Liverpool, Chelsea split points; Manchester City thrash Arsenal 5-0

Liverpool and Chelsea drew 1-1, although Chelsea defender Reece James was sent off on the stroke of halftime in a Saturday night Premier League match.

Chelsea took the lead in the 22nd minute through Kai Havartz's looping header, but Liverpool hit back and Joel Matip hit the bar before James cleared Mohamed Salah's shot off the line with his hand.

After James' red card, Salah levelled from the penalty spot.

Both the Egyptian and Virgil van Dijk had shots well saved by Chelsea keeper Edouard Mendy after the break as Liverpool strived for a winner.

Former Manchester City assistant coach Mikel Arteta suffered a miserable return to the Ethiad Stadium as his Arsenal team lost their third consecutive league game 5-0.

Arsenal were hoping to get a turning point after they made a 6-0 Carabao Cup win away to West Brom during the week, but it was soon dispelled with Manchester City's Ilkay Gundogan heading past Bernd Leon in the seventh minute, Xinhua reports.

Ferran Torres doubled Man City's lead in the 12th minute and things went from bad to worse for Arsenal when Granit Xhaka was sent off for a two-footed tackle 10 minutes before halftime.

Gabriel Jesus added a third after good word from Jack Grealish two minutes before the break and Rodri made it 4-0 early in the second half after a typical City passing move.

Torres then headed his second of the game to make it 5-0 in the closing minutes to complete Arsenal's humiliation and after another display in which Arteta's side was totally outclassed and had less than 20 per cent of possession. Arteta must now be worrying about his job.

Goals from Demarai Gray and a penalty from Dominic Calvert Lewin penalty saw Everton stop Brighton's winning start to the season with a 2-0 away victory that gives Rafael Benitez seven points from nine on his return to Merseyside.

West Ham's 100 per cent record also ended as Conor Gallagher scored Crystal Palace's first two goals of the season in a 2-2 draw at the London Stadium.

Brentford remain unbeaten in their debut Premier League season after a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa after Ivan Toney put Brentford ahead in the seven minutes before Villa's record signing Buendia Stati equalised six minutes later.

Norwich lost their third game in three as they went down 2-1 at home to Leicester, who have Jamie Vardy and Marc Albrighton to thank for their goals, while Teemu Pukki's penalty on the stroke of halftime give his side hope.

There was late drama in Newcastle where Southampton equalised thanks to James Ward Prowe's 96th minute penalty after the VAR spotted a trip on Adam Armstrong.

The game kicked into life after a goalless first half when Callum Wilson put Newcastle ahead only for Mohamed Elyounoussi to cancel it out. It looked as if Allan Saint-Maximin's 90th minute goal would give Steve Bruce's men three vital points, but the VAR had the final word.

--IANS

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