Darwin’s dramatic double lifts Liverpool

Newcastle — Darwin Nunez came off the bench to score twice as Liverpool snatched a sensational 2-1 Premier League win over Newcastle United on Sunday as the Reds bounced back from a straight red card in the first half for captain Virgil van Dijk.

Having picked up an early yellow card, Trent Alexander-Arnold gifted Newcastle the opener in the 25th minute when he mis-controlled the ball, allowing Anthony Gordon to run onto it and slot it past Alisson Becker.

Van Dijk was sent off just over two minutes later, with referee John Brooks showing him a straight red card for fouling Alexander Isak on the edge of the box, and Newcastle looked set to end a run of 13 Premier League games against Liverpool without a win.

The home side dominated possession but they failed to kill the game off, and in the 81st minute Nunez pulled them level before scoring an almost identical second in stoppage time to snatch the three points.

Manchester City moved to the top of the table with a 2-1 win at Sheffield United after Rodri scored an 88th-minute winner to secure their third victory of the season. With the scores level at 1-1 and the clock winding down, the ball came to Phil Foden in the United box and although the English midfielder had no control over it, Rodri stepped in to power a half-volley into the top corner.

City manager Pep Guardiola was not on the touchline at
Bramall Lane, having undergone back surgery. But with assistant manager Juanma Lillo deputising, they got the job done.

Champions City are the only team to have a perfect start to the season as they moved on to nine points, two ahead of West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal. “Generally I thought we played really well today. It was a lot closer to what we wanted than the score line suggested,” Lillo said.

City striker Erling Haaland missed a first-half penalty given for handball as his spot-kick hit the post. But the Norwegian made amends just after the hour-mark when he opened the scoring with a close-range header from a cross by Jack Grealish.

United equalised in the 85th minute when the hosts capitalised on a defensive error from Kyle Walker's botched back-heel clearance and Jayden Bogle fired an angled shot through the crowd and beat City keeper Ederson.

Just as United looked to have gained their first point on their return to the top flight, Paul Heckingbottom's side were left heartbroken when Rodri fired home the winner.

In the other early match defender Matty Cash scored twice in the first half as Aston Villa won 3-1 at Burnley.

Cash, playing his 100th match for Villa, put the visitors in front in the eighth minute after turning in an Ollie Watkins cross and he doubled the lead 12 minutes later, steering home
Moussa Diaby’s cutback to complete a slick move.

Vincent Kompany’s Burnley began the second half on the front foot and were rewarded with a goal in the 47th minute as South African Lyle Foster outmuscled Pau Torres in the area and rifled his shot past Robin Olsen.

As Burnley committed players forward in their hunt for a leveller, Villa struck in the 61st minute through Diaby, who slotted home from the edge of the area to seal the Midlands side’s second league victory of the season. Reuters