Arsenal thrash Everton to pile pressure on Koeman

LONDON: Wayne Rooney recreated his famous first league goal for Everton against Arsenal on Sunday but it was not enough to prevent his struggling team falling to a 5-2 defeat and into the Premier League bottom three.

Goals from Mesut Ozil and Alexandre Lacazette proved pivotal as Everton continued their worst start to a season in nine years, with this latest reverse adding to the mounting pressure on Everton manager Ronald Koeman.

German international Ozil struck with a superb header in the 53rd minute at Goodison Park, slipping between two defenders to meet a magnificent left-wing cross from team mate Alexis Sanchez and put Arsenal ahead.

Nacho Monreal had cancelled out Rooney’s opener and hopes of a home comeback were damaged when Everton were reduced to 10 men in the 69th minute after midfielder Idrissa Gueye caught Granit Xhaka and was shown a second yellow card.

Lacazette killed off any hope of that recovery in the 74th minute, after neat passing between Sanchez and Ozil allowed the Frenchman to convert clinically from 15 yards.

The rout continued in the last minute of normal time as substitute Jack Wilshere produced a defence-splitting pass which found Aaron Ramsey who finished unerringly to make it 4-1.

But in a bizarre conclusion, there were two goals in stoppage time, first from Everton substitute Oumar Niasse who charged down a Petr Cech clearance to force the ball into the net.

Arsenal were still not finished and Sanchez became their fifth different scorer from the last attack as he was allowed to carry the ball across the face of the area and score with an excellent angled shot.

On Saturday night, Huddersfield Town stunned Manchester United 2-1 at the John Smith’s Stadium, a defeat that ended the visitors unbeaten start to the Premier League season and dropped them five points behind leaders Manchester City who beat Burnley 3-0.

Huddersfield’s victory in driving wind and rain was their first over United since 1952 and all the more unexpected after a run of one goal in six league games.

But the top-tier newcomers fully deserved their first league win since mid-August after hitting United twice in the first half and withstanding everything the visitors — and the appalling weather - threw at them.

Former Manchester City midfielder Aaron Mooy and Laurent Depoitre scored within 33 minutes, with United’s afternoon made worse by an injury to Phil Jones.

Jose Mourinho responded by bringing on Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marcus Rashford for Juan Mata and Anthony Martial at halftime and Rashford scored his seventh goal of the season to set up a rousing finish in what was the sides’ first league meeting since 1972.

By Manchester City’s recent free-scoring standards, their 3-0 victory over Burnley was modest, with the match turning on a controversial first-half penalty when Bernardo Silva went down theatrically in the area.

TV replays showed minimal contact from Burnley keeper Nick Pope and the Portuguese may find himself in trouble with the three-member FA review panel which looks at simulation and last Friday issued its first retrospective ban on a player for diving.

Sergio Aguero converted the penalty to equal Eric Brooke’s all-time scoring record for the club with his 177th goal.

Nicolas Otamendi and Leroy Sane made the scoreline more comfortable as City registered a club-record 11th straight win in all competitions.

Pressure will be growing on Stoke City manager Mark Hughes after a disappointing 2-1 home defeat by Bournemouth which left them into the relegation zone.

Hughes had hoped the return of Ryan Shawcross would strengthen his defence after last week’s 7-2 demolition by Manchester City, but Shawcross gave away a penalty, which Junior Stanislas converted and Andrew Surman also found the net.

Mame Biram Diouf narrowed the gap but the goal was not enough to prevent Bournemouth recording their first away league win of the season.

A Federico Fernandez own goal and a second-half strike by Shinji Okazaki gave Leicester City caretaker manager Michael Appleton a much-needed 2-1 win at Swansea City in his first game in charge, lifting the Foxes out of the relegation zone.

But there was no escape for Crystal Palace, whose 1-0 defeat at Newcastle left them rooted to the bottom spot.

Mikel Merino scored Newcastle’s 85th-minute winner.

Southampton also left it late to beat West Bromwich Albion 1-0 in the day’s evening kickoff but the wait was worth it with substitute Sofiane Boufal beating five men before slotting the ball past Ben Foster for what was Southampton’s third league win of the season.  —Agencies