Liverpool crashed to an embarrassing 2-0 defeat at Burnley on Saturday, while Manchester City crushed Stoke City 4-1 to extend Pep Guardiola’s perfect start in the Premier League.
Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool enjoyed the most eye-catching result of the Premier League’s opening weekend when they won 4-3 at Arsenal.
But the Reds suffered a nightmare in their second match as Welsh forward Sam Vokes scored his first top-flight goal in the second minute after Andre Gray pounced on a woeful pass by Reds right-back Nathaniel Clyne.
Earlier, City striker Sergio Aguero netted twice in the first half at the Bet365 Stadium to take his goal tally to six in three games and send Guardiola’s side to the top of the table with their second successive win.
The Argentine opened the scoring with a 27th-minute penalty, awarded for a Ryan Shawcross tug on Nicolas Otamendi, and bagged his second in the 36th minute with a header from Kevin De Bruyne’s free-kick.
Stoke got one back in the 49th minute when Raheem Sterling was penalised for a slight push on Shawcross and Bojan Krkic stepped up to convert the spot-kick.
But the visitors held firm and Spain forward Nolito scored with a pair of close-range efforts in the 86th and 90th minutes to give City manager Guardiola a third consecutive victory in all competitions.
Ominously for City’s title rivals, Guardiola believes his stars still have room for improvement.
City’s stroll in the Potteries took them above arch-rivals Manchester United on goal difference.
Jose Mourinho’s United had maintained their 100 percent start with a 2-0 win over Southampton on Friday.
Diego Costa fired Chelsea to another late victory as the Spain striker secured a 2-1 win at Watford just days after his last-gasp heroics saw off West Ham United.
Gareth Barry’s first goal for over two years gave Everton a 2-1 victory at West Bromwich Albion.
Albion were purchased earlier this month by a Chinese consortium and they gave their new owners an early goal when Gareth McAuley headed home from a Craig Gardner corner at the Hawthorns.
But Everton manager Ronald Koeman responded by sending on Belgium striker Romelu Lukaku before half-time and the early switch revived his team.
They equalised through Kevin Mirallas after a flowing move in first-half stoppage time and former England midfielder Barry headed the visitors into a 60th-minute lead with his first goal since January 2014.
Troubled Hull City continued to make light of their difficult pre-season with a 2-0 win at Swansea City.
Rocked by manager Steve Bruce’s pre-season resignation and a lack of new signings, last season’s Championship play-off winners nevertheless defeated champions Leicester City last week and they are up to third after Shaun Maloney netted in the 79th minute and Abel Hernandez struck in stoppage time.
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