Champions League Matchday Four Review

The Champions League group stage reached the business end in matchday four with the a number of teams confirming their place in the knockout stages at the earliest opportunity.

A
Paris Saint Germain secured qualification for the next stage as they defeated a Basel side who remain without a win.

Blaise Matuidi put the visitors ahead before Zuffi drew the hosts level on 76 minutes only for them to go down to ten men with the dismissal of Serey Die with six minutes to go. The visitors sealed the points and a 2-1 win with a late effort from Meunier. 

Arsenal sit top of the group as they also qualified for the next stage against winless Ludogorets.

The hosts raced into a surprise 2-0 lead inside 16 minutes as Barbosa and Keseru struck. The Gunners pulled one back four minutes later through Granit Xhaka before Olivier Giroud equalised to send the sides into the interval level at 2-2. The crucial strike for the visitors came with 87 minutes on the clock as Mesut Ozil sealed a 3-2 victory with an excellent effort.


B
Napoli sit top of the group after salvaging a point away to Besiktas. The Turks took the lead in the tightly run game on 79 minutes through Ricardo Quaresma but were pegged back within three minutes as Marek Hamsik levelled for 1-1 to ensure a share of the points.

Benfica sit second on goal difference after they secured a narrow 1-0 win over Dynamo Kiev.

The vital strike came just before half time as Salvio slotted in a penalty.

C
Borussia Monchengladbach and Celtic remain in the hunt to reach the next stage after they shared the points in a 1-1 draw.

The hosts opened the scoring on 33 minutes through Lars Stindl,the lead continued deep into the second half until a double blow for the Germans. Korb was sent off with Dembele
converting the resulting penalty to salvage a point.

Barcelona missed the chance to secure qualification to the next stage as they suffered a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City.

The Catalan side opened the scoring on 21 minutes through Lionel Messi but were pegged back six minutes before half time by Ilkay Gundogan's equaliser for 1-1. Kevin De Bruyne put City ahead just seven minutes after the interval before Gundogan's second effort secured a 3-1 win for the hosts as Pep Guardiola defeated his former side.


D
Atletico Madrid extended their 100% record to secure qualification with a 2-1 win over FC Rostov.

Antoine Griezmann put the hosts ahead on 27 minutes only to have his effort cancelled out by an equaliser within three minutes from Azmoun. However, the points were sealed for the hosts in the final minutes as Griezmann scored his second to secure a 2-1 win.

Bayern Munich also secured qualification for the next stage as they came from behind to win 2-1 at PSV Eindhoven.

The hosts opened the scoring inside 14 minutes through Arias before being pegged back by Robert Lewandowski's 34th minute penalty. Lewandowski sealed the win and qualification for the Germans with his second strike on 73 minutes.

E
Monaco sit top of the group after they claimed a 3-0 win over a CSKA Moscow side whose 'keeper Igor Akinfeev reached a record 41st consecutive game without a clean sheet.

An early opener from Germain inside 12 minutes was followed by a strike from Radamel Falcao on 28 minutes. The win was sealed before half time as Falcao struck his second goal five minutes before the interval.

Bayer Leverkusen acquired their first win of the group stage with a narrow 1-0 win over Tottenham whose Wembley woes continued.

The crucial strike came on 65 minutes as Kampl gave the Germans all three points.



F
Borussia Dortmund became the fifth team and last side to qualify for the next stage in matchday four as they claimed a 1-0 win over Sporting Lisbon.

The narrow win was secured early on as a 13th minute strike from Ramos proved to be enough to secure the points and extend the German's unbeaten run.

Real Madrid will have to wait to confirm a spot in the next stage after the came from behind to deny a famous win for Legia Warsaw.

The visitors made a perfect start as Gareth Bale fired them in front inside the first minute and with Karim Benzema doubling the lead on 35 minutes they looked comfortable. However, Legia had other ideas as Odjidja-Ofoe made it 2-1 into the interval before Radovic levelled at 2-2 just before the hour mark. The hosts looked to have secured a stunning win with an 83rd minute lead coming from Moulin but Madrid salvaged a 3-3 draw a minute later with Kovacic's leveller.

G
Leicester City missed the chance to secure a spot in the next stage as their 100% start ended with a 0-0 draw at FC Copenhagen.

Despite the draw, the Foxes claimed a famous record in becoming first side to open their debut campaign with four clean sheets.

FC Porto moved into second spot with a narrow 1-0 win over Club Brugge who are yet to claim a single point in the group. The winning goal came eight minutes before the interval as Silva struck for the hosts.

H
Juventus missed the chance to move top of the group as they were held 1-1 at home to Lyon.

The hosts led early on after Higuain's 13th minute opener from the penalty spot but were denied the win as Tolliso salvaged a point for the visitors on 85 minutes.

Sevilla sit two point clear atop the group after a comfortable 4-0 rout over Dinamo Zagreb.

Vietto got the hosts off the mark on 31 minutes before the visitors suffered a blow just before the interval with the dismissal of Stojanovic.

Escudero doubled the lead for the hosts on 66 minutes before Steven N'Zonzi sealed the win ten minutes from the end. The gloss on the win came three minutes from time as Ben Yedder struck. 

Reds Defeat Eagles To Join City/Gunners On Top

Game-week 10 of Premier League action saw three teams end the weekend level on points at the top with the trio all scoring four in comfortable wins during a high scoring programme.

The early kick-off saw rock bottom Sunderland hosting Arsenal with the Gunners looking to move top of the table. Their pursuit of success saw Alexis Sanchez open the scoring on 19 minutes.

The hosts drew level on 66 minutes with a penalty from Jermain Defoe before a rapid brace from substitute Olivier Giroud on 72 and 76 minutes saw the Gunners lead 3-1 before Sanchez struck his second two minutes later to wrap up a 4-1 victory.

Manchester United looked to close the gap at the top as they hosted Burnley at Old Trafford. A tight game saw the sides share the points in a 0-0 draw which saw United end with ten after the 68th minute dismissal of Ander Herrera. 

Middlesbrough looked to move away from the danger zone as they hosted Bournemouth who themselves hoped to move further into the top half.

The hosts opened the scoring through Gaston Ramirez seven minutes before the interval with Stewart Downing completing a 2-0 win in the 56th minute.

Tottenham hosted Leicester City with both sides hoping to secure a win ahead of their return to European action.

Spurs took the lead just before the interval as Vincent Janssen slotted in a penalty for 1-0 before Ahmed Musa levelled for the Foxes within three minutes of the restart to salvage a point at 1-1.

Hull City travelled to face high-flying Watford looking to move out of the bottom three,

They remain in the danger zone after a narrow 1-0 loss to the Hornets who benefited from a Michael Dawson own goal eight minutes from the end.

Manchester City had the chance to move back to the top as they visited West Bromwich Albion.

Sergio Aguero fired City ahead on 19 minutes and doubled the lead just eight minutes later. The two goal lead remained until deep into the second half before a brace from Ilkay Gundogan  in the 79th and 90th minutes completed a 4-0 rout.

The evening kick-off saw a six-goal thriller at Selhurst Park as Crystal Palace hosted a Liverpool side eyeing top spot.

The Reds opened the scoring on 17 minutes through Emre Can only to be instantly pegged back by James McArthur's equaliser for 1-1 after a mistake from Dejan Lovren who redeemed himself three minutes later for 2-1.

McArthur levelled for a second time on 34 minutes before Joel Matip regained the lead for the Reds at 3-2 just before the interval. The win was sealed in the 71st minute as Roberto Firmino fired in for 4-2.

Sunday's action began with Everton hosting a West Ham side looking to move away from the danger zone.

Everton claimed a 2-0 win with two second half strikes as Romelu Lukaku continued his scoring streak against the Hammers with a 55th minute opener before Ross Barkley confirmed the win on 75 minutes.

Sunday's second game saw Southampton host Chelsea with the Blues looking to move back into the top four.

An early opener from Eden Hazard came after just six minutes for the Blues with Diego Costa doubling the lead and confirming the win on 55 minutes.

The final game of the week saw Stoke City hosting fellow strugglers Swansea City on Monday night.

Former Swans attacker Wilfried Bony put the Potters ahead inside three minutes but a leveller just five minutes later came from Wayne Routledge for 1-1.

An unfortunate own goal from Andy Mawson put the Potters back in front before a second from Bony on 73 minutes confirmed a 3-1 win.

EPL Cup Round Four Review

The final 16 teams in the EPL Cup met at the fourth round stage this midweek with the sides knowing a win would see them into the quarter finals.

Tuesday night saw five of the eight ties with Arsenal hosting Championship side Reading at the Emirates. 

The Gunners sealed a spot in the last eight with a 2-0 win over the Royals with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's brace in the 33rd and 78th minutes.

Another battle between a top flight and Championship side saw Hull City visit Bristol City. 

Harry Maguire put the visitors ahead just before half-time with Michael Dawson doubling the lead within two minutes of the restart. The hosts pulled one back through Lee Tomlin but were unable to level as Hull reached the last eight.

An all Championship tie saw Leeds United host Norwich City at Elland Road. An early opener from Alex Pritchard put the Canaries ahead but the hosts managed to draw level just before half time through Marcus Antonsson. 

The sides remained level at 1-1 until the end of the 90 minutes and went to extra time with Norwich leading for a second time through Nelson Oliveira. However, an equaliser from Chris Wood forced penalties with the Leeds securing a spot in the last eight with a 3-2 success. 

The televised action saw Liverpool host Tottenham with both sides making mass changes from the weekend. An early opener from Daniel Sturridge saw the Reds lead inside nine minutes before he struck again just after the hour mark for 2-0. Tottenham set up a tense finish with a penalty from Vincent Janssen but were unable to deny the hosts from securing a spot in last eight.

An all Championship battle saw Newcastle United host Preston North End at St James' Park. Aleksandar Mitrovic put the Magpies ahead on 19 minutes with the visitors suffering a further blow with the dismissal of Alan Browne on 25 minutes.

Mo Diame doubled the lead before the interval with a Matt Richie penalty and second trike from Mitrovic making it 4-0 on 55 minutes. The gloss on a fine performance came with two late goals as Diame struck his second before Ayoze Perez complete a 6-0 rout.

Wednesday night saw the remaining three ties- Southampton hosting Sunderland. The Saints secured a place in the last eight via a first goal for the club for summer signing Sofiane Boufal.

A London derby at London Stadium as West Ham hosted Chelsea. Both sides made changes from the weekend but it was the Hammers who started the better as Cheikou Kouyate fired them ahead inside 12 minutes.

Edmilson Fernandes doubled the lead for the hosts just after half time and for the Blues just a small consolation on the night as Gary Cahill struck late on for 2-1.

The final tie of the round saw another derby, the Manchester derby as United hosted City at Old Trafford. The fierce rivals were to be separated by just a single goal as Juan Mata struck a 54th minute winner for a 1-0 success.



The draw for the quarter finals saw the following pairings...

Liverpool v Leeds United
Manchester United v West Ham United
Hull City v Newcastle United
Arsenal v Southampton.

City/Gunners/Reds On Top After Defeating Baggies

Game-week nine of the Premier League saw one of the lowest scoring weekends of the season while three sides are now level at the top.

Tottenham had the chance to move top of the table with a win as they visited Bournemouth.

The Cherries looked to become the first side to defeat Spurs this season but will surely be the happier of the two sides as they shared the points in a 0-0 draw.

Alike their North London rivals, Arsenal had the chance to move top as they welcomed Middlesbrough to the Emirates.

The Gunners were unable to breakthrough against 'Boro who moved out of the bottom three with a point in the 0-0 draw.

After defeating Liverpool earlier in the season, Burnley hosted Everton at Turf Moor looking to claim a Merseyside double.

The Clarets struck an opener six minutes before half-time through Sam Vokes only for Yannick Bolasie to level for the Toffees with his first goal for the club just before the hour mark.

The sides looked on course for a share of the points until a last gasp strike from Scott Arfield sealed a 2-1 win for the hosts.

In a battle to move away from the bottom three, Stoke City travelled to fellow strugglers Hull City. The Potters secured a 2-0 win to move clear of their opponents with a superb brace from Xherdan Shaqiri on 26 and 50 minutes.

Leicester City and Crystal Palace both looked to advance up the table as they met at the King Power stadium.

The Foxes led 1-0 at half-time after Ahmed Musa's 42nd minute opener before Shinji Okazaki doubled the lead in the 63rd minute.

Christian Fuchs confirmed the win ten minutes from the end with his first strike for the club but it was to be the Eagles with the last say as Yohan Cabaye struck for 3-1 in the 86th minute.

Swansea hoped to cut the gap to safety as they welcomed Watford to the Liberty Stadium. They remain second bottom and two points shy of safety after a 0-0 draw with the Hornets.

West Ham United looked to boost their woeful home form as they hosted basement boys Sunderland at London Stadium.The two sides were evenly matched for the majority of the game with the score remaining at 0-0 into added time.

However, it was to be joy for the home fans as Winston Reid fired in a stunning last gasp winner to secure a 1-0 victory.

The evening game saw Liverpool look to move level at the top with a win as they hosted West Bromwich Albion. The Reds struck an opener in the 20th minute through Sadio Mané before a superb effort from Phillipe Coutinho on 35 minutes doubled the advantage to 2-0.

Despite their free-scoring form this season, the Reds have only claimed one shut-out and that figure remained as Gareth McAuley got the Baggies on the board with nine minutes to go, a strike which denied the hosts top spot outright.

Sunday's double header began at the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City looked to regain top spot as they hosted Southampton.

The Saints led after 27 minutes after Nathan Redmond capitalised on poor defence from City. However, the hosts did manage to claim a point as substitute Kelechi Ihenacho struck on 55 minutes. The 1-1 draw ensured that City would end the weekend on top.

The final game of the weekend saw a huge clash between Chelsea and Manchester United in Jose Mourinho's first return to Stamford Bridge since his sacking by the Blues.

A perfect start from Chelsea saw Pedro score the opener within 30 seconds before Gary Cahill doubled the lead on 21 minutes, The win looked to be safe when Eden Hazard made it 3-0 just after the hour but the gloss on a superb home win came with 20 minutes to go as N'Golo Kanté struck to complete a 4-0 rout of the visitors. 

Europa League Matchday Three Review

After the International break, European action resumed with the Europa League group stage reaching the halfway mark with matchday three.

A
Feyernoord sit top of the group after a narrow 1-0 win at home to Zorya Luhansk who remain without a win. The crucial strike came in the 55th minute from Jorgensen.

Manchester United are joint top after a comfortable 4-1 win at home to Fenerbache. The hosts took the lead on 31 minutes with a penalty from Paul Pogba before Anthony Martial added a second from the spot within three minutes.

Pogba struck again just before half-time with Jesse Lingard wrapping up the points just three minutes after the interval. The Turks had some consolation though as former United striker Robin van Persie netted six minutes from the end.

B
Apoel Nicosia remain atop the group despite a 3-1 defeat to Young Boys who claimed their first win. The visitors opened the scoring on 14 minutes through Efrem before Hoarau levelled four minutes later for 1-1. Hoarau put the Swiss side ahead on 52 minutes before confirming the win with a penalty on 82 minutes.

Olympiakos are level at the top after a comfortable 4-1 win over Astana who remain without a win. The hosts opened the scoring on 25 minutes through Figueiras before Elyounossi doubled the lead just nine minutes later. An instant third strike from Couto Junior put the Greek side in control but the visitors hit back with a Kabanaga strike on 54 minutes before being reduced to ten with the dismissal of Canas. The gloss on the win for the hosts came with Couto Junior scoring his second on 65 minutes.


C
FSV Mainz and RSC Anderlecht remain unbeaten after sharing the points in a 1-1 draw.

An early penalty from Malli after just ten minutes gave the Germans the lead but their hopes of a win were dented on 65 minutes as Teodorczyk salvaged the draw.

FK Qabala remain bottom of the group without a win after after a narrow 1-0 defeat to Saint Etienne.  The winning goal came on 70 minute with an unfortunate own goal for Ferreira Silva. 

D
AZ Alkmaar await their first win after a 2-1 defeat to Maccabi Tel-Aviv who claimed their first success. Scarione fired the visitors ahead on 24 minutes for a lead that lasted deep into the second half before Muhren levelled for the hosts on 72 minutes. The win was sealed with nine minutes to go as Golasa struck for 2-1.

Zenit Saint Petersburg maintained their 100% record atop the group as they came from behind to deny Dundalk who were on course for a famous win. The Irish side opened the scoring on 52 minutes through Benson before being pegged back by two goals in six minutes from the Russians as Mak levelled on 71 minutes with De Paula sealing the 2-1 win on 77 minutes.

E
AS Roma and Austria Vienna remain unbeaten after sharing the points  in a 3-3 draw. Holzhauser put the visitors ahead on 16 minutes with El Shaarawy levelling within three minutes before putting the hosts ahead on 34 minutes.

Florenzi extended the lead for the Italians on 69 minutes before a late double from Prokup and Kayode salvaged the draw.

Viktoria Plzen remain without a win after a 2-1 defeat to Astra Giurgiu. The visitors opened the scoring on 41 minutes through Alibec before benefiting from an own goal from Horava. Horava struck at the correct end on 86 minutes but it was to be just a consolation.

F -KRC Genk sit atop the group after a 2-0 win at home to Athletic Bilbao with Brabec firing them ahead on 40 minutes and Ndidi confirming the points with seven minutes to go.

Rapid Vienna and Sassuolo shared the points in a 1-1 draw which saw the hosts lead early on as Schaub struck inside seven minutes. The visitors claimed a point with a 66th minute equaliser from Schrammel. 

G
Celta Vigo and Ajax remain unbeaten after sharing the points in a 2-2 draw. The hosts led after 22 minutes via a strike from Ziyech before being pegged back by Fontas Prat's 29th minute leveller. Celta went ahead through Valenzuela on 52 minutes only to be denied the win by a 71st minute equaliser from Younes.

Standard Liege and Panathinaikos await their first wins after claiming a point each in a 2-2 draw. An early opener from Ibarbo put the Greeks ahead on 12 minutes before he doubled the lead on 36 minutes. A Paulo Da Silva penalty made it 2-1 just before half-time with Belpodil scoring on 82 minutes to salvage the draw.

H
Konyaspor and Sporting Braga await their first wins of the group after they shared the points in a 1-1 draw. An early opener from Milosevic saw the hosts lead inside nine minutes before they were pegged back by Hassan's 55th minute leveller.

Shakthar Donetsk maintained their 100% record with a 5-0 rout against KAA Gent who suffered their first loss. An opener after just 12 minutes from Kovalenko was followed by strikes from Ferreyra and Bernard for a 3-0 advantage at the interval. The gloss on a dominant performance came as Taison and Malyshev struck on 75 and 85 minutes.

I
Red Bull Salzburg remain bottom of the group without a win after a narrow 1-0 loss to OGC Nice. The winning goal came early on as Pléa struck on 13 minutes which proved to be enough to seal the points.

Schalke 04 maintained their 100% record with a narrow 1-0 win away to Krasnodar. The winning goal for the visitors came after just ten minutes as Yevhen Konoplyanka slotted in.

J
FK Qarabag claimed their first win with a 2-0 win over PAOK Salonica. Quintana Sosa put the hosts in front on 56 minutes and a late goal from Amirgulyev confirmed the win.

Slovan Liberec await their first win after a 3-1 defeat to Fiorentina who remain unbeaten atop the group. An early brace from Nikola Kalinic on eight and 23 minutes put the Firenze 2-0 up before a strike from Seycik made it 2-1. Bababcar wrapped up the win for the visitors on 70minutes with the night ending badly for the Czechs with the dismissal of Breite. 


K
Sparta Prague moved atop the group standings with a 1-0 win over previous leaders Hapoel Beer Sheva. The crucial strike came in the 71st minute from Pulkrab.

Inter Milan claimed their first win with a 1-0 victory over Southampton. The Saints were toppled by a 67th minute effort from Antonio Candreva and the hosts were even able to hold on despite the dismissal of Brozovic in the 77th minute.

L
Villarreal remain atop the group after coming from behind to draw 2-2 at Osmanlispor. Two rapid strikes in as many minutes from Rusescu put the hosts 2-0 up before they were reduced to ten men with the dismissal of Guven on 53 minutes. The visitors took advantage quickly with N'Diaye striking for 2-1 on 55 minutes before a 74th minute leveller from Pato salvaged a point.

Steaua Bucharest remain without a win after they were denied late on by FC Zurich in a 1-1 draw. The Romanians led through a 63rd minute effort from Golubovic and looked on course for their first success but were denied by an 86th minute leveller from Koné.

Champions League Matchday Three Review

After the International break, European action resumed with the Champions League reaching the midpoint of the group stage with matchday three.

E
Bayer Leverkusen hosted Tottenham with the hosts looking for their first win after two draws . However, their run of draws continued as they shared the points with Spurs in a 0-0 draw.

Monaco remain atop the group after denying CSKA late on for a 1-1 draw. The Russians opened the scoring on 34 minutes with a strike from Traore and looked be on course for their first win.

However, the French side had other ideas and salvaged a point with Bernardo Silva extending his scoring run in the 87th minute.

F
Real Madrid continued their unbeaten start with a 5-1 routing of struggling Legia Warsaw who have lost all three of their games.

Gareth Bale opened the coring for the hosts after just 16 minutes before a strange three minutes for the visitors saw them fall 2-0 behind with an own goal from Jodlowiec followed by a Radovic penalty for 2-1. Asensio regained the hosts' two goal lead before second half efforts from Vazquez and Morata completed a 5-1 triumph.

Borussia Dortmund remain top of the group after a 2-1 win away to Sporting Lisbon. The Germans started superbly with a ninth minute opener from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. A second from Weigl doubled the lead just before the interval with the hosts pulling one back on 67 minutes through Cesar but it served as consolation as the visitors claimed the win.

G
Club Brugge continue to prop up the group after suffering their third consecutive loss as FC Porto claimed a 2-1 win. Vossen put the visitors into a 1-0 lead after just 12 minutes but their were pegged back just after the hour by Layun's strike for 1-1. The win was sealed in the final minute by Silva's penalty.

Leicester City top of the group with a 100% record after a  1-0 win to end FC Copehnagen's unbeaten start. The winner came five minutes before half-time from Riyad Mahrez. 


H
Dinamo Zagreb are still without a win as they slipped to a narrow 1-0 win at home to Sevilla who extended their unbeaten start. The winning goal came on 37 minutes as Man City loanee Samir Nasri struck.

Juventus sit atop the group after a narrow 1-0 win away to Olympique Lyonnais.The Italians were reduced to ten men just before the hour mark with the dismissal of Lemina. The hosts were unable to utilise their man advantage and fell behind to Cuadrado's 76th minute winner.

A 
Arsenal top the group after 6-0 hammering of Ludogorets who remain bottom of the group. Alexis Sanchez put the hosts ahead after just 12 minutes with Theo Walcott  and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain extending the lead to 3-0 either side of the interval. The remainder of the rout came from Mesut Ozil who struck a second half hat-trick in the 56th, 83rd and 87th minutes.

Paris Saint Germain also remain unbeaten after they defeated FC Basel 3-0.  The hosts took the lead five minutes before the interval through  Angel Di Maria before Lucas Moura doubled the lead just after the hour mark. The gloss on the win came late on with Edinson Cavani slotting in a penalty.






B

Benfica claimed their first success with a 2-0 win away to Dynamo Kiev who remain without a win. An early opener for the visitors saw Salvio  slot in a ninth minute penalty before Cervi confirmed the points just before the hour mark.

Napoli remain top of the group despite slipping to their first defeat as Besiktas won 3-2. The visitors struck first with Adriano scoring inside 12 minutes, Dries Mertens levelled on the half hour mark before Aboubakar regained the lead for the visitors. The sides were level on the hour as Gabbiadini struck from the spot for 2-2. However, the Turks were not to be denied their first win as Aboubakar sealed the win four minutes from the end.

C
Barcelona moved clear at the top of the group with a comfortable 4-0 win over Manchester City.  Lionel Messi fired the Catalan side ahead on 17 minutes and City did well to keep the score narrow past half-time.

However, the dismissal of former Barca 'keeper Claudio Bravo on 53 minutes for handling outside the box saw Barca take full control. Messi completed his hat-trick with two goals in eight minutes before the sides were level man wise with the sending off of Mathieu. Neymar completed the rout in the 89th minute.

Celtic remain bottom after falling to a 2-0 defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach. Lars Stindl put the visitors ahead just before the hour mark with Hahn confirming the points on 77 minutes.


D
Bayern Munich eased to a 4-1 win at home to a PSV Eindhoven side yet to claim their first win. Thomas Muller opened the scoring inside 13 minutes with Kimmich doubling the lead just eight minutes later.

Narsingh cut the gap for the visitors just before half-time but it was in vain as second half strikes from Robert Lewandowski and Arjen Robben completed the win.

Atletico Madrid continued their 100% record atop the group with a narrow 1-0 win away to FC Rostov. The visitors claimed the points with a 62nd minute winner from Carrasco.
 

Gunners Join City On Top As Reds Held By United

After the International break, Premier League action resumed with game-week eight which saw a low scoring weekend overall.

The early-kick off on Saturday saw Chelsea host Leicester City and the champions mixed start to the season continued as they fell to a 3-0 defeat at the Bridge.

Diego Costa continued his fine scoring streak with the opener inside seven minutes before Eden Hazard doubled the lead just after the half hour mark. The gloss on the hosts' win came with Victor Moses' strike on 80 minutes.

Arsenal moved towards the top with a 3-2 win at home to Swansea who remain in the bottom three. A seven minute brace from Theo Walcott put the hosts 2-0 up before Gylfi Sigurdsson cut the gap before the interval.

Mesut Ozil regained the hosts' two goal advantage just before the hour mark but the Swans hit back again with Borja Baston striking on 66 minutes for 3-2. The Gunners held on for the win with ten men after the dismissal of Granit Xhaka with 20 minutes left of the 90.

Bournemouth moved clear of the bottom three with a 6-1 hammering of Hull City at the Vitality Stadium. Charlie Daniels fired the Cherries ahead inside five minutes before Ryan Mason levelled for the visitors. Steve Cook and a penalty from Junior Stanislas saw the hosts take a 3-1 lead into the interval.

Stanislas struck his second after the hour for 4-1 before Callum Wilson and Dan Gosling completed the rout in the 83rd and 88th minutes.

Manchester City missed the chance to move clear at the top as they salvaged a 1-1 draw at home to Everton. 

The hosts had a first half penalty from Kevin De Bruyne saved by Maarten Steklenburg which proved costly as Romelu Lukaku put the Toffees ahead on 64 minutes. Stekelenburg was on course to prevent City from levelling as he saved a penalty from Sergio Aguero but was unable to deny an equaliser a minute or so later from Nolito.

Stoke City remain in the bottom three despite a 2-0 win over fellow strugglers Sunderland at the Bet365 Stadium. A first half brace from Joe Allen sealed the points as he continued his scoring run in the eighth and 45th minutes.

Tottenham had the chance to close up at the top as they visited West Brom at The Hawthorns. A tight game between the two sides saw a late show to confirm the points.

Former Spurs midfielder Nacer Chadli fired the Baggies in front only for his effort to be cancelled out by an 89th minute leveller from Dele Alli.

The evening game saw a London Derby as Crystal Palace hosted West Ham United. The Hammers have had a mixed start to the season but boosted their position with a 1-0 win at Selhurst Park.

An early strike from Manuel Lanzini was enough to secure the points as the visitors held on despite the dismissal of Aaron Cresswell with 15 minutes remaining.

Sunday's early action saw Middlesbrough hosting Watford with a stunning 54th minute  from Jose Holebas sealed a 1-0 win for the visitors.

The day's other game saw Southampton hosting Burnley at St Mary's Stadium. The Saints secured a 3-1 win with Charlie Austin striking an opener in the 52nd minute before Nathan Redmond doubled the lead on the hour.

Austin stuck a third for the hosts from the spot before Sam Vokes got the Clarets off the mark on 72 minutes.

Monday night saw fierce rivals Liverpool an Manchester United face off at Anfield. A tight game saw the Reds denied the chance to move joint top as the sides shared he points in a 0-0 draw.