Manchester United has made its joint-worst start to a Premier League season following its 3-1 defeat at West Ham on Saturday.
While United's misery under Jose Mourinho continues, things are far brighter for noisy neighbour Manchester City, which cruised back to the top of the table with a 2-0 win over Brighton and Hove Albion.
Sergio Aguero maintained his fine run of form in that victory, although the Argentina striker remains behind Eden Hazard in this season’s scoring charts, with Chelsea's purring playmaker having made it six goals from seven top-flight appearances this term by netting in the 1-1 draw with Liverpool.
READ | Manchester United lacked quality, not desire - Mourinho
Daniel Sturridge's stunner – a landmark goal for the striker – cancelled out that Hazard effort to ensure Liverpool has gone unbeaten in its opening seven games for the first time since 2008-09.
Everton, meanwhile, claimed the points against Fulham, whose torrid run at Goodison Park rumbles on.
PRESSURE PILED ON MOURINHO
Manchester United was behind inside five minutes at London Stadium, Felipe Anderson becoming only the second Brazilian to score for West Ham in the Premier League when he beat David de Gea. The United keeper has now kept just one clean sheet in his opening seven top-flight games this season, having recorded six in his first seven outings last term.
Matters quickly got worse when Victor Lindelof deflected in Andriy Yarmolenko's strike – United’s third own goal of 2018.
RELATED | West Ham 3 Manchester United 1: Arnautovic crowns another miserable day for Mourinho
Marcus Rashford, who halved the deficit, has now had a hand in four goals in six Premier League appearances against the Hammers.
Any hopes of a comeback were quashed by Marko Arnautovic's 74th-minute effort, though. Only Mohamed Salah (24) has been directly involved in more Premier League goals than the Austria forward this calendar year (17).
It is just a second triumph for West Ham in its last 20 Premier League matches against Manchester United.
STERLING, SANE SHINE AS CITY MOVE TOP
With Liverpool and Chelsea sharing the spoils in Saturday's late fixture, City's 2-0 victory over Brighton earlier on proved enough for the champion to sit top after matchweek seven.
Raheem Sterling got the host rolling in the 29th minute, and the forward would then turn provider for Aguero to tuck home City's second after the interval. Sterling has now been involved in 35 Premier League goals for City since the start of last season, scoring 22 and turning provider 13 times. Only Salah (46) and Harry Kane (38) can boast better figures.
RELATED | Manchester City 2 Brighton and Hove Albion 0: Sterling and Aguero on target for champion
Leroy Sane also came back to form in style, with his assist for Sterling's opener meaning the Germany winger has played a direct part in 19 goals in his last 17 Premier League appearances at the Etihad Stadium.
Sane has also assisted more Premier League goals than any other player since the start of last season (17).
PINPOINT HAZARD HALTS LIVERPOOL'S HOT-STREAK
Chelsea has won only two of its last nine home Premier League games against Liverpool, but it was agonisingly close to making that three thanks to Hazard's superb effort at Stamford Bridge.
The Premier League's top scorer now has six goals from just nine shots on target this season, having netted in a 38th different home match in the top flight. He has never ended on the losing side in any of those games.
RELATED | Chelsea 1 Liverpool 1: Sturridge stunner rescues point for Liverpool
Liverpool did manage to rescue a point and salvage its unbeaten start to the league season, though, with Sturridge's screamer restoring parity late on. Only Olivier Giroud (19) and Jermain Defoe (24) have scored more goals off the bench than Sturridge (17) in Premier League history.
Sturridge's sensational effort was his 50th Premier League goal for the Reds, and the former Chelsea man is just the seventh player to reach that milestone.
FULHAM'S GOODISON HOODOO CONTINUES
Fulham has now lost its last 22 top-flight trips to Everton – a record in English top division football.
This result could have been different had Ryan Sessegnon's strike against the bar been a few inches lower, but Fulham's inability to keep a clean sheet – it has failed to do so in any of its last 22 away Premier League games – came back to bite Slavisa Jokanovic's side.
RELATED | Everton 3 Fulham 0: Sigurdsson, Tosun end winless run
Gylfi Sigurdsson failed to convert from the penalty spot for the first time in his Premier League career, but bounced back with two neat finishes, and only Philippe Coutinho (19) can better the playmaker's 18 goals from outside the box since 2011-12.
Sigurdsson enjoys playing against Fulham almost as much as the Toffees do, with the Iceland star having been directly involved in five goals in four Premier League appearances against the Cottagers.
Comments
SHARE