Liverpool smash nine to equal record; Haaland nets hat-trick

Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino (second left) scores his team’s seventh goal against Bournemouth during the Premier League match at the Anfield in Liverpool, Britain, yesterday. (Reuters)

Liverpool equalled the Premier League’s record win with a 9-0 demolition of Bournemouth, while Erling Haaland’s hat-trick inspired Manchester City’s comeback 4-2 victory against Crystal Palace yesterday.On a remarkable day in the top flight, leaders Arsenal maintained their perfect start with a dramatic 2-1 win against Fulham. Meanwhile, 10-man Chelsea beat Leicester 2-1 and Manchester United’s revival continued with a 1-0 victory at Southampton.Liverpool stole the spotlight as they recovered from Monday’s lacklustre 2-1 loss at Manchester United in astonishing style. After three games without a win, the Reds rebounded by equalling Manchester United’s 9-0 wins against Ipswich in 1995 and Southampton in 2021, as well as Leicester’s thrashing of Southampton in 2019.It took just three minutes for Luis Diaz to strike at Anfield as the Colombia winger headed home Roberto Firmino’s cross. Three minutes later, Liverpool moved further ahead as Harvey Elliott bagged his first Premier League goal with a 20-yard curler. Trent Alexander-Arnold rifled into the top corner from 25 yards in the 28th minute.After providing three assists, Firmino scored himself with a close-range volley to put the result beyond doubt by the 31st minute. Virgil van Dijk headed in Andrew Robertson’s corner on the stroke of half-time as Liverpool scored five in the first half of a Premier League game for the first time. Chris Mepham’s own goal from Alexander-Arnold’s 46th minute cross was followed by Firmino grabbing the seventh in the 62nd minute.Fabio Carvalho’s first goal since his summer move from Fulham made it eight in the 80th minute. Diaz notched the historic ninth from Kostas Tsimikas’ corner with five minutes left as Liverpool equalled their biggest ever top-flight margin of victory, set against Palace in 1989.“We wanted to show a reaction. Getting to be the best version of ourselves. We scored wonderful goals,” Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said. “The game settled and we kept scoring. It was the perfect afternoon.”Champions Manchester City staged another impressive rally as they came from 2-0 down to beat Palace at the Etihad Stadium. Palace went ahead in the fourth minute as Eberechi Eze’s free-kick deflected off John Stones into the net for an own goal.City fell further behind in the 21st minute when Palace defender Joachim Andersen was left unmarked to head in Eze’s corner. But City came from 3-1 down to draw at Newcastle last weekend and Bernardo Silva gave them hope of a repeat with a 53rd-minute effort that deflected in off Jeffrey Schlupp.They equalised in the 62nd minute when Phil Foden’s cross reached Haaland and the former Borussia Dortmund striker headed his first home goal since joining in the close season. In the 70th minute, Haaland got his fifth in four games, prodding home from Stones’ pass after a flowing move. The Norwegian sealed his hat-trick from Silva’s pass in the 81st minute. “What Erling Haaland has done today he has done all his career. It is nothing special,” City manager Pep Guardiola said.At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal’s three-match winning run was threatened when Aleksandar Mitrovic robbed Gabriel and slotted in his 100th goal for Fulham in the 56th minute. But Martin Odegaard equalised eight minutes later with a wicked deflected effort before Gabriel bundled over the line in the 86th minute after Fulham’s former Arsenal keeper Bernd Leno failed to hold onto the ball.Raheem Sterling scored his first goals for Chelsea in a dramatic win over Leicester. Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher was sent off in the 28th minute for a needless foul on Harvey Barnes just moments after being booked. Sterling struck in the 47th minute, the former Manchester City forward’s shot deflecting off Daniel Amartey into the net. Sterling doubled his tally in the 63rd minute as he tapped in from Reece James’ cross before Barnes squeezed in a low shot three minutes later.Erik ten Hag said Manchester United have learned from their dismal start to the season after Bruno Fernandes’ 55th-minute volley saw off Southampton. Ten Hag’s side sat bottom of the Premier League after losing their opening two games.But United have recovered from that embarrassing start to secure successive league victories for the first time since February. Brentford drew 1-1 with Everton and Brighton beat Leeds 1-0.Premier League results Arsenal 2 (Odegaard 64, Gabriel 86) Fulham 1 (Mitrovic 56); Brentford 1 (Janelt 84) Everton 1 (Gordon 24); Brighton 1 (Gross 66) Leeds 0; Chelsea 2 (Sterling 47, 63) Leicester 1 (Barnes 66); Liverpool 9 (Diaz 3, 85, Elliott 6, Alexander-Arnold 28, Firmino 31, 62, Van Dijk 45, Mepham 46-og, Carvalho 80) Bournemouth 0; Manchester City 4 (Silva 53, Haaland 62, 70, 81) Crystal Palace 2 (Stones 4-og, Andersen 21); Southampton 0 Manchester United 1 (Fernandes 55)Playing today (1300 GMT unless stated): Aston Villa v West Ham, Wolves v Newcastle, Nottingham Forest v Tottenham (1530)