Liverpool capitalise on top of the table return & Danny Ings avoids serious injury

November 3, 2020
Joanna Durkan

Liverpool returned to the top of the table after matchday 7 in the Premier League after missteps elsewhere, in a weekend which continued to see plenty of penalties awarded.

Despite a number of setbacks thrown their way early doors in the 2020/21 season, Jurgen Klopp’s men ended the Premier League weekend atop of the table after their 2-1 win over West Ham.

They were made to fight back from a goal down once more, but goals from Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota made sure of the result to secure the fifth win of the season – one which equalled the 63-game unbeaten league record at Anfield.

It wasn’t the same story for the rivals across town, with Carlo Ancelotti’s men recording their second straight defeat in a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle – a game which saw Jordan Pickford benched.

The Magpies had secured the lead from the spot midway through the second half before Callum Wilson added another late in the clash, where Dominic Calvert-Lewin provided a stoppage-time consolation for an Everton side who were without James Rodriguez and the suspended Richarlison.

* Video via Sky Sports; geographic restrictions may apply.

And both Tottenham and Leicester took advantage of Everton’s successive slip-up, with the former edging a 2-1 win over Brighton and the latter putting Leeds to the sword 4-1 on Monday.

Both games saw penalties awarded, but it was Harry Kane’s dangerous manoeuvre under the ball as Adam Lallana rose to meet it which raised the most eyebrows – and yet Salah is the diver.

Their respective results see Leicester move into second place – one point behind the Reds – while Spurs move into third, two points behind the champions.

On the other end of the spectrum, Man United continue to drift the opposite direction having ended the matchday languishing in 15th place after falling to defeat for the third time this season in a 1-0 loss to Arsenal.

The wheels are loose as the pressure continues to mount on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

The most thrilling game of the weekend, however, is awarded to Aston Villa and Southampton, with the latter returning to the south coast with all three points in a 4-3 win.

The Saints had raced to a 4-0 lead thanks to James Ward-Prowse, Jannik Vestergaard and Danny Ings, only for Villa to score three in the final 30 minutes before time became their enemy.

Ings looked to have suffered a serious knee injury in the dying stages, he has already suffered two ACL injuries in his career, but thankfully, the injury does not appear to be as serious as first feared.

Elsewhere, Fulham secured their first win over the season against fellow newly-promoted side West Brom, while Burnley remains cemented to the bottom of the table after their fifth defeat of the season against Chelsea and Wolves notched a comfortable 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.

Liverpool’s next league opponents, meanwhile, emerged victorious at Sheffield United thanks to a first-half Kyle Walker effort.

Pep Guardiola’s side were not at their slick best but found a way to record their third win of the campaign ahead of the Reds’ visit on Sunday – they currently have 11 points to their name after six games.