Matchweek 2 concluded after the first Monday night fixture of the season and there is so much that happened in the three days. Man City bounced back in style, Romelu Lukaku got off the mark on his debut, and Man United dropped points on the road. Let’s start the roundup from where the matchweek began.
Matchweek 2 Roundup
Liverpool comfortable, Manchester City bounce back
Matchweek 2 kicked off at Anfield, which saw a capacity crowd for the first time in 15 months. In front of them, Liverpool posted a comfortable 2-0 win over Burnley. The Clarets had ended Jurgen Klopp’s 68-match unbeaten home run in January, but goals from Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane ensured no repeats of that encounter.
At the Etihad, Man City romped to yet another 5-0 win at home. Norwich City were put to the sword this time. Jack Grealish, making his home debut for the club, was among the goals as City found their goal scoring touch. Norwich City are rock bottom with 8 goals conceded in two games. Later that evening, Watford suffered a 2-0 loss at Brighton. The Seagulls are one of five teams with 100% starts after 2 games.
Chelsea compound rivals Arsenal’s misery
Sunday began with two matches kicking off simultaneously. At St. Mary’s, it was déjà vu for Man United. After going 1-0 down at half-time, Mason Greenwood equalized for the Red Devils. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had Raphael Varane and Jadon Sancho on the bench but despite the latter’s introduction, couldn’t force a winner as they equalled the longest ever unbeaten run away from home in the competition’s history.
There was a quick reunion for Nuno Espirito Santo and Wolves as he took his Spurs side to the Molineux. Harry Kane started on the bench amid constant speculation regarding his future. Thanks to a Dele Alli penalty, Spurs made it back-to-back 1-0 wins to maintain their fine start.
The big game of the weekend saw Arsenal entertain Chelsea. The visitors had record signing Lukaku in their ranks, and he wasted little time in justifying his hefty price tag. He scored after just 15 minutes, and Reece James added a second 20 minutes later to seal a 2-0 win. Arsenal had never before suffered consecutive losses in the season’s first two fixtures without scoring in their history. Chelsea temporarily moved joint top with Liverpool.
That was until Monday night, when West Ham stunned Leicester City. After Pablo Fornals had opened the scoring, a red card for Ayoze Perez proved decisive as the Hammers ran out 4-1 victors. Michael Antonio scored a brace as he moved clear of Paulo Di Canio to become the club’s all-time leading scorer in the Premier League. David Moyes’s men sit top of the league, with superior goals scored.