Chelsea team-mates Cole Palmer (L) amd Raheem Sterling. Photo: photosport
Premier League leaders Manchester City and Chelsea slugged out a magnificent 4-4 draw at Stamford Bridge with former City youngster Cole Palmer levelling for the hosts with a stoppage-time penalty on Monday.
For the second time this week Chelsea were involved in an extraordinary tussle after their 4-1 win at nine-man Tottenham Hotspur on Monday, this time going toe-to-toe with the champions in a rip-roaring duel.
City, for whom Erling Haaland scored twice, once from the penalty spot, ended the weekend one point clear at the top with 28 points with Liverpool, who beat Brentford 3-0 on 27 along with Arsenal who beat Burnley on Saturday.
Mohamed Salah reached another scoring milestone for Liverpool, netting twice to reach 200 goals in English football and become the first player in the club's history to score in each of their first six home league games of a season.
Aston Villa beat Fulham 3-1 to match a 40-year-old club record of 13 straight home league wins.
West Ham United's Tomas Soucek powered home a late header to seal a topsy-turvy 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest and end their winless streak, while Brighton & Hove Albion's winless league run was extended to six games when they were held to a 1-1 draw by Sheffield United.
Chelsea and City served up a sizzling Sunday classic with Mauricio Pochettino's side showing once again that they are beginning to gel after a mediocre start to the campaign.
City opened the scored when Spanish defender Marc Cucurella pulled Haaland's shirt to concede a VAR-checked penalty which the Norwegian coolly converted in the 24th minute.
Five minutes later Chelsea's 39-year-old Brazilian defender Thiago Silva equalised with a header and former City forward Raheem Sterling capitalised on a Josko Gvardiol stumble to put Chelsea in front after 37 minutes.
Manuel Akanji headed City level in first-half injury time and Haaland bundled in his second a minute after the restart, only for Nicolas Jackson, who scored a hat-trick against Tottenham, to equalise for Chelsea.
City appeared to have won it through Rodri's 86th-minute strike but there was one final twist as Armando Broja was fouled in the box by Ruben Dias and Palmer kept his cool as tempers frayed to earn his side a point.
Massive players
"We knew how tough it is to come here with the team they have built," City's Rodri said.
"They have signed massive players. It wasn't our best today. In the end we scored four but there were some mistakes."
Things were far more sedate at Anfield where Liverpool moved right into title contention thanks to another contribution from the talismanic Salah.
"Crazy," Klopp said of the 31-year-old Salah, who has 10 goals in 12 league games this season. "Goal number 200 in England, right? Exceptional, played a super game today."
Aston Villa cruised past Fulham with strikes from John McGinn and Ollie Watkins and an own goal by Antonee Robinson.
Villa Park has become a fortress under Unai Emery as his side, along with Liverpool and Manchester City, are the only teams to have won all their home league matches this season.
"We are in the top five and I think this is a moment to enjoy and to analyse deeply, even when we are winning, how we can improve," Emery said.
West Ham's Soucek got on the end of James Ward-Prowse's corner to seal the points for the Hammers who had gone four games without a league victory.
Victory lifted the Hammers to ninth in the table with 17 points from 12 games while Forest are 15th with 13 points.
Brighton & Hove Albion were reduced to 10 men after midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud picked up a red card.
Simon Adingra scored an early goal for Brighton but Dahoud's sending-off for a stamp on Ben Osborn's leg allowed United to capitalise and equalise through an Adam Webster own goal.
Brighton are eighth in the table, while Sheffield United are 19th with just one win.
- Reuters