Premier League: Chelsea denied late, Spurs heap pressure on Potter, Newcastle find new hero after Isak

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New Delhi: Chelsea saw their chance to climb to the top of the Premier League slip away in stoppage time as Brentford snatched three points from Blues as they played a 2-2 draw in Saturday’s west London derby. Fabio Carvalho’s 93rd-minute equaliser left the Blues ruing missed opportunities and a questionable first-half experiment from manager Enzo Maresca.

Kevin Schade had put Brentford ahead in the first half, capitalising on Chelsea’s sluggish start. The visitors improved after the break with substitute Cole Palmer sparking a revival on his return from injury before Moises Caicedo’s thunderous strike looked set to seal all three points but Brentford’s persistence from long throws paid off at the death as Carvalho tapped in to deny Chelsea.

The result keeps Maresca’s side unbeaten but only fifth in the table, one point adrift of Arsenal, Tottenham, Bournemouth and Liverpool. With Bayern Munich awaiting in midweek, Maresca’s decision to rotate heavily may come under sharper scrutiny after dropping points so late.

Palmer’s introduction just before the hour changed the complexion of the contest. The England international equalised within minutes, his first open-play league goal since January and could have added another but shot too close to goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher. Caicedo’s strike from distance then seemed to secure the win, only for defensive lapses to hand Brentford a lifeline.

Brentford boss Keith Andrews who got promoted after Thomas Frank’s departure to Tottenham, praised his team’s use of long throws, dismissing what he called “snobbery” around such tactics. The Bees moved up to 12th with four points from four games.

Spurs turn up the heat on Potter

At the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Graham Potter found himself under renewed pressure as his West Ham side collapsed to a 3-0 defeat in the London derby. Pape Matar Sarr, Lucas Bergvall and Micky van de Ven all found the net in a game where Spurs looked revitalised following the exit of long-time chairman Daniel Levy.

For West Ham, Tomas Soucek’s red card compounded their misery and now without a win in their last seven home matches, it marks their worst run since moving to the London Stadium. Potter, who was already facing questions, saw much of the confidence gained from their shock win over Nottingham Forest disappear in 90 minutes.

Woltemade delivers for Newcastle

Newcastle unveiled a new goalscoring hero at St James’ Park. Nick Woltemade, a £69m signing from Stuttgart. After Isak’s departure he made an instant impact with the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Wolves. His first-half header secured the Magpies’ first win of the season while Wolves remained bottom without a point.

Stalemates and heartbreak elsewhere

Bournemouth continued their strong start with a 2-1 win over Brighton, Antoine Semenyo scoring from the penalty spot after also setting up Alex Scott’s opener. Kaoru Mitoma briefly brought Brighton level but Andoni Iraola’s side now sit third in the table.

Meanwhile, Arsenal comfortably dispatched Nottingham Forest 3-0 at the Emirates with Martin Zubimendi bagging a brace. It was a sobering debut for Ange Postecoglou in the Forest dugout.

Elsewhere, Everton and Aston Villa shared a goalless draw at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, leaving Unai Emery’s Villa still searching for their first goal of the campaign. Sunderland, who are enjoying their return to the top flight, held Crystal Palace 0-0 at Selhurst Park to maintain their steady start.

Fulham finally picked up their first win of the season with a dramatic 1-0 success over Leeds, Gabriel Gudmundsson turning into his own net deep into stoppage time. The visitors were left stunned after a largely even contest ended in heartbreak.