It might be time for Liverpool to start worrying about its slow start to the English Premier League 2022-23. Jurgen Klopp's team dropped points for the fourth time in six games after an eventful 0-0 draw at Everton in the Merseyside derby on Saturday, with Mohamed Salah hitting the post in the 95th minute. (More Football News)
Chelsea has VAR to thank for not being in a similar position. Thomas Tuchel's team, having lost two of their previous three games, held on for a 2-1 victory over West Ham at Stamford Bridge after the visitors had an injury-time equalizer overturned in what Hammers manager David Moyes called a “scandalous” and “rotten” decision.
Chelsea already has two losses and a draw in the opening six games, while Liverpool has three draws and one loss, having needed a goal in the eighth minute of injury time to beat Newcastle in midweek.
“It's not the start we wanted,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said. “It's not a dream, it's exactly 50% of the points available. But that's the points we got, and let's go from here. If we go through these really hard moments together we have a good chance to create better moments in the future.”
Tottenham Hotspur’s start to the league has been more impressive, and Antonio Conte's team remained unbeaten after beating Fulham 2-1 at home in another London derby, with Harry Kane scoring his fifth goal of the season to take sole possession of third place in the Premier League's list of all-time top scorers.
In the highest-scoring game of the day, Ivan Toney had a hat trick for Brentford in a 5-2 win over Leeds, whose American manager Jesse Marsch was sent off in the second half for protesting a refereeing decision.
Bournemouth — still without a manager after Scott Parker was fired this week — came from 2-0 down in the second half to earn a 3-2 away win at Nottingham Forest in a game between promoted sides, while Wolverhampton earned its first victory of the season by beating Southampton 1-0.
Newcastle missed a host of chances as it was held at home by Crystal Palace to 0-0. Manchester City played a 1-1 draw at Aston Villa. Erling Haaland gave Manchester City the lead in the 50th minute which was equalised by Leon Bailey 24 minutes later.
GOALKEEPERS SHINE
Perhaps the only two players to be happy with the 0-0 draw at Goodison Park were the goalkeepers. Everton's Jordan Pickford and Liverpool's Alisson pulled off stellar saves while Liverpool also had three shots hit the woodwork.
That included Salah's shot in injury time which brushed the fingertips of Pickford before slamming against the near post. Everton also hit the post once in the first half while Alisson's best save came in the 85th when he was at full stretch to push Dwight McNeil's deflected shot over the bar.
Everton thought it scored in the 69th when former Liverpool player Conor Coady turned in a low cross-shot from Neal Maupay at the far post, but it was disallowed for offside after a VAR review.
MOYES FURIOUS
Moyes didn't hide his anger with the decision to rule out West Ham's equalizer at Stamford Bridge. “It's a scandalous decision," the Scottish manager said. “Absolutely rotten decision.”
Maxwel Cornet hammered the ball into an open net after Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy managed to only push the ball into his path, but referee Andy Madley ruled it out after a review. He judged Jarrod Bowen fouled Mendy when attempting to jump over him.
The decision bailed out Chelsea after an underwhelming performance that once again highlighted the team's lack of firepower up front.
With new signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang watching in the stands, Chelsea didn't produce a single shot on target by the time Michail Antonio put West Ham ahead following a corner in the 63rd minute.
But defender Ben Chilwell equalized from a tight angle then teed up Kai Havertz to side-foot home in the 88th. Tuchel gave United States international Cristian Pulisic his first start of the season alongside Raheem Sterling in attack but he was taken off after an hour.
