PSG 3-0 ST. Etienne
Paris Saint-Germain’s quest to reclaim the Ligue 1 title received a boast when they kicked off the week four round of matches on Friday by putting their visitors, St. Etienne, to the sword at the Parc de Princes with a 3-0 thrashing.
Edison Cavani scored a brace, with the first arriving in the 20th minute via the spot kick, before veteran midfielder, Thiago Motta added a second after the break through a Neymar free kick.
Cavani completed the rout when he added a third late on to seal another win for France’s big spenders.
Neymar wasn’t among the goals, for the first time since his much celebrated world record move to Paris, but still remained influential.
AS Monaco 6-1 Marseille
If PSG set a marker for the weekend, then, defending champions, Monaco not only beat it, but had the result of the week.
The defending champions dismantled their poor opponents, Marseille, who simply had no answer for the Radamel Falcao inspired side.
Falcao grabbed a brace, as the champions raced into a 4-0 lead at half time, courtesy of goals from Kamil Gik (2′), Falcao (20, pk, 34′) and Adams Diakhaby’s goal just before the break.
Djibril Sidibe made it 5-0 after the break, before Marseille grabbed a consolation goal through Remy Cabella.
However, in the 79th minute, Fabinho scored the icing, as Monaco continue to chase PSG.
Elsewhere in the Ligue 1, OGC Nice suffered a shocking 3-0 loss at Amiens, courtesy of a Moussa Konate double for the hosts.
Olympique Lyon were held to a goalless draw at Nantes, while Lille played out a 1-1 draw at Angers.
After the weekend results, PSG and Monaco are first and second respectively on 12 points, after four matches, while St. Etienne, on 9 points, and Lyon, on 8points, stay third and fourth respectively.
Full Week 4 Results in the Ligue 1
Friday, 25 August.
PSG 3-0 St.Etienne
Saturday, 26 August
Nantes 0-0 Lyon
Amiens 3-0 Nice
Bordeaux 2-1 Troyes
Caen 1-0 FC Metz
Toulouse 3-2 Rennes
Dijon 2-1 Montpelier
Sunday, 27 August
Guingamp 2-0 Strasbourg
Angers 1-1 Lille
Monaco 6-1 Marseille
In the English Premier League, leaders, Manchester United maintained their 100% start to the new campaign, with neighbours, Man City, leaving it late to win at Bournemouth.
Champions Chelsea were winners over Everton, while Liverpool humiliated Arsene Wenger and Arsenal at Anfield.
Bournemouth 1-2 Man City
In the opening match of week three in the PL, there was late drama, as Raheem Sterling went from hero to zero in a matter of seconds.
The Cherries took a shock lead in the 12th minute after Charlie Daniels drove in a left footed screamer, but City levelled things up eight minutes later through Brazilian, Gabriel Jesus.
However, with the match heading to a draw, the visitors snatched all three points as Sterling’s deflected shot sailed into the Bournemouth net, only for the England international to be sent off moments later for celebrating with the fans.
Manchester United 2-0 Leicester City
United came out of a difficult game at Old Trafford unscathed, but were made to work for their win by an obdurate Leicester side.
After a goalless first half, which saw the Foxes sit so deep, denying the Red Devils any space to wreck havoc, the deadlock was finally broken with 20 minutes left to play.
Marcus Rashford, a second half substitute, volleyed home from close range, after meeting a Henrikh Mkhitaryan corner inside the Leicester box.
Eight minutes from time, Marouane Fellaini, another substitute, made sure United finished the game in a more relaxed manner, after he met a cross from fellow substitute, Jesse Lingard, with his knee to double United’s lead, and sealing a 2-0 win at the end.
It was the Red Devils’ third win in as many matches, as they maintained their perfect start to the new season, having won three in three, keeping three clean sheets and scoring ten goals.
Chelsea 2-0 Everton
At Stamford Bridge, Chelsea continued their dominance over Everton with a 2-0 defeat, their first home win of the season.
Two first half goals from their Spaniards, Cesc Fabregas, in the 27th minute, and new signing, Alvaro Morata, five minutes before the break, earned their second successive win of the season.
Liverpool 4-0 Arsenal
The big match of week three turned out a one sided affair, as Jurgen Klopps’s Reds ran Arsene Wenger and his sorry Gunners ragged at Anfield.
Two goals in either half earned Liverpool a more than comfortable win over their visitors, who continue to struggle against the top sides away from home.
Arsenal went into the game with a poor 8 losses from their last 13 away matches, and that record hardly came close to being improved on at Anfield.
Liverpool were quick, precise, decisive and deadly in the manner with which they handled the Gunners, as Saido Mane, Mohammed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Wijnaldum all had a memorable day.
Firmino opened the flood gates in the 17th minute, with Mane adding a second before the break.
Any hope Arsenal had of coming back faded when Salah made it 3-0, thanks to a well placed left footed effort, after dispossessing a sloppy Bellerin.
Things went from bad to worse when substitute, Daniel Sturridge, joined the party, when he added a fourth goal, after meeting a delicious Salah cross to head past a helpless Petr Cech in goal.
A convincing dismantling of Wenger and his side, who return to the capital with more questions than they have answers for.
Elsewhere, Tottenham Hotspur may be wondering what they ever did wrong as their Wembley problems continued following a 1-1 draw with Burnley.
After a goalless first half, Dele Alli finally broke the deadlock from close range in the second.
However, just when Spurs thought it was done and dusted, Burnley struck a heartbreaking equaliser at the dead.
Robbie Brady tore into the Spurs defence with a superb through ball, which was calmly slotted home by record signing from Leeds United, Chris Wood, to earn the Clarets a deserved draw, but just perhaps.
Man Utd, with 9 points, top the PL table after the results at the weekend, with Liverpool second on 7 points, Huddersfield are third, with Man City completing the top four.
Defending champions, Chelsea are 6th, while Arsenal find themselves swimming in relegation waters in 16th.
Full Weekend Results from the PL
Saturday, 26 August
B’mouth 1-2 Man City
Palace 0-2 Swansea
Huddsf’ld 0-0 So’ton
Newcastle 3-0 West Ham
Watford 0-0 Brighton
Man Utd 2-0 Leicester
Sunday, 27 August
Chelsea 2-0 Everton
WBA 1-1 Stoke
Liverpool 4-0 Arsenal
Spurs 1-1 Burnley
In the German Bundesliga, champions Bayern Munich also kept their 100% start to the season as a brace from Robert Lewandowski earned them a 2-0 win at Werder Bremen.
Borussia Dortmund also won 2-0 against Hertha Berlin to keep their perfect start, while Hoffenhiem and Bayer Leverkusen played out an entertaining 2-2 draw at the BayArena.
Last season’s second placed team, RB Leipzig earned a first win of the season, following a 4-1 thrashing of Frieburg, thanks to a Timo Werner brace, and further goals from Orban and Bruma.
After the results, four teams have a 100% start to the season in the Bundesliga, with Dortmund atop the standing, but with a superior goal difference.
They are followed by rivals Bayern, Hamburg and Hannover 96 in second, third and fourth respectively.
Bundesliga Results
Friday, 25 August
Cologne 1-3 Hamburg
Saturday, 26 August
Leverkusen 2-2 Hoffenhiem
Frankfurt 0-1 Wolfsburg
Augsburg 2-2 M’gladbach
Stuttgart 1-0 Mainz
W.Bremen 0-2 Bayern
B.Dortmund 2-0 Hertha
Sunday, 27 August
RB Leipzig 4-1 Frieburg
Hannover 96 1-0 Schalke
In the Spanish La Liga, a Lionel Messi brace inspired Barcelona to a 2-0 away win at Alaves, while Atletico Madrid hammered Las Palmas 5-1, with Koke registering a brace.
At the Bernabeu, holders Real Madrid were held to a disappointing 2-2 draw by Valencia, with hugely talented youngster, Asensio registering a brace.
After week two in the La Liga, Real Sociedad find themselves top of the table on 6 points, same as Barcelona.
Leganes and Atletico Madrid complete the top four, while Real Madrid are in fifth.
La Liga Results
Friday, 25 August
Sociedad 3-0 Villarreal
Real Betis 2-1 Celta
Saturday, 26 August
Alaves 0-2 Barcelona
Girona 1-0 Malaga
Levante 2-2 Deportivo
Las Palmas 1-5 A. Madrid
Sunday, 27 August
Eibar 0-1 Ath. Bilbao
Espanyol 0-1 Leganes
Getafe 0-1 Sevilla
R.Madrid 2-2 Valencia
Finally, we end this week’s review of matches in Europe’s top five league with the Italian Serie A, where Juventus came from behind to record a 4-2 win at Genoa, thanks to a Paulo Dybala hattrick, his first for the Turin side.
There were wins for Inter Milan and AC Milan, as well, with the former winning 3-1 at the Stadio Olympico, the home of Roma, while the latter were 2-1 winners over Cagliari at the San Siro.
Napoli grabbed a 3-1 over Atlanta, while SPAL shocked Udinese 3-2.
Five teams are still unbeaten in Italy, where Juventus remain top with a superior goal advantage, followed by Inter and Napoli in second and third respectively, while AC Milan are fourth.
Serie A Results
Saturday, 26 August
Benevento 0-1 Bologna
Genoa 2-4 Juventus
Roma 1-3 Inter
Sunday, 27 August
Torino 3-0 Sassuolo
Milan 2-1 Cagliari
Chievo 1-2 Lazio
Crotone 0-0 Verona
Fiorentina 1-2 Sampdoria
Napoli 3-1 Atlanta
SPAL 3-2 Udinese
Have a great week and see you next week!!!
