Liverpool started the Premier League season on Saturday with a loss of points. On a visit to PhD student Fulham it became 2-2. Virgil van Dijk caused the penalty that made it 2-1, after which Mohamed Salah saved another point for the number two of the past year. Tottenham Hotspur, on the other hand, recorded a convincing victory over Southampton.
Liverpool narrowly missed both the league title (one point less than Manchester City) and the Champions League overall victory (lost to Real Madrid in the final) last season, but did win the FA Cup and League Cup. Sadio Mane was the most notable player to leave ‘The Reds’ this summer. Instead, Darwin Núñez was taken over from Benfica, but the Uruguayan started on the bench.
Jürgen Klopp’s formation made a very poor impression against the PhD student in the first half. Liverpool were allowed to make the game from Fulham, but did very little with the many ball possession. After more than half an hour, the Londoners struck. Right back Kenny Tete gave a good cross which was headed in by Aleksandar Mitrovic at the far post. The 27-year-old Serb was good for no less than 43 hits in the Championship last season.
After the resumption, Liverpool increased the pace, without initially leading to a shower of opportunities. In fact, on behalf of Fulham, Neeskens Kebano hit the post after an hour. At Liverpool, Núñez had already entered the squad at that time and it was the million-dollar signing that equalized after 64 minutes by working the ball through his standing leg.
Aleksandar Mitrovic’s 1-0 in the making.
Aleksandar Mitrovic’s 1-0 in the making.
Photo: Getty Images
Salah saves point for Liverpool
The visitors smelled blood and Núñez was immediately close to the 1-2 just after his goal. Fulham survived this difficult phase and even regained the lead after 72 minutes. Mitrovic sought the duel with Van Dijk and fell after light contact. The attacker then cashed the penalty himself.
Liverpool straightened again and through Salah it was again equalized in the eightieth minute. The Egyptian tapped in, taking advantage of a sea of freedom the Fulham defenses bestowed on him. In the final phase, there were no great opportunities for the 2-3, so that Liverpool immediately suffers damage in the Premier League.
The nineteen-time national champion continues the competition next Monday with a home game against Crystal Palace.
Tottenham Hotspur impresses after a rough start
Tottenham Hotspur, which hopes to participate in the upper echelons this season, ultimately had few problems with Southampton after a rough start: 4-1. The team of manager Antonio Conte was already behind after twelve minutes by a goal from James Ward-Prowse.
The home team put things in order through goals from Ryan Sessegnon and Eric Dier before half-time and an own goal by Mohammed Salisu (who tried to clear the ball, but hit it completely wrong), Spurs continued to lead after the break. After more than an hour, star Dejan Kulusevski recorded the final score.
With Pascal Struijk in the base, Leeds United settled for their own audience with Wolverhampton Wanderers: 2-1. Daniel Podence put the visitors in the lead after six minutes, but with goals from Rodrigo (after 24 minutes) and Brenden Aaronson (in minute 74), Leeds still took the lead.
Ambitious Newcastle United ruined the Premier League return of Nottingham Forest – which had last played at the highest level in 1999 – by recording a 2-0 win and PhD student AFC Bournemouth gave Steven Gerrard’s Aston Villa a cold shower by to win 2-0.
Premier League first round
Crystal Palace-Arsenal 0-2 Fulham-Liverpool 2-2 Leeds United-Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Newcastle United-Nottingham Forest 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur-Southampton 4-1 AFC Bournemouth-Aston Villa 2-0 Everton-Chelsea Manchester United- Brighton & Hove Albion Leicester City-Brentford West Ham United-Manchester City
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