Football Round-up: Wins for Crystal Palace, Leeds and Everton
Crystal Palace condemned Manchester United to a miserable start to their Premier League campaign, while Everton overcame West Brom and Leeds prevailed over Fulham.
Crystal Palace 3-1 Manchester United
Crystal Palace condemned Manchester United to a miserable start to their Premier League campaign as Andros Townsend and a Wilfried Zaha double led the Eagles to successive wins at the start of a season for the first time in their history.
After Townsend squeezed a seventh-minute shot into the far corner from Jeffrey Schlupp’s cross, the hosts struggled badly but the game slipped away from them thanks to Zaha’s controversial 74th-minute penalty.
Referee Martin Atkinson used the VAR TV monitor to decide Victor Lindelof had handled inside his own box. But, after David de Gea thought he had saved Jordan Ayew’s spot-kick, Atkinson ordered a retake because the Spain international had moved off his line. Zaha took responsibility for the second attempt and made no mistake.
On his debut, Donny van de Beek pulled one back 10 minutes from time but Zaha struck again against his former club to secure a deserved victory for Palace.
It was their biggest ever win at Old Trafford, the first time they have beaten United away from home in successive seasons and extended Palace’s remarkable undefeated run in away games against the two Manchester clubs to five.
For United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, it was a horrible day. Too many of his players were off the pace, including Paul Pogba, who was replaced by Van de Beek midway through the second half.
Leeds 4-3 Fulham
Leeds came out on top in a seven-goal thriller against Fulham in their first Premier League home game for 16 years.
Leeds’ opening two Premier League games this season have seen 14 goals, the most in a top-flight side’s opening two matches since Wolves in 1962-63.
After losing 4-3 at Liverpool on the opening weekend, this was the second week running that Marcelo Bielsa’s side were involved a frenetic end-to-end affair.
Helder Costa’s fifth-minute goal for the hosts sparked the contest into life, with his powerful close-range effort going in off the underside of the crossbar.
However, Aleksandar Mitrovic levelled the scores with a penalty after Robin Koch had fouled Joe Bryan.
Leeds were soon back in front though, with Poland midfielder Mateusz Klich stroking in a penalty after Bryan had fouled Patrick Bamford.
Bamford’s placed effort just after the interval put Leeds firmly in charge and they looked to have sealed the win when Costa added a fourth from Bamford’s cross.
But Bobby Decordova-Reid’s low drive and Mitrovic’s second goal of the day for the Cottagers set up a dramatic finale.
Everton 5-2 West Brom
Dominic Calvert-Lewin hit a first career hat-trick and James Rodriguez scored on his home debut as Everton continued their impressive start to the Premier League season with a dominant win against 10-man West Brom.
The Baggies took an early lead through an excellent solo effort by Grady Diangana, who broke from inside his own half before hitting a dipping effort beyond Jordan Pickford for his first top-flight goal.
Everton equalised midway through the first half when the video assistant referee overturned an offside decision after Calvert-Lewin cleverly backheeled into the net for his second goal in as many games.
Rodriguez then marked his home debut with a clinical finish on the stroke of half-time, sweeping a low effort into the far corner from Richarlison’s pass. (BBC Sport)