The second round of Premier League fixtures took place on Saturday, with Brighton causing a surprise by defeating Manchester United in the early match.
Despite the challenging weather conditions in the United Kingdom, the 4pm games (Maltese time) promised an exciting lineup, leaving room for potential upsets if the top teams were not performing at their peak.
Tottenham 4-0 Everton
Tottenham had a comfortable afternoon upon their return to North London, as they secured a 4-0 victory over Everton.
Yves Bissouma, who was reinstated into the team after serving a suspension from manager Ange Postecoglou, broke the deadlock by smashing the ball off the crossbar from outside the box.
Spurs then extended their lead with a second goal, courtesy of Jordan Pickford’s careless touch. Captain Heung-Min Son capitalized on the opportunity and calmly placed the ball into an unguarded net.
With 20 minutes remaining, Cristian Romero rose above the opposition’s defense and headed the ball home from a corner, increasing Tottenham’s advantage. Son later sealed his brace on the counter-attack, following an impressive run by Micky van de Ven, leaving Everton with consecutive defeats.
Crystal Palace 0-2 West Ham
Crystal Palace once again failed to make an impact in the new season under the management of Oliver Glasner.
After suffering a defeat against Brentford in their first match, they were left stunned at their home ground by West Ham.
The opening goal for the Hammers was scored by Tomas Soucek, followed by Jarrod Bowen finding the back of the net to make it 2-0.
This victory marks Julen Lopetegui’s first successful result in a competitive match, showcasing an impressive performance away from home.
Southampton 0-1 Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest secured their first victory of the season with a hard-fought 1-0 win against Southampton on the South Coast.
This result marked the Saints’ second consecutive defeat. Morgan Gibbs-White netted the decisive goal for the Tricky Trees in the 70th minute, contributing to the team’s impressive tally of over 20 shots during the match at St. Mary’s Stadium.
Fulham 2-1 Leicester
Fulham responded positively following their loss to Manchester United on the opening day of the season, securing a 2-1 victory against Leicester at Craven Cottage.
Emile Smith Rowe, who joined Fulham from Arsenal during the summer transfer window, scored his inaugural goal for the club. However, Wout Faes managed to equalize for Leicester.
The match in West London was intense, with both teams having an equal chance of winning. Ultimately, it was the home side that emerged victorious thanks to a goal from Alex Iwobi, another former Arsenal player.
Fulham’s strong performance at home earned them three points, marking their first win of the season.
Manchester City 4-1 Ipswich
Manchester City overcame an initial scare from the newly promoted team Ipswich to emerge victorious with a 4-1 win at the Etihad Stadium.
The summer signing for Ipswich, Sammie Szmodics, opened the scoring early on, but ultimately it had little impact on the final result.
Erling Haaland equalized from the penalty spot, courtesy of some exceptional play from Savinho. Later, he found the net again alongside Kevin De Bruyne in an entertaining display by Pep Guardiola’s team.
Haaland completed his hat-trick late in the game, sending a strong message to their rivals that Manchester City is once again a force to be reckoned with this season.
