Arsenal Fail to Break the Anfield Curse Against Liverpool

Arsenal’s Anfield curse continued as hosts and reigning champions Liverpool defeated them 1-0 in the headline clash of Match week 3 of the Premier League.

The London side suffered their 17th defeat in 33 visits to Anfield since the Premier League began in the 1992-1993 season. Having returned with three straight draws from their last three trips, Arsenal’s wait for a victory on Merseyside stretched to 13 years. Their last win there dates back to September 2, 2012, when German forward Lukas Podolski and Spaniard Santi Cazorla sealed a 2-0 triumph. Since then, they have lost eight times and drawn five.

Hungarian midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai netted Liverpool’s 90th all-time goal against Arsenal in their 236th meeting across all competitions, striking a stunning free-kick into the top corner past Spanish goalkeeper David Raya in the 83rd minute.

After the match, Liverpool manager Arne Slot said: “Beating a team like Arsenal, who were strong last season and have strengthened significantly, is hugely positive. In the end, we needed a moment of magic. We’ll see at the end of the season how valuable this result really is.”

His Arsenal counterpart, Spaniard Mikel Arteta, commented: “I feel deeply disappointed with the result. You can’t dominate here for 90 minutes, it’s impossible. At the end, I told the players we must find a way to win these big games.”

Second Shock for Manchester City

Meanwhile, Brighton handed Manchester City another blow, defeating them 2-1 to inflict a second straight league loss while earning their first win after a draw and a defeat.

Pep Guardiola’s side opened the scoring through Norwegian striker Erling Haaland, who converted from close range after excellent individual work from Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush (34’).

After the defending champions missed several chances, Brighton clawed back into the match when Portuguese midfielder Matheus Nunes handled the ball in the area, giving away a penalty. Veteran substitute James Milner converted calmly to the right of goalkeeper James Trafford, who was once again preferred by Guardiola amid reports linking Brazilian shot-stopper Ederson with a move to Turkish side Fenerbahçe (67’).

City’s gamble on Trafford seemed to pay off when he denied Dutchman Jan Paul van Hecke brilliantly from close range (88’). But just a minute later, Japanese winger Kaoru Mitoma slipped in German substitute Brajan Gruda with a precise pass. Gruda rounded Trafford and Algerian full-back Rayan Aït-Nouri before slotting into the net to hand the hosts the win (89’).

In other action, West Ham United recorded their first victory of the season with a 3-0 away win over Nottingham Forest, condemning the hosts to their first defeat. Goals came from Jarrod Bowen (84’), Brazilian Lucas Paquetá (88’ pen), and Callum Wilson (90+1’).

Crystal Palace also claimed their first win, thrashing Aston Villa 3-0 away to extend the difficult start for last season’s sixth-placed side. Villa remain winless, with two straight defeats following an opening draw against Newcastle, and have yet to score in the league this season.

French striker Jean-Philippe Mateta (21’ pen), Marc Guéhi (68’), and Senegalese forward Ismaïla Sarr (78’) secured the points for the Eagles, who had drawn their first two matches.