Manchester City have made light work of thrashing a hapless 10-man Arsenal 5-0 in the Premier League on Sunday (NZ time), a result that means the Gunners have lost their opening three league games of a season for the first time since 1954-55.
Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta, back at the Etihad Stadium where he worked as an assistant between 2016 and 2019, watched in horror as his team fell apart early on, with Ilkay Gundogan and Ferran Torres giving City a 2-0 lead inside 12 minutes.
The visitors remained masters of their own chaotic downfall, as Granit Xhaka inexplicably got himself sent off for a two-footed lunge in the 35th minute, making an already difficult task that bit more challenging for Arteta's men.
City could then afford to take their foot off the gas but the goals still flowed as British recording signing Jack Grealish set up Gabriel Jesus for City's third just before halftime.
Rodri added a fourth early in the second half, before Torres scored his second late on to complete a miserable afternoon for Arteta and his side.
Another loss means Arsenal are without a point, or even a goal, from their three games so far this season, while City, temporarily at least with rivals in action later in the weekend, are back on top of the standings.
Ten-man Chelsea have held on for a 1-1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield, after defender Reece James was sent off just before halftime. Chelsea had taken the lead against the run of play, when Kai Havertz met a James corner at the near post and his glancing header looped into the far corner past the helpless Alisson Becker.
But on the stroke of halftime, Liverpool drew level in controversial circumstances when, after a review of the pitchside monitor, referee Anthony Taylor ruled that James had handled on the line as he kept out a Sadio Mane effort and awarded a penalty and sent off the Chelsea fullback.
The images showed the ball had struck James' thigh before bouncing up against his arm and while Chelsea felt hard done by, Mohamed Salah kept calm amid the protests to drive home the spot kick.
With his side down to 10 men, Thomas Tuchel made two changes at the break with Havertz and the injured N'Golo Kante making way for defender Thiago Silva and midfielder Mateo Kovacic.
The restructure worked well with Chelsea holding firm against a wave of Liverpool attacks to secure a point which maintained the unbeaten start to the season for both teams.
Marc Albrighton struck a 76th minute winner, as Leicester City condemned promoted Norwich City to a third straight defeat with a 2-1 win at Carrow Road on Saturday.
Jamie Vardy had fired Leicester ahead with a superbly taken goal in the eighth minute, before Teemu Pukki brought the home side level from the penalty spot just before the break.
The penalty came after Caglar Soyuncu was ruled, after a lengthy VAR review, to have fouled Pierre Lees-Melou and Pukki kept his cool after the delay to slot home.
But Leicester grabbed their second when Vardy set up Albrighton whose deflected shot flew past Norwich keeper Tim Krul.
New signing Demarai Gray scored his second goal in as many games for Everton and Dominic Calvert-Lewin netted a penalty as the Toffees continued their good start with a 2-0 win at Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.
Gray, who joined the Merseyside club from German side Bayer Leverkusen in July, gave the visitors a 41st-minute lead when he beat goalkeeper Robert Sanchez with a crisp low shot into the far corner after a darting run.
Everton dominated and Sanchez kept out a low Andros Townsend drive midway through the first half while his opposite number Jordan Pickford parried a Pascal Gross free kick after Gray had silenced the home fans.
In other results, Newcastle drew with Southampton 2-2, as did West Ham and Crystal Palace, while Aston Villa finished 1-1 with Brentford.
Reuters.
