Arne Slot extended his perfect start as Liverpool manager with a 2-0 win against Brentford on his Anfield debut, while Noni Madueke hit a hat-trick as Chelsea crushed Wolves 6-2 yesterday.
Liverpool dominated early on, scoring a fine opening goal on the counter attack when Luis Diaz arrowed his first of the season into the top corner with 13 minutes on the clock.
Brentford responded well, going close with two short-range headers either side of halftime, but Mohamed Salah ended the visitors’ hopes of taking anything from their trip to Anfield with a second goal 20 minutes from time.
Dutchman Slot now has two 2-0 wins from two games as he undertakes the difficult task of replacing Juergen Klopp as Liverpool boss, with a testing trip to Manchester United up next.
Before yesterday, no Liverpool boss since Graeme Souness in 1991 had secured wins in their two opening league games in charge.
Brentford, without star striker Ivan Toney in the squad again as speculation over his future continues, grew into the contest, but could not make a sustained spell of pressure before halftime count.
Liverpool upped the ante after the break and deservedly got their second goal, with Salah adding to his strike on the opening day at Ipswich Town with another well-taken shot to seal the victory.
Salah is now Liverpool’s outright fifth top scorer at Anfield in all competitions with 118 goals, moving ahead of Robbie Fowler as he again looks primed to be front and centre of a Red title tilt.
l Madueke silenced the boos with a second-half hat-trick all assisted by Cole Palmer as Chelsea crushed Wolverhampton Wanderers away in a frenetic Premier League clash at Molineux.
Chelsea’s first Premier League points of the season and the first for new manager Enzo Maresca arrived in spectacular fashion as the visitors ripped Wolves apart after the break following an absorbing first period.
Maresca’s side led twice in the first half with goals by Nicolas Jackson and Palmer but both times Wolves deservedly hit back through Matheus Cunha and Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Wolves fell part after the break, however, and Madueke took the game beyond them with three goals in 15 minutes.
Joao Felix came off the bench to mark his return to the club with his side’s sixth goal.
Madueke was the villain for the home fans in more ways than one. The English forward was booed from the start after a deleted social media post in which he insulted the city of Wolverhampton.
He silenced the hecklers in emphatic fashion, however, to get Chelsea’s league campaign up and running after their opening defeat by champions Manchester City.
Madueke and Palmer combined to restore Chelsea’s lead in the 49th minute with the 22-year-old Madueke getting a bit lucky as his shot deflected off of Rayan Ait-Nouri.
That goal sapped the fight out of Wolves and it was Palmer again who sent the over-lapping Madueke clear to slam a shot through the legs of Wolves keeper Jose Sa’s legs.
Madueke made it 5-2 with an almost identical goal as Wolves conceded possession and Cole sent him clear to complete his hat-trick.
With Wolves in disarray, Pedro Neto, who left them for Chelsea in the summer, teed up Felix for a cool finish.
Wolves will wonder what happened after they played some enterprising football in the first half.
They were caught cold when Jackson headed Chelsea in front after two minutes but deservedly levelled in the 27th minute when Cunha fired home after being set up by Ait-Nouri.
Wolves pressed for a second but it was Chelsea who went back in front on the stroke of halftime with Palmer producing a delightful lobbed finish from 30 metres with his left foot.
Chelsea were caught out again in first-half stoppage time, however, as Norwegian Strand Larsen opened his Wolves account, stretching out his foot to convert from close range after a free kick was headed across the penalty area.
l Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon equalised 14 minutes from time to secure a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth in the Premier League and spoil their hosts’ 125th anniversary celebrations.
Marcus Tavernier put Bournemouth ahead in the first half but Gordon stole in at the back post to steer home a 76th-minute cross from substitute Harvey Barnes to ensure a deserved share of the spoils.
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