Crystal Palace’s 19-match unbeaten streak came to an end with a 2-1 loss to Everton at the Hill-Dickinson Stadium on Sunday.
The Eagles came into the match having not tasted defeat since a 5-0 Premier League defeat to Newcastle in April, and had not lost a match this season. Its last match was a 2-0 win against Dynamo Kyiv in the UEFA Europa League.
Its previous Premier League outing was a 2-1 win against Liverpool, courtesy of an injury-time Eddie Nketiah winner.
Despite taking an early lead through Daniel Munoz’s first-half goal, Palace allowed Everton back into the game and conceded a second-half penalty, which Iliman Ndiaye converted to level the scores. Jack Grealish settled the match with a winner in injury time to settle the match.
Palace’s defeat means that it sits sixth in the Premier League table, having won three and drawn three of six its matches this season.
Pressure increases on Postecoglou as Forest lose to Newcastle
Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes scored a brilliant goal and won a penalty as his side beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 at home in the Premier League on Sunday to heap even more pressure on under-fire boss Ange Postecoglou.
The size of the task facing the Australian was apparent as once again goalkeeper Matz Sels was his side’s best player as they struggled to create chances of note.
After a scrappy goalless first half, Guimaraes gave his side the lead in the 58th minute with a superb strike, picking up a pass from Dan Burn outside the box and curling it beyond the despairing dive of Sels in the Forest goal.
The visitors had given as good as they got up to that point, but they fell apart after the goal, with Sels repeatedly called into action to keep his side in the game.
With the Newcastle pressure mounting, he pulled off a superb reflex save to steer a Malick Thiaw volley away to safety, and a couple of minutes later he stood his ground to deny Harvey Barnes.
They barely managed to threaten at the other end, with Chris Wood looking like a shadow of the striker that netted 20 Premier League goals last season, and anything they did get on target lacked the power to trouble Nick Pope in Newcastle’s goal.
Despite his heroics, there was little Sels could do when Elliot Anderson needlessly scythed down Guimaraes in the 82nd minute to concede a penalty, and German striker Nick Woltemade fired home confidently from the spot.
The win lifts Newcastle to 11th spot in the standings on nine points while Postecoglou’s Forest, who are without a win in seven games in all competitions, are 17th with five points from their seven league games this season, one point above the drop zone.
“It is always tough coming here with the crowd behind them and the atmosphere but I felt we handled it well,” Postecoglou told Sky Sports.
“It’s a struggle, it’s a fight, there’s nothing wrong with that, it doesn’t worry me. That’s why I love what I do. I could have been sitting on a couch watching … but I prefer to be here, you know,” he added.
Malen double gives Aston Villa victory over Burnley
Donyell Malen made the most of a rare Premier League start by firing Aston Villa to a 2-1 victory over Burnley on Sunday, with the Dutch forward’s first goals of the season lifting Unai Emery’s side up to 13th in the standings.
Malen has had to bide his time for opportunities in the Premier League early in the campaign, but he showed razor-sharp finishing at Villa Park to open his account for the season in spectacular fashion.
He timed his run to perfection to get on the end of Boubacar Kamara’s pass for the opener before the 26-year-old scored another goal from a similarly tight angle in the second half to complete his brace.
“It has been a tough start but we stay positive and we have worked really hard to turn things around and today was a good example,” Malen told Sky Sports.
“It’s important to keep working, whenever you have a chance to be there. We have to go game by game.
“We have a good team, a good squad. Last season we were nearly in the Champions League so we have to push for that.”
Villa dominated proceedings but was guilty of spurning several chances before Malen’s clinical touch made the difference.
The Dutchman nearly capped his afternoon with a hat-trick, only to see his strike after a neat one-two move with Ollie Watkins blocked on the line.
“I think Donyell has been amazing, he’s been waiting for his chance and whenever he plays he adds something to the game. Today he starts and scores two, so really happy,” Villa midfielder Lamare Bogarde said.
The victory extended Villa’s winning run in all competitions to four matches after it went winless in the first six games of the season.
“We settled him (Malen) a little bit with some technical balance. He was close to score and he scored, fantastic,” Emery said.
“Here in Villa Park we have to make it a fortress, we have to compete and we are finishing before the international break in good balance.
“We are feeling more comfortable than we were. I am really happy how the players have responded with our demands.”
RESULT
Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion