Liverpool out-guns Arsenal; 4-nil as Chelsea hurts Everton

LIVERPOOL completed a hat-trick of victories over Arsenal for the first time in 19 years as they took full advantage of a simply woeful performance from the gruesome Gunners.
The home team’s electric front three of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mo Salah all found the net as Liverpool threatened to run riot.


Liverpool do not need any encouragement to take the fight to the opposition at Anfield, and their speed and movement were simply too much for Arsenal to cope with.

But despite completing the double over the Londoners last season they must have been amazed at how much time and space Arsenal allowed them.


The Gunners were lucky to beat Leicester in their opening game, and squandered a glut of possession when they lost to Stoke.

But this is the performance that will really set the alarm bells ringing.
Their midfield quartet of Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil, Granit Xhaka and Hector Bellerin were even more guilty of ball-watching than their back three.

The Arsenal fans predictably turned on manager Arsene Wenger, who sprang a surprise by leaving out £52million man Alexandre Lacazette to accommodate the return of fit-again Alexis Sanchez.
The unsettled Chilean barely got a look-in as Firmino started the rout with his fourth goal in his last four appearances against Arsenal.
He glided the ball home with a stooping header after Xhaka surrendered possession in a dangerous area, and Mane made it 2-0 before half time with a curling shot that gave Petr Cech no chance.

Wenger tried to change things round at half time by replacing Ramsey with Francis Coquelin, and switching to an orthodox back four.
But it did little to stem the attacking flow, and Liverpool deservedly added to their tally when Salah robbed Bellerin and ran the length of the pitch before slipping the ball past Cech.

Meanwhile, ALVARO MORATA made history as Chelsea dished out a football lesson to Everton and showed them what it really takes to be a top club.

Former Real Madrid man Morata became the first player in Premier League history to both score and assist a goal in each of his first two home games.
The Premier League title holders cruised to victory with goals in the first half as Everton’s much-hyped season came to a shuddering halt at Stamford Bridge with a poor display.

Everton have spent millions in the summer, including a record £45million on midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson, but have lost their cutting edge after selling Romelu Lukaku to Manchester United.

They also had Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane and Sandro in the starting line up only to roll over.

Cesc Fabregas put Chelsea ahead in the 27th minute with a slick finish to a three man move.

The ball eventually fell to him via the head of Alvaro Morata and in tight space Fabregas managed to hook the ball past Jordan Pickford with the outside of his boot.

It will have been particularly pleasing for Fabregas to break the deadlock as yet again he faces a season of uncertainty as Chelsea bid to sign two new players who will take his position.
Everton’s newly-assembled and much talked about team failed to live up to the hype, failing to lay a glove on Chelsea without a shot on target for a full hour.

New £5.2m striker Sandro wasted a superb chance when put through by Wayne Rooney early in the second half with a lame shot that was heading for the corner flag until it cannoned off the legs of Blues defender Antonio Rudiger.

Chelsea look much more composed than the team which lost its head and two players in a first day defeat to Burnley.

With the return to fitness of Pedro and with Fabregas back from suspension Conte was able to keep £32m midfielder Tiemoue Bakayako on the bench this week as he returns to full fitness after knee surgery.

New striker Morata scored his second goal for Chelsea when he headed in a cross from Cesar Azpilicueta five minutes from half time.

Conte missed it however as he was too busy harassing the fourth official over a foul on Victor Moses to see the ball go in.

Everton brought on sub Muhamed Besic – whose father is in hospital after being shot twice – in the second half with the midfielder bravely playing on even though his father had been shot just hours earlier in a dispute back home in Bosnia.

Rooney, playing his first match since announcing his England retirement, was booked for dissent in the second half.