in this 7th matchday of the Premier League, in which Manchester City (2nd) and Arsenal (3rd) had to come back from their games.
By ABC Color
October 5, 2024 – 16:26
After having added 18 of the 21 possible points, Liverpool has a one-point advantage over ‘Citizens’ and ‘Gunners’, tied with 17 points.
A goal from the Portuguese Diogo Jota, assisted by the Dutch Cody Gakpo (9), served to ensure the victory of the ‘Reds’, in a match in which coach Arne Slot reserved the Uruguayan Darwin Núñez, while the Argentine Alexis Mac Allister was replaced at half-time due to discomfort.
But the most alarming loss for the ‘Reds’ was that of goalkeeper Alisson Becker, who with a quarter of an hour remaining had to be substituted after suffering a puncture in the back of his left thigh.
“When a player walks like he did, it usually means that he will not be with Brazil and I do not expect him to return to the team for the first game after the break,” Slot declared after the match.
The Irishman Caoimhín Kelleher, his usual substitute between the sticks, was absent due to illness, so Slot had to bring on the 23-year-old Czech Viteslav Jaros.
Jiménez’s genius
Manchester City and Arsenal suffered more, winning 3-2 and 3-1 in their respective matches against Fulham (6th) and Southampton (19th) after starting behind on the scoreboard.
Pep Guardiola’s pupils were surprised by an impressive assist from the Mexican Raúl Jiménez, a backheel between two defenders that the Brazilian Andreas Pereira (26) took advantage of, but just six minutes later the Croatian Mateo Kovacic (32) returned the tie at the Etihad Stadium.
Manchester City beat Fulham in a great match
“In the first goal, who expected Jiménez to give that pass?” a surprised Guardiola asked after the match.
In the second half, Kovacic put the ‘Citizens’ ahead (47) and the Belgian Jeremy Doku thought he had sealed the game (82, 3-1) but the Brazilian Rodrigo Muniz (89, 3-2) tightened the rope again in Manchester.
In north London, the ‘Saints’ gave Arsenal a scare, who couldn’t find a way to resolve the match against a team in the relegation zone.
Martinelli enters and scores
Thus, taking advantage of the doubts of Mikel Arteta’s men, Cameron Archer (55) made the shadow of doubt loom over the Emirates Stadium, although just three minutes later (58) the German Kai Haverz restored the tie to the score.
Arteta activated the bench, bringing on three players (61), including the Brazilian Gabriel Martinelli, who put the Gunners ahead assisted by Bukayo Saka, author of the third (88) already in the final minutes.
“He has the ability to change games, to decide matches,” Arteta assessed about Saka.
Saturday afternoon saw a game with eight goals in the duel between Brentford (9th) and Wolverhampton: the locals won 5-3 against the ‘Wolves’ who, despite showing flashes of good football, continue to make too many mistakes and Each date they are deeper in the last position.
West Ham (12th) added their second victory of the season with a 4-1 win over Ipswich (17th), while Leicester (15th) achieved their first by beating Bournemouth 1-0 (13th).
In the last match on Saturday, Everton (16th) and Newcastle (6th) drew goalless at Goodison Park, in a match in which former ‘Toffee’ Anthony Gordon missed a penalty (35th) that could have put the ‘Magpies ahead. ‘.
