Premier League: Liverpool go top, Spurs and Aston Villa seal comeback wins

A quick-fire double from Luis Diaz set Liverpool on course for a comprehensive 3-0 win against Bournemouth at Anfield on Saturday which took the Reds top of the Premier League.

Liverpool bounced back from last week's surprise home defeat to Nottingham Forest although Arne Slot's side had VAR to thank for chalking off an early Bournemouth goal for offside when Antoine Semenyo turned in Justin Kluivert’s cross.

The Merseysiders went close through Diaz, Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez before the Colombian found the net when he beat hesitant keeper Kepa Arrizabalaga to Ibrahima Konate's long ball to slide the ball home in the 26th minute.

Less than three minutes later it was 2-0 as Bournemouth were sliced open by a five-on-four break that ended with Diaz collecting Trent Alexander-Arnold’s pass and firing through Kepa’s legs from close range.

Nunez, making his first Premier League start since April, made it 3-0 by curling home a left-foot shot to secure his first Premier League goal in more than five months.

Salah, meanwhile, had one of those days with two weak attempts saved by Kepa, the second from a flowing move involving Andy Robertson, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch.

Even after the break, with the game already won, he still could not find a way through despite nicking the ball off Arrizabalaga as another poor connection was stopped on the line by Milos Kerkez.

The victory takes Liverpool ahead of Manchester City and Aston Villa, who also have 12 points, on goal difference.

“It was a good performance, especially with the ball,” said Slot, whose team won 3-1 at AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday. “Quite a lot of shots on goal, a lot of chances, but not as easy as the score probably looks. They made it a hard fight for us so it is good for us to win again and now let's continue.”

Villa and Spurs show fighting spirit

There was relief for Spurs who had won just one of their opening four league games to continue a downwards trend in form spilling over from the end of last season.

Ange Postecoglou's men also had a narrow escape with two late goals to avoid a League Cup exit to second-tier Coventry in midweek and got off to a nightmare start against Brentford after Bryan Mbeumo's thumping volley after just 22 seconds put the Bees in front.

Yet, Spurs got the quick response they needed to stave off any revolt from the home fans. Dominic Solanke opened his Tottenham account with a tap in after Mark Flekken parried James Maddison's effort.

Brennan Johnson then hit back at his critics with an accurate low finish before Maddison secured the points five minutes from time with his first goal since March.

“It was a good win, a good performance,” said Postecoglou. “Our performances have been good all year but today we got the result as well which is the most pleasing but. We should have won by a fair bit more but we still got the job done.

“Dom worked his socks off. He was gone at the end. He is still getting back to match fitness, but I know he is going to provide so much for us in that central position. All strikers love goals so it will be a great moment for him especially at home.”

Villa – who defeated Young Boys 3-0 in their midweek return to Champions League football – also needed a turnaround for their fourth win in five games after Matheus Cunha blasted Wolves in front midway through the first half.

Ollie Watkins' deflected effort equalised before a rare goal from Ezri Konsa put Villa in front. Jhon Duran then continued his scintillating form as an impact substitute with his fourth goal this season off the bench.

“It shows the character and the togetherness we have here,” said Konsa. “We knew we were not good enough in the first half. We came out firing in the second half and punished them.

“[Duran's] a big talent. We see it every day in training. It's important for him to stay humble and we'll help him do that. He's still young.”

Newcastle miss chance to go top

Newcastle United had the chance to go top but the Magpies' poor performances this season finally caught up with them in a 3-1 defeat at Fulham.

Raul Jimenez fired the home side in front, moments after Joelinton's goal for the Magpies has been ruled out for offside, before Nick Pope let Emile Smith-Rowe's effort slip through his grasp.

Harvey Barnes cut Newcastle's deficit just a minute into the second half, while Fabian Schar somehow missed a chance to make it 2-2 but could only fire wide with goal at his mercy after Bern Lerno's was caught out trying to play out from the back.

But Bruno Guimaraes' dreadful pass inside his own penalty area teed-up Reiss Nelson to seal Newcastle's fate in stoppage time in a loss that ends their unbeaten start to the campaign.

“It wasn't clicking for us,” Barnes said of Newcastle's first half show that could easily have ended with them being four or five goals down. “On the ball we weren't good enough and off the ball, you can see with their goals, we weren't at our level.”

Saints and Everton earn first point

Everton and Southampton ended their pointless start to the season but both teams will be frustrated having taken the lead in their respective games against Leicester City and Ipswich Town.

The Toffees led through Iliman Ndiaye’s 12th-minute goal but, in torrential rain at the King Power Stadium, Stephy Mavididi equalised with 17 minutes remaining.

The Saints seemed destined for their first three points following promotion back to the top-flight after 18-year-old Tyler Dibling struck in the fifth minute.

But Russell Martin’s side were unable to hang on at St Mary's Stadium and Sam Morsy grabbed an equaliser for fellow top-flight newcomers Ipswich five minutes into injury time.