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In Pictures: European football round-up

Sport360 staff 17:59 27/08/2016
Raheem Sterling scored a brace against West Ham.

SUNDAY’S ACTION

PREMIER LEAGUE

Raheem Sterling struck twice as Pep Guardiola’s winning start as Manchester City boss continued with a hard-fought 3-1 win over West Ham.

Sterling’s first after seven minutes and another from Fernandinho soon after appeared to put a dominant City on course for a huge victory at the Etihad Stadium.

But the hosts were unable to maintain their scintillating early pace and Michail Antonio’s 58th-minute reply set up a tense finish until Sterling rolled in his second in injury time.

City’s victory sets up a mouth-watering derby against Manchester United next month, although Sergio Aguero could face disciplinary trouble after an apparent elbow on Winston Reid went unpunished.

Elsewhere, West Brom boss Tony Pulis reiterated his desire for new players after a dull draw with Middlesbrough.

The Baggies were held to a desperate 0-0 stalemate at home to Boro on Sunday as their problems were laid bare at The Hawthorns.

SATURDAY’S ACTION

PREMIER LEAGUE

Chelsea swept to the top of the Premier League with a 3-0 victory over Burnley, while Arsenal won 3-1 at Watford to ease the pressure on Arsene Wenger on Saturday.

After a dismal title defence last season, Chelsea look revitalised under new manager Antonio Conte and the Italian was able to celebrate his third successive win after the most emphatic display of his brief reign.

Second-placed Manchester United are behind Chelsea only on goals scored after Marcus Rashford struck deep into second-half stoppage time to snatch a 1-0 win at Hull City.

So disappointing last term, Eden Hazard has made a vibrant start to the new campaign and the Belgium midfielder put Chelsea ahead with a superb run and clinical finish from the edge of the penalty area in the ninth minute at Stamford Bridge.

Willian was back for Chelsea after recovering from a calf injury and the Brazil winger doubled their lead in the 41st minute before Nigeria’s Victor Moses came off the bench to net the hosts’ third in the 89th minute.

At Vicarage Road, Arsenal’s first victory of the season, after losing to Liverpool and drawing with Leicester City, should silence Wenger’s critics at least temporarily.

Failing to win their first two matches while struggling to make an impact in the transfer market had prompted some Arsenal fans to turn on Wenger again after many protested against him last season.

But there were no complaints as Arsenal took the lead in the ninth minute when Santi Cazorla stroked home a penalty after Nordin Amrabat elbowed Alexis Sanchez.

Chile forward Sanchez increased Arsenal’s advantage five minutes before half-time with a deft touch over Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.

Mesut Ozil was making his first start of the season after being rested following Euro 2016 and Arsenal’s German playmaker made up for lost time with a headed goal in first-half stoppage time.

Watford’s Roberto Pereyra reduced the deficit in the 57th minute, but the Hornets remain winless.

At the KCOM Stadium, United secured their third successive win under Mourinho as teenage striker Rashford finally turned their pressure into a tangible reward.

Frustrated by a resolute Hull defence, United won it in the second minute of stoppage time when substitute Rashford bagged his first goal of the season with a tap in from Wayne Rooney’s low cross.

Leicester finally secured the first win of their title defence with a 2-1 success against Swansea City at the King Power Stadium.

Claudio Ranieri’s side took the lead in the 32nd minute when Jamie Vardy finished off a typically efficient counter-attack from the champions and captain Wes Morgan lashed in the second in the 52nd minute.

Riyad Mahrez wasted a chance to make it three when the winger’s penalty was saved by Lukasz Fabianski and there was more frustration for Leicester when goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel came off injured.

But Leroy Fer’s 80th-minute goal for Swansea came too late to rescue a point for the visitors.

Danny Rose’s 72nd-minute equaliser earned Tottenham Hotspur a 1-1 draw with Liverpool at White Hart Lane.

James Milner gave Liverpool a deserved lead with a penalty in the 43rd minute after Roberto Firmino went down under the slightest contact by Erik Lamela.

But a sustained spell of second-half pressure climaxed when the unmarked Rose drilled home to preserve Tottenham’s unbeaten record.

Everton won 1-0 against Stoke City at Goodison Park after Leighton Baines’ penalty was pushed onto a post by Shay Given, only for the ball to rebound off the goalkeeper’s head into the net for an own goal.

Southampton rescued a dramatic 1-1 draw against Sunderland as Jay Rodriguez’s 85th-minute strike crept past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford to cancel out Jermain Defoe’s 80th-minute penalty at St Mary’s.

Scott Dann’s late leveller gave Crystal Palace a 1-1 draw against fellow strugglers Bournemouth at Selhurst Park.

Josh King had fired Bournemouth in an 11th-minute lead before Palace midfielder Yohan Cabaye missed a penalty.

BUNDESLIGA

BORUSSIA DORTMUND 2-1 MAINZ

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has resumed his duel with Robert Lewandowski to be the Bundesliga’s top scorer by netting twice in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Mainz on the opening weekend of the new season.

Aubameyang netted 25 league goals last season, finishing second to Bayern Munich striker Lewandowski’s 30 in the scorers’ charts, and the duo look set to lead the way again in 2016/17.

SERIE A 

LAZIO 0-1 JUVENTUS

Sami Khedira struck for the second successive game as Juventus won 1-0 at Lazio.

Khedira had been on target in the Serie A champions’ opening 2-1 victory over Fiorentina, and the Germany midfielder settled this contest of few chances after 66 minutes.

Lazio had held firm until Paulo Dybala lofted a ball over the home defence and Khedira unleashed a low shot past Federico Marchetti in the home goal.

There were few openings in a tight first half with Juventus going closest in the ninth minute when Marchetti was forced to turn away Dybala’s header.

Felipe Anderson was at the heart of Lazio’s best moments, and the Brazilian midfielder fired one ball across goal which Ciro Immobile would have reached but for Gianluigi Buffon’s fingertip intervention.

Both sides were finding it difficult to create opportunities but Kwadwo Asamoah’s deflected 33rd-minute effort had to be parried down by Marchetti from under his crossbar.

Juventus stepped up the pace after the break and Marchetti blocked Mario Mandzukic’s thumping effort before Dybala fired just wide after skipping past three defenders.

Buffon had largely been untroubled in the Juventus goal, but Lazio pushed bodies forward in the closing stages as they sought an equaliser.

Immobile’s strike fell into the path of Patric and the Spaniard’s deflected shot flew just above the bar.

Substitute Marko Pjaca almost doubled Juventus’ lead in stoppage time, but Massimiliano Allegri’s side held on for the win.

LA LIGA

REAL MADRID 2-1 CELTA VIGO

Click here for the full match report from the Santiago Bernabeu.

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