Five-star City crush Norwich, Liverpool beat Burnley 2-0

Jack Grealish
Manchester City's Jack Grealish celebrates with teammate Gabriel Jesus (L) after scoring their second goal against Norwich City at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester on Saturday. Photo: AFP

Manchester: British record signing Jack Grealish marked his home debut for Manchester City with a goal as the Premier League champions demolished promoted Norwich City 5-0 on Saturday.

Earlier, Liverpool made it two wins from two at the start of the new Premier League season as they cruised to a 2-0 home victory over Burnley.

Diogo Jota edged Liverpool in front with his second goal in as many games in the 18th minute, a brilliant header in front of a first full Anfield in 17 months.

Burnley, the team who last season ended Liverpool's 68-match unbeaten home league run, a record that stretched back almost four years, had chances to level, but their final ball was lacking at the crucial moment.

Ashley Barnes thought he had levelled early in the second half, only to be denied by the offside flag, with Liverpool capitalising on their reprieve in the 69th minute, as Sadio Mane drilled home their second.

Liverpool
Liverpool's Joel Matip in action with Burnley's Jay Rodriguez. Photo: Reuters

After the Liverpool win, City stole the show with a stellar performance. Grealish bundled in a low cross by Gabriel Jesus in the 20th minute to double City's lead after they had taken the lead in the sixth minute with a Tim Krul own goal.

Beaten in their opening game at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, City looked far sharper and swarmed all over a lightweight Norwich. They also had a Ferran Torres goal ruled out inside the opening 20 minutes.

Norwich, who lost 3-0 to Liverpool on the opening day, avoided any further damage until midway through the second half when Aymeric Laporte fired in from close range.

City then turned the screw with Raheem Sterling and Riyad Mahrez both getting on the scoresheet with well-worked goals.

Brilliant Ings guides Villa to 2-0 win over Newcastle
A brilliant volley by Danny Ings and an Anwar El Ghazi penalty gave Aston Villa an easy 2-0 victory over a poor Newcastle United side in the Birmingham club's first home game of the Premier League season on Saturday.

Newcastle striker Callum Wilson wasted a good early chance before Ings put Villa in front just before the break, throwing himself in the air and volleying home a flick-on from a long throw in first-half stoppage time.

Things went from bad to worse for the visitors in the second half when defender Jamaal Lascelles was penalised after a goal-bound header from Tyrone Mings hit him on the arm, and El Ghazi confidently fired home the resulting penalty in the 62nd minute.

Leeds
Leeds United's Raphinha (left) celebrates after scoring their second goal against Everton. Photo: Reuters

Raphinha rocket helps Leeds hold Everton to a 2-2 draw
Leeds United winger Raphinha blasted in a second-half equaliser as the battling Yorkshire side came back twice to secure a 2-2 draw with Everton in the Premier League on Saturday for their first point of the season.

Raphinha, who was called up to the Brazilian squad for the first time last week, lashed one past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the 72nd minute after Everton winger Demarai Gray thought he had sealed a second straight win for the visitors.

Gray, who joined Rafa Benitez's side from Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen in July, rifled the ball past goalkeeper Illan Meslier from a tight angle inside the box to make it 2-1 in the 50th minute of a physical contest.

Everton went up 1-0 against the run of play through Dominic Calvert-Lewin's 30th-minute penalty, following a Video Assistant Referee check after the on-field official did not spot Leeds skipper Liam Cooper's tug on the striker's shirt.

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Onmanorama. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.