Mane, Salah score as Liverpool maintains perfect start

A first half double from Sadio Mane and a late goal from Mo Salah ensured Liverpool (15 points from 5 matches) maintained its 100% start to the season. Anfield was stunned into silence as Newcastle’s Jetro Willems sent a thunderous strike into the top corner — the Dutchman’s first goal in English football — to give the visitor a shock seventh-minute lead.

The crowd was getting anxious as league leader Liverpool was wasteful in possession, but the pressure never relented as Andy Robertson set up Mane, who equalised with a superb curled finish into the top corner in the 28th minute. Liverpool had won each of its previous four home leagues games in whichit conceded first.

And 12 minutes later, it turned another match on its head as Roberto Firmino’s trickery set up Mane, with the Senegalese giving the host the lead in the second attempt. Mane’s second strike meant Liverpool had scored two or more goals in 14 consecutive league games, equalling the PL record set by Manchester City in 2011. Egyptian forward Salah added the third in the second half.

United pips Leicester

Manchester United got back to winning ways in the Premier League with a 1-0 success over Leicester City. Marcus Rashford converted a penalty in the eighth minute to give the home side all three points at Old Trafford. Young English striker Tammy Abraham struck a hat-trick as Chelsea thrashed Wolverhampton Wanderers 5-2.

Tottenham Hotspur crushed London rival Crystal Palace 4-0, thanks to a brace from South Korean Son-Heung Min. Brighton & Hove Albion and Burnley played out a 1-1 draw, while Southampton edged Sheffield United 1-0.

Real scrapes to victory

Real Madrid produced a rampant first half display to beat Levante 3-2 at home in La Liga on Saturday as Karim Benzema netted a brace and Casemiro struck the other goal.

The side dropped off after Eden Hazard came on to make his debut and was left clinging on for the three points. Fiorentina was left to rue missed chances after holding Juventus to a 0-0 Serie A draw in Florence on Saturday. Courtesy the result, the defending champion’s perfect start to the season ended.  Juve would be pretty upset with the result as the host was on a 16-match winless run before the start of the clash.