Soccer

Premier League wrap: Bazunu’s Saints seal 2-1 comeback win at Leicester

Mitrovic sinks Brentford at the death; Two-goal Zaha puts Villa to the sword

Gavin Bazunu in action for Southampton against Leicester City. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Getty Images
Gavin Bazunu in action for Southampton against Leicester City. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Getty Images
Sat Aug 20 2022 - 17:25

Leicester City 1 Southampton 2

Southampton came from behind to beat Leicester City 2-1 in Saturday’s Premier League game at the King Power Stadium, as Che Adams scored twice after coming off the bench.

Following a goalless first half, Leicester took the lead in the 54th minute with a free-kick from James Maddison but super-sub Adams scored in the 68th and 84th minute to seal Southampton's first win of the season.

Adams scored nine minutes after coming off the bench, finding the target with a low strike following a long throw-in, while the hosts were left to rue their poor defending.

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The Leicester-born Scotland forward then completed his double with an acrobatic effort as he volleyed home a cross from James Ward-Prowse, prompting boos around the King Power Stadium.

Adams almost bagged a hat-trick in stoppage time, but his shot rebounded off the post.

Earlier, Maddison had put Leicester ahead after he whipped the ball around the Southampton wall from a free-kick and found the bottom corner of the net, marking his second goal in three games.

Everton 1 Nottingham Forest 1

Winger Demarai Gray fired a late equaliser to give Everton a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest at Goodison Park as they picked up their first point of the new season following a rocky start.

After a wide-open first half that finished scoreless, Salomon Rondon almost put the home side in front early in the second with a quick turn and shot, but the ball flew just wide at the foot of the left-hand post.

Forest gave a debut to club record signing Morgan Gibbs-White a day after he arrived from Wolverhampton Wanderers on a five-year deal and he led a lively raid down the left that almost resulted in a goal for Neco Williams.

Though both sides created plenty of chances in an open and free-flowing game, they lacked the killer instinct in front of goal and the match looked to be heading for a draw until Brennan Johnson popped up in the 81st minute.

The 21-year-old, who netted 16 goals in the second-tier Championship last season, reacted quickest to steer home a rebound for his first goal of the season and looked all set to give his side their second victory in a row.

Gray had other ideas, however, latching on to a long ball from goalkeeper Jordan Pickford before confidently slotting the ball into the net to the delight of the home fans in the 88th minute to snatch a deserved draw for his side.

Fulham's Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic scores the winner at Craven Cottage. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images
Fulham's Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic scores the winner at Craven Cottage. Photograph: Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images

Fulham 3 Brentford 2

Fulham sealed their first victory of the Premier League campaign by beating Brentford 3-2 thanks to a late Aleksandar Mitrovic winner, after Bobby De Cordova-Reid scored the fastest goal of the season and Joao Palhinha produced a bullet header.

Mitrovic looked set to rue several missed chances, but rose to guide in a header from Kevin Mbabu’s cross in the 90th minute after Brentford’s Ivan Toney equalised to make it 2-2 in the 71st minute of a breathless encounter at Craven Cottage.

Earlier, the first top-flight clash between the West London derby rivals got off to a fast start as De Cordova-Reid bundled the ball home on 44 seconds following a scramble in the penalty area, with the visitors paying for losing possession cheaply.

Summer signing Palhinha then rose authoritatively to nod in Fulham’s second after a delightful cross from fellow midfielder Andreas Pereira on 20 minutes as the hosts looked primed to put Thomas Frank’s side to the sword.

But Brentford, who were second-best for much of the opening period, pulled a goal back before the break through an unmarked Norgaard as the Denmark midfielder’s thumping volley flew past goalkeeper Bernd Leno to give them a lifeline.

Both teams threatened after the restart as Brentford’s Toney was twice denied by the Video Assistant Referee while his Fulham counterpart Mitrovic also spurned a number of opportunities before making his final one count.

Crystal Palace 3 Aston Villa 1

Two goals from Wilfried Zaha and a late strike by Jean-Philippe Mateta helped Crystal Palace come from behind and defeat Aston Villa 3-1 at Selhurst Park on Saturday for their first win of the season.

Mateta volleyed a fine cross from Tyrick Mitchell home from close range to wrap up the win in the 71st minute, with Palace having taken the lead when Zaha scored on the rebound after Emiliano Martinez saved his penalty.

Earlier, Ollie Watkins ran on to a pass by Leon Bailey and put Villa ahead in the fifth minute for his first goal of the campaign, but a vibrant Palace did not need long to respond.

Zaha found himself in space two minutes later and slotted the ball past Martinez to restore parity for Patrick Vieira’s side, who could have gone in front had Jeffrey Schlupp’s strike not been ruled out for offside.

Villa defender Lucas Digne handled the ball in the penalty area after the break and Zaha’s initial shot from the spot was saved, but the Ivorian striker made no error on the rebound in the 58th minute.

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