Erling Haaland's scored a hat-trick as Manchester City once again fought back from two down, beating Crystal Palace 4-2 at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola's men found themselves trailing by two goals for the fourth time in six Premier League matches, but they stormed back to defeat Palace.

Eberechi Eze had a role in both goals as Palace raced into a 2-0 lead thanks to John Stones' own goal and Joachim Andersen's bullet header, leaving a blunt City side stunned at the interval.

But the excellent Bernardo Silva began the comeback by halving the deficit just after half-time before Haaland took over, completing the turnaround with a pair of poacher's finishes and a third clinical strike for the champions.

City had an uphill task early on, as Eze's free-kick delivery deflected off Kyle Walker and found its way in off Stones.

The hosts' response was hardly emphatic, and they found themselves two down by the 21st minute for the first time in the league since December 2010.

Another Eze set-piece – this time a corner – teed up a powerful header into the bottom-left corner from Andersen, who easily evaded Walker.

Silva looked City's biggest threat and was unsurprisingly the one to pull a goal back in the 53rd minute, cutting in from the right and seeing a low strike flicked past Guaita by Jeffrey Schlupp.

City levelled just past the hour as Haaland beat his marker to head Phil Foden's cross in from close range, before then putting them in front with a tap-in 20 minutes from time.

He slotted past Guaita to complete his hat-trick and cap a fine second-half City display after brilliantly holding off his marker.

Darwin Nunez has issued an apology following his red card during Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace at Anfield.

The Uruguay international, who arrived from Benfica for a reported £64million (€75m), endured a frustrating home debut for the Reds, which culminated in an early bath after a headbutt on Palace defender Joachim Andersen.

Nunez had registered five shots - none of which were on target - when he reacted after a sustained period of provocation from Andersen just before the hour mark, throwing his head into the face of the centre-half.

The striker became only the second Liverpool player to be dismissed on his first home Premier League appearance; exactly 12 years after Joe Cole was given his marching orders in a 1-1 draw with Arsenal.

Nunez has since taken to Twitter to express his remorse over the incident, posting: "I am aware of the ugly attitude I had. I'm here to learn from my mistakes and it won't happen again. Apologies to Liverpool. I'll be back."

The 23-year-old will now miss Liverpool's mouth-watering showdown with Manchester United at Old Trafford next Monday, as well as back-to-back home games against Bournemouth and Newcastle United.

Crystal Palace defender Joachim Andersen has highlighted the torrent of abuse he has received on social media following the club's 1-1 draw with Liverpool at Anfield.

The Danish defender was involved in one of the biggest flashpoints of the game, when Reds forward Darwin Nunez headbutted Andersen and received a red card.

Andersen was able to get under the skin of the Uruguayan, leading to a rise in frustrations and ultimately to Nunez's angry reaction after the pair clashed in the penalty box.

While Liverpool were able to cancel out Wilfried Zaha's opener through Luis Diaz, the draw leaves them without a win from their opening two Premier League matches of the season and Andersen was a target for trolls on social media after the game.

Revealing the abuse on Instagram, Andersen shared 17 images including death threats and abusive messages while urging football's governing bodies to take action.

"Got maybe 300 to 400 of these messages last night. I understand you support a team but have some respect and stop acting tough online," he said.

"I hope Instagram and the Premier League do something about this."

Abuse against footballers on social media has been well documented in recent years and there have been frequent calls for more firm action to be taken.

On Tuesday, a man was handed an eight-week suspended custodial sentence following racist abuse targeted at England footballers Bukayo Saka, Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford following their missed penalties in the European Championship final against Italy last year.

Last April, English clubs announced a boycott of social media in response to discrimination and abuse aimed at footballers, pundits and other members of the footballing community.

James Milner and his team-mates will "rally round" Darwin Nunez after the striker was sent off on his home debut on Monday, Liverpool's vice-captain has said.

The Uruguayan was dismissed just before the hour mark at Anfield by referee Paul Tierney during Liverpool's 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace after he reacted to being shoved by Joachim Andersen by pushing his head into the Dane's face.

The Reds were 1-0 down at the time, but still managed to salvage a point after Luis Diaz equalised Wilfried Zaha's first-half opener with a thunderous effort from all of 25 yards at the Kop end.

The hosts could have won it at the death, with Mohamed Salah and substitute Fabio Carvalho both going close with volleyed efforts, though Zaha also nearly snatched it at the other end.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Milner said Nunez will learn from his mistake, with the help of his team-mates.

"I didn't see the incident," the 36-year-old said. "Obviously he's going to be disappointed with that and it's down to us to get round him and rally. I'm sure he'll learn from it.

"I think the reaction [from the team] was the most important thing. The team reacted very, very well and the ground reacted very well – as they always do – they got right behind us and we could've nicked a winner. It wasn't to be but we move on.

"That's what good teams do, they get together with disappointments and you stick together. We've got a great team spirit at the club and you don't have to say too much about the fans here. They're obviously incredible and always get behind us, especially when things are tough. They did that and we rallied.

"It was disappointing not to get the winner but I think the reaction was incredible from the boys – 10 men and kept pushing."

Liverpool have already lost ground in the race for the title, sitting four points behind champions Manchester City after two games, but Milner is not concerned given the campaign is still in its infancy.

"It's not the ideal start but you see the readiness for the season and it's obviously a long, long season," he said. "It's not the start we would want but you see the fight there.

"We've had a week of tough things that have gone on [injuries] and preparation hasn't been ideal. I think it's disappointing but you see the fighting spirit was there and no-one can deny that. We fought until the end."

Liverpool went into the break 1-0 down despite having 17 shots on goal to Palace's four in the first half, but Milner heaped praise on Diaz for the quality of his leveller in the second.

"When we had the chances we had and the moments around the box and didn't quite get the break, sometimes you need that moment of brilliance," he added.

"Obviously when you've got players like [Diaz] on the pitch that can create something out of nothing, it was an incredible goal and hopefully there'll be many more to come this season from him."

Jurgen Klopp has said he will speak with Darwin Nunez after the big-money striker was sent off as Liverpool drew 1-1 with Crystal Palace on Monday. 

The Uruguayan had already endured a frustrating home debut after having five shots with none on target, before seeing red both figuratively and literally just before the hour as he threw his head into Joachim Andersen's face after the Dane shoved him.

Liverpool dominated proceedings at Anfield despite playing more than a third of the game with 10 men, but were frustrated by a resolute Palace side who could have even taken all three points after Wilfried Zaha missed a late chance.

Zaha gave the visitors the lead in the first half after running onto a through ball from Eberechi Eze and placing his finish past Alisson into the far right corner.

Luis Diaz equalised for Liverpool shortly after Nunez's dismissal, beating several players down the left side before cutting inside and smashing a shot into the same corner of the net Zaha had found earlier.

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Klopp said Nunez knew he made a mistake, but added he will have to get used to the physicality of defending in the Premier League and react accordingly.

"He knows that now himself [that he made a mistake] and I will talk to him," the Reds boss said. "It doesn't make too much sense that I speak about it in public. It is absolutely not the reaction you want to see. Centre halves in the Premier League will do that to him, he's a handful himself and yeah, that's not the reaction."

Klopp was happier with the contribution of his other South American forward, Diaz, whose goal brought Anfield to life as the hosts tried to force a winner, with Mohamed Salah and substitute Fabio Carvalho both hitting volleys narrowly wide in the closing stages.

"Luis played a super game, especially after the goal, he played like three or four players," Klopp added. "Incredible goal and of course, we needed that, then we had from the edge [of the penalty area] two nice opportunities, one with Fabio, one with Mo, but in the end it's a point."

The German coach was philosophical despite the fact his team still await their first win of the season, and already sit four points behind rivals Manchester City in the Premier League table.

Klopp has a number of players missing through injury, including Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip, meaning Nat Phillips had to start in defence with Joe Gomez only fit enough for a late cameo from the bench, while Thiago Alcantara, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino are also currently unavailable.

"[A point is] not exactly what we wanted before the game of course but after this game and all the things that happened, we have to take it," he said.

"Honestly, the real feeling I have in the moment is I'm proud. Everything that went against us in the week is crazy, it was like a witch was in the building. Every time somebody else had [injury] problems, and putting in such a performance, especially in the circumstances, I am really proud of that."

It was a mixed night for Liverpool's South Americans as Darwin Nunez was sent off on his home debut, but Luis Diaz scored a wonder goal to earn a point for the 10-man hosts in a 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace.

A frustrating night for Jurgen Klopp's team appeared to be heading for defeat after Wilfried Zaha's first-half opener and Nunez's dismissal just before the hour.

Diaz's superb individual effort got his team level, though, before last season's Premier League runners-up set about trying to find a winner but to no avail.

It represents another early season blow to Liverpool's hopes of running champions Manchester City close again in the title race, already four points behind their rivals, but as with their opening draw against Fulham, it may feel like a point gained for Klopp in the circumstances.

Liverpool started brightly as they tried to find an early opener, with Nunez mishitting a volley at the far post, while Mohamed Salah also went close to scoring from Trent Alexander-Arnold's pull back, but the Egyptian’s side-footed attempt whizzed just wide of the near post.

After absorbing so much at the other end, it was Palace who took the lead in the 33rd minute when Eberechi Eze got away from Fabinho before playing Zaha in on goal, with the Ivory Coast international placing his shot past Alisson into the bottom-right corner.

Liverpool thought they were level just before the break as Harvey Elliott's chip found Nunez down the left side of the penalty area, but his deflected shot came back off the post.

Things went from bad to worse for Nunez as the Uruguayan reacted to being shoved by Joachim Andersen by pushing his head into the Dane, with referee Paul Tierney immediately producing a red card for the Liverpool striker.

However, the Anfield atmosphere soon improved as Diaz dribbled inside several Palace defenders before unleashing a rocket of a shot past Vicente Guaita's despairing dive to his left.

The hosts tried to find a winner despite having fewer players, though Palace could also have won it when Zaha missed a great chance at the far post, but both were forced to settle for a point.

Nottingham Forest have continued their heavy recruitment drive with the double signing of Emmanuel Dennis and Cheikhou Kouyate.

Nigeria striker Dennis scored 10 Premier League goals for Watford last term but could not prevent the Hornets from being relegated to the Championship.

Dennis played in Watford's first two matches of the campaign but was not involved against Burnley on Friday and has now signed for Forest in a reported £20million deal.

Premier League new boys Forest later confirmed free transfer signing of Kouyate, who had been without a club since leaving Crystal Palace at the end of last season.

Kouyate brings plenty of top-flight experience to the City Ground having made 147 appearances for West Ham before joining Palace and playing 141 games for the Eagles.

Earlier this year, Kouyate helped Senegal to Africa Cup of Nations glory and played his part in securing qualification for this year's World Cup in Qatar.

Dennis and Kouyate became Forest's 13th and 14th signings of the transfer window, joining the likes of Dean Henderson, Jesse Lingard and Taiwo Awoniyi at the East Midlands club.

Brighton and Hove Albion striker Neal Maupay has also been linked with a switch to Forest.

Forest began their return to the Premier League with a 2-0 defeat at Newcastle United last weekend and welcome West Ham on Sunday.

Thomas Tuchel has backed Conor Gallagher and Callum Hudson-Odoi to fight their way into first-team contention at Chelsea. 

However, the Blues boss was philosophical when asked whether either England international could leave in the transfer window, adding: "Nobody is for sale, and everybody is for sale."

Gallagher appeared as a late substitute in Chelsea's opening-day Premier League win over Everton last week, while Hudson-Odoi was absent from the Blues' squad at Goodison Park.

Both players have been linked with moves away due to the competition for places at Stamford Bridge, with Hudson-Odoi a reported target for Borussia Dortmund and Gallagher widely admired after racking up eight Premier League goals and three assists on loan at Crystal Palace last term.

While Tuchel recognises N'Golo Kante, Jorginho and Mateo Kovacic represent stern competition for Gallagher, he wants to see him realise his undoubted promise at Chelsea.

"Conor fights in central midfield," Tuchel said ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash with Tottenham. "To be honest, it is a very tough fight for him because, at the moment, it seems we only have two places in central midfield. 

"Given the amount of players we have for central midfield, it isn't ideal, I agree. But we have to do what's best for the squad, not just for each individual player.

"But at the moment, he is absolutely fine. I am a huge fan of Conor. He is a fantastic guy, and this is what we already knew, in the first weeks of training, he has shown how much of a step he has made through having so much playing time.

"It is a very, very normal situation and his development is that at the moment, after some fantastic training sessions in the beginning, there is a little dip in his form and freshness. 

"On top of that, there's a huge competition with N'Golo, Jorgi and Kova, who are used to playing with each other. 

"This is also life in a big club like Chelsea, so everything is in its right place. We are happy with him. He keeps on fighting, and this is what he does. I think he has everything to become very important in the next years at Chelsea."

Hudson-Odoi has been linked with a move to the Bundesliga on several occasions, having only started 32 Premier League games for Chelsea since his 2018 debut, but Tuchel is also keen to hold onto him.

"Callum is the same. He had a long-term injury and long-term problems to overcome," Tuchel said. "I think he still has a way to go to live up to his potential. His potential is huge. 

"I think having Raheem [Sterling] in can give him an extra boost to step up and see what's needed in these kinds of positions to reach the levels he can honestly reach. 

"But at the moment, he is our player, and he needs to fight, fight, fight. I have nothing more to say."

But with over two weeks remaining in the transfer window, Tuchel refused to rule out a change in the club's strategy.

"In general, nobody is for sale,", Tuchel added. "Nobody is for sale, and everybody is for sale. 

"It depends on what the player wants, how bad the player wants it, what we think about who is ready to pay a certain amount of money, and then maybe everybody is for sale."

Jurgen Klopp dismissed the idea that Liverpool were set to benefit from favourable fixture scheduling as clubs across the United Kingdom prepare to contend with soaring temperatures.

While the rest of the Premier League will battle it out in stifling heat over the weekend, Klopp's team will host Crystal Palace in far cooler conditions on Monday night.

The Reds boss conceded it was preferable to play in the evening, but underlined the fact that Palace have the same comfort.

"It's much better to play at nighttime than at these other times, but for Crystal Palace it's the same advantage," he said.

"It's much more comfortable to play, of course, but it shouldn't be a comfortable game. It should be really busy."

When it was subsequently suggested his side had gained an advantage courtesy of the scheduling, an irritated Klopp replied: "This is what you take out of my answer, that we were helped by the fixture list?

"It's fortunate for both teams, it makes it a fair competition again. If we only had to play at night and Crystal Palace had to play in the heat, at 30 degrees or whatever, that would be a real advantage.

"But it's just a game at night."

Liverpool will be seeking to bounce back from a disappointing opening-game draw at Fulham, which put them immediately on the back foot in what is likely to be another two-horse race for the title, with Manchester City seizing the early initiative.

Manchester United are reportedly willing to meet Salzburg's £41.8million asking price for 19-year-old Slovenian striker Benjamin Sesko.

Sesko, who does not turn 20 until next May and measures in at 195cm tall, scored 11 goals in 37 games last season, and he opened the new Bundesliga campaign with a goal and an assist in a 3-0 win over Austria Vienna.

According to The Athletic, United decided against signing Sesko for £2.5m as a 16-year-old, and they will now have to pay up to secure the services of the in-demand forward.

TOP STORY – UNITED PLAN BIG MOVE FOR TOWERING SLOVENIAN STRIKER

The report from Express calls Sesko "a priority target" for new boss Erik ten Hag, but also mentions that the Austrian club is extremely high on him as a prospect – going as far as comparing his future to that of former Salzburg man Erling Haaland.

Meanwhile, Sport Klub claims Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain are also monitoring the situation, and that Sesko and Salzburg will be meeting in the next week to make a firm decision on his future.

Sesko is also Slovenia's youngest-ever international debutant, having debuted one day after his 18th birthday, and became their youngest international goalscorer a few months later.

ROUND-UP

– Calciomercato claims Tottenham are set to sign 19-year-old defender and Manchester City target Destiny Udogie from Udinese for a deal in the range of £25m.

– The Mirror is reporting that Everton have swooped in to land West Ham target Amadou Onana from Lille with a fee of £33.7m.

– Leeds United are making a £22m bid for Paris Saint-Germain forward Arnaud Kalimuendo, according to the Sun.

– A Sky Sports report states Crystal Palace are interested in bringing back defender Aaron Wan-Bissaka from United.

– Liverpool are exploring a potential £50m move to bring in Leroy Sane from Bayern Munich, according to 90min.

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta hailed the performance of debutants William Saliba and Gabriel Jesus in the Gunners' 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.

While Jesus was a thorn in the side of the Eagles' defence with a threatening display, particularly in the first half, at the other end Saliba put in a commanding defensive display – having waited three years for his debut.

Saliba's dominant showing saw the 21-year-old register a team-high seven clearances and win possession seven times, behind only Thomas Partey (eight).

Speaking after the game, Arteta discussed the merits of a partnership with Gabriel Magalhaes.

"You need the right balance," the manager told Sky Sports.

"Physicality in this league is something that you cannot come short, because if you do, you're going to be exposed, and you're going to have to be able to deal with certain games and certain opponents, which demand so much in those aspects.

"The two, for their age, they're really well built, and they give us a different edge, the same with Ben [White].

"That's the resilience we need to win football matches and to see football matches through. We had some moments; you need your goalkeeper because, to be honest, they had the biggest chance in the game, the one against one, and Aaron [Ramsdale] did incredibly well."

Although Jesus was not on the scoresheet for Arsenal, his intent was evident from the start as he put the Palace defence under pressure and contested a team-high 21 duels.

"The fear factor," Arteta said, describing the forward's impact. "He's always on your shoulder, he's always had that ability, the intuition to get the ball off you, and he's never standing still.

"He's always on the move, he's always ready to act, and he's so sharp. For the defenders, it's difficult to play against him."

As well as Jesus, Arsenal have added Oleksandr Zinchenko, Fabio Vieira, Matt Turner and Marquinhos, but Arteta – who celebrated his 50th league win as Gunners boss – is still on the lookout for further additions before the transfer window shuts on September 1.

"We are going to try," he said. "There are a few things that we have planned, and if we can do them, it would be great.

"But now we'll work with the players we have. We're into the season already, and the focus should be on the players we have, to get the best out of them."

Arsenal began the new Premier League season in fine fashion with a 2-0 victory away to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.

New signings Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko made their debuts for Mikel Arteta's side on Friday and both made an impact, with Jesus catching the eye and Zinchenko providing the assist for the opening goal of the game.

Gabriel Martinelli was the beneficiary, heading in from close range, with Arsenal belatedly adding a second in the closing stages when Bukayo Saka's cross was deflected into his own net by Marc Guehi.

Palace had chances to equalise in the intervening period, forcing strong saves from Aaron Ramsdale, but he and Arsenal stood firm to earn their first three points of the new campaign.

Jesus immediately showed what he will bring to Arsenal by dancing through the Palace defence before seeing his shot deflected into the path of Martinelli, who wastefully missed the target.

Martinelli soon had his goal, however, as Saka's deep corner was headed back across goal by Zinchenko for the forward to nod in.

Early opportunities were few and far between for Palace, but a golden chance fell to Odsonne Edouard before half-time and his header drew a strong save from Ramsdale down to his right.

Ramsdale was again called into action early in the second half, with Wilfried Zaha feeding Eberechi Eze, who aimed his finish too close to the England goalkeeper.

Arsenal invited pressure in the closing stages, but Palace could not capitalise and saw their hopes of rescuing a result dashed unwittingly by Guehi.

Striker Christian Benteke has signed for D.C. United from Crystal Palace as he joins up with Wayne Rooney in MLS.

The 31-year-old has penned a two-and-a-half-year deal in the United States capital as he leaves the Premier League after 280 appearances in which he scored 86 goals.

He arrived in England 10 years ago, joining Aston Villa from Belgian side Genk before going on to score 42 times in 89 Premier League appearances for the Midlands club.

His prolific spell there earned him a big-money move to Liverpool, but he could only manage nine league goals for the Reds before making a switch to Palace in 2016.

Although he scored 15 top-flight goals in his first campaign at Selhurst Park, the Belgium international never quite recaptured his Aston Villa form and has now made the move to MLS.

D.C. United sit bottom of the Eastern Conference, with former Manchester United striker Rooney having taken over in July for the sacked Hernan Losada.

And Rooney is glad to have brought a player of Benteke's quality in, telling the club's website: "Christian is a top player who has played at the highest level for a long time.

"His experience and ability to score goals and help the team will be invaluable. It's exciting for the team and myself to get him in and playing. He will make a huge difference."

Chelsea's ongoing negotiations with Barcelona could produce more than just midfielder Frenkie de Jong, with new reports that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is also on the table for a transfer.

The two powerhouse clubs have been in seemingly constant discussion over the past month, with Barcelona openly looking to add Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta after swooping in to claim Blues target Jules Kounde.

Chelsea recently took Azpilicueta out of the equation by signing him to a two-year extension, but the two clubs re-opened their negotiations when the Stamford Bridge outfit decided to put in a bid for De Jong, and in the process they may have found the answer to their striker situation.

TOP STORY – BARCELONA WILLING TO INCLUDE AUBAMEYANG IN CHELSEA TRANSFER DISCUSSIONS

After expensive moves for Leeds United winger Raphinha, Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski and Sevilla centre-back Kounde, the Mirror is reporting Barcelona are "desperate to balance their books" and 33-year-old Aubameyang appears to be the most likely option to be moved on.

The report mentions both De Jong and Aubameyang are seen as surplus to requirements, and with Chelsea yet to bring in a replacement for Romelu Lukaku after he was loaned out to Inter, it could be a perfect match.

No potential asking price is mentioned for the striker who collected 20 goals in 38 club appearances this past season, including 11 goals in 17 LaLiga fixtures.

Meanwhile, ESPN adds that Chelsea were monitoring the Gabon frontman back in 2020 before he signed a contract extension with Arsenal, and that they are still interested.

ROUND-UP

– The Times is reporting Chelsea are expected to make a £70million bid for 21-year-old Leicester City centre-back Wesley Fofana after having a £60m offer turned down.

– According to Foot Mercato, Nottingham Forest and Leicester are competing for the signing of 24-year-old Lyon midfielder Houssem Aouar, who is valued at €15m.

– The Guardian is reporting 25-year-old Ivory Coast winger Maxwel Cornet only needs to pass a physical to confirm a move from Burnley to West Ham after the Hammers met his £17.5m release clause.

– Radioestadio Noche claims Real Madrid have identified 19-year-old RB Salzburg striker Benjamin Sesko or 22-year-old Nice forward Amine Gouiri as potential long-term successors to Karim Benzema.

– Crystal Palace are exploring a move for 19-year-old RB Leipzig midfielder Ilaix Moriba – who is a product of Barcelona's youth academy – according to Foot Mercato.

Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira wants Premier League players to carry on taking a knee before matches.

It was confirmed on Wednesday that players would no longer make the anti-racism gesture prior to each match in the new season, instead reserving the act for specified occasions. 

The initiative was adopted as a way of supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, which became prominent following George Floyd's death in police custody in May 2020 in the United States.

Some were critical of the gesture, arguing it was politically motivated; England players were even jeered for kneeling ahead of Euro 2020 matches last year.

Certain individual players ended their participation last year, with Palace's Wilfried Zaha suggesting it "doesn't matter whether we kneel or stand" as abuse continued to be aimed at certain players.

Even as the league as a whole now limits use of the gesture, Vieira hopes players understand it is a crucial anti-racism message.

Ahead of Palace's Premier League opener against Arsenal, before which the players of each team will take a knee, Vieira told a news conference: "It's good to keep taking the knee. I think there will be a few occasions that this initiative will be doing it.

"I think it's good because we can't stop it straight away, because there is a statement to make, and I believe it is important to keep taking the knee.

"We all are about [ending] discrimination, so this is the fight that will take long, and that's why I believe we still have to take the knee."