EPL: Chelsea earn a dramatic win over WestHam; City misses chance to go top
Chelsea fought back for a controversial 2-1 win against West Ham as Kai Havertz scored the late winner, while Manchester City were held to a 1-1 draw after Leon Bailey snatched a late equaliser for struggling Aston Villa on Saturday.
Thomas Tuchel’s side could not afford another defeat after Tuesday’s 2-1 loss at Southampton and things looked bleak for the home side when Michail Antonio poked in from close-range to put West Ham in front (62).
But Chelsea roared back into life after going behind, with Chilwell equalising off the bench (76) with a neat finish at the near post after beating West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski to a loose ball.
West Ham substitute Cornet wasted a gilt-edged opportunity to go ahead but hit the post with a free header, before Havertz nicked a winner for Chelsea at the other end after Chilwell’s cross.
Cornet thought he had redeemed himself and grabbed a late equaliser in stoppage-time, only for VAR to rule it out for a very soft foul on Edouard Mendy by Jarrod Bowen.
Champions Manchester City missed a chance to go top of the Premier League as Leon Bailey’s equaliser earned Aston Villa an excellent draw at Villa Park.
The league’s top goalscorer Erling Haaland got his 10th goal in six games when he was in the right place at the back post to volley in Kevin de Bruyne’s superb cross.
After scoring in the 50th minute, Haaland had another two efforts saved by Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez and De Bruyne also hit the crossbar with a 22-yard free-kick.
Those missed chances proved costly as Bailey struck a sweet first-time shot into the top corner from Jacob Ramsey’s square pass to make it 1-1 in the 74th minute.
Villa thought they had scored a winner when Philippe Coutinho put the ball in the net off the underside of the bar but the assistant referee had already put his flag up for offside.
In the goalless Merseyside derby at Goodison Park, there was more VAR intrigue as Conor Coady thought he had put Everton ahead against Liverpool with a close-range finish from Neal Maupay’s shot in the second half.
But Coady’s goal was correctly disallowed for offside after a VAR check.
There could easily have been goals aplenty but for a man of the match display from Everton keeper Jordan Pickford and some fine stops from his Liverpool counterpart Alisson Becker.
Everton are now without a victory in their first six games this term, while Liverpool’s momentum was checked after winning their previous two matches.
Unbeaten Tottenham made it four wins from six games with a 2-1 victory against Fulham in north London. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg broke the deadlock for Tottenham in the 40th minute, sweeping home from Richarlison’s pass.
Harry Kane increased Tottenham’s lead in the 74th minute from Ryan Sessegnon’s cross to become the third highest goal-scorer in Premier League history, with 188 goals taking him past Andy Cole.
Fulham’s Aleksandar Mitrovic curled home in the 82nd minute, but Tottenham held firm.
Managerless Bournemouth came back from two goals down to win 3-2 in a thriller at Nottingham Forest.
Ivan Toney scored a hat-trick as Brentford beat Leeds 5-2 at the Community Stadium.
Daniel Podence scored as Wolves beat Southampton 1-0 at Molineux for their first league victory this season.
Newcastle and Crystal Palace drew 0-0 at St James’ Park.
