LEEDS, Aug 21: A bad error by goalkeeper Edouard Mendy prompted a collapse by Chelsea in a 3-0 loss at Leeds on Sunday featuring a first Premier League goal by American winger Brenden Aaronson.
The late sending-off of centre back Kalidou Koulibaly completed a miserable afternoon at a lively Elland Road for Chelsea, which fell to a first loss of the season.
It was Aaronson who applied pressure on Mendy after the Senegal international received a back pass in the 33rd minute.
Mendy took a slightly heavy touch and tried to go around Aaronson, who dispossessed him and walked the ball into the net to make it 1-0.
“The message was going into this game, we’re going to press them, we’re not going to stay back and fear them, we are going to go after them,” said Aaronson, who joined Leeds from Austrian team Salzburg.
Spain striker Rodrigo glanced home a header from Jack Harrison’s free kick in the 37th minute and the roles were reversed for the third goal in the 69th, when Rodrigo arrived in the area to meet a cross with a mis-hit shot that was turned in from close range by Harrison.
Rodrigo glanced home a header from Jack Harrison’s free kick in the 37th minute and the roles were reversed for the third goal in the 69th, when Rodrigo arrived in the area to meet a cross with a mis-hit shot that was turned in from close range by Harrison.
Koulibaly, one of Chelsea’s offseason signings, received his second yellow card in the 84th for pulling back the jersey of substitute Joe Gelhardt.
Chelsea’s poor performance contrasted sharply with its impressive display in a 2-2 draw with Tottenham last weekend and highlighted a number of its weaknesses.
Notably in attack, where manager Thomas Tuchel looks to be short after letting go Romelu Lukaku and Timo Werner and only bringing in Raheem Sterling from Manchester City. Sterling had a goal disallowed in the first half and also missed a great early chance.
Chelsea also has a shortage of centre backs as well as issues in midfield, with N’Golo Kante and Mateo Kovacic injured.
Brighton win 2-0
West Ham slumped to its third straight loss to open the Premier League season as goals from midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Leandro Trossard earned Brighton a 2-0 win on Sunday.
Mac Allister’s 22nd-minute penalty and Trossard’s breakaway goal in the 66th maintained Brighton’s unbeaten start to the season after a win at Manchester United and a draw with Newcastle.
West Ham has now played Brighton 11 times in the Premier League and not won once.
Alarmingly, David Moyes’ team has not scored a goal in the league this season so it was surprising to see Gianluca Scamacca, the offseason signing from Sassuolo in Italy who got off the mark against Viborg in the Europa Conference League playoffs on Thursday, back among the substitutes.
Recently signed defender Thilo Kehrer was given a full debut, but his Premier League career started inauspiciously when he brought down Danny Welbeck to concede a penalty.
Kurt Zouma had given the ball away in the middle of the field and Trossard’s pass found Welbeck, who was tripped on the edge of the area by Kehrer, signed from Paris Saint-Germain.
After VAR confirmed the foul was inside the box, Mac Allister stepped up to slot home and put the Seagulls into the lead.
Scamacca made his entrance on the hour mark, but five minutes later West Ham conceded another as Brighton doubled its lead.
Mac Allister’s pass forward found Pascal Gross, who beautifully held off Zouma while flicking the ball into the path of Trossard. He raced into the area and placed a neat finish past Fabianski.
Arsenal stay perfect
On Saturday, Arsenal made it three straight wins to open the Premier League season by beating Bournemouth 3-0, with Martin Odegaard setting the team on its way with two goals inside 11 minutes on Saturday.
The Norway playmaker converted a rebound in the fifth minute after Gabriel Martinelli’s shot was saved and then lashed in a rising effort from Gabriel Jesus’ lay-off.
Center back William Saliba curled in a third from the edge of the area with his weaker left foot to clinch another convincing win. (AP)
