World News – GB – Villa unbeaten as Barkley sinks Leicester, West Ham spoils Bale’s comeback

London: Aston Villa took their perfect Premier League start to four wins after a superb stoppage goal from Ross Barkley gave them a 1-0 victory at Leicester City in the ‘a disjointed contest at King Power stadium on Sunday

The result left Villa second with 12 points with a game underway against leaders Everton who have 13 Liverpool, third, are 10 of five and Leicester fourth are nine after suffering their second straight loss at home

Barkley, who is on loan at Villa from Chelsea, snatched the winner out of the blue with a scathing low shot from 25 yards that left Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel gripped through the air, as the ball bouncing in front of him

A lackluster first half produced a chance at either end, with Villa keeper Emiliano Martinez turning down Leicester right-back Timothy Castagne before Egypt striker Trezeguet pulled wide after a fluid movement from the visitors

Villa, who was at the back in the first half, stepped forward with more determination after the beak and came closer in the 51st minute when center-back Ezri Konsa headed a few inches from large

As the match seemed to be heading towards a scoreless stalemate, Barkley made sure Villa started the season with four league wins for the first time since 1930

The England midfielder, who also scored on his Villa debut in a 7-2 beating at home from Liverpool in the previous round of matches, was delighted with the start of the season after his side avoided narrowly relegated from the elite last season

« An important win today because they were on top and we started slowly but got better and we finally earned it, » he told Sky Sports

« I was 50/50 this week and (our physiotherapist) did a really good job of proving me right He said I would end up scoring the goal and I did so I dedicated the goal to him The manager gave me the platform to play and I’m excited and looking forward to every game « 

Earlier, West Ham staged a stunning comeback against Tottenham, scoring three goals in the final 10 minutes to draw 3-3

In the rest of the day’s games, Brighton scored a deflected equalizer in the 90th minute to draw 1-1 at Crystal Palace and Sheffield United and Fulham shared the loot, also one each

Spurs were on course for an easy win after Son Heung-Min scored once and Harry Kane twice in the first 16 minutes, with the highlight being Gareth Bale’s return to Tottenham after seven years at Madrid West Ham’s determination and Spurs’ bad play changed everything

Welshman Bale, on loan from Real Madrid, came off the bench in the 71st minute but instead of a glorious introduction West Ham tore up the script with a formidable retaliation

Fabian Balbuena’s header in the 82nd minute and homeward goal from Davinson Sanchez gave West Ham hope Bale almost scored his team’s fourth, but West Ham’s Manuel Lanzini scored a wonderful goal at most deep downtime to earn his team an unlikely point

At Selhurst Park, Argentinian substitute Alexis Mac Allister’s shot from the edge of the box ricocheted at Palace defender Gary Cahill and into the corner of the net as pressure from Brighton finally got its payoff

Brighton center-back Lewis Dunk was given a red card in the third minute of stoppage time for a brutal two-foot lunge at Cahill in a scrum in the penalty area, but Palace failed not had time to take advantage of his power play

Indeed, the home team ended the match with only one shot – ???? and it was the controversial awarded penalty converted by Wilfried Zaha in the 19th minute

Palace striker Michy Batshuayi had his jersey pulled by Tariq Lamptey in the â ???? although contact seemed minimal and Zaha stepped in to send goalie Mathew Ryan the wrong way round for his fourth goal of the season

Brighton have only collected their fourth point of the season, having lost three of their first four Palace games by seven points

It was Fulham who took the lead in the 77th minute thanks to Ademola Lookman, but United kept the pressure on and equalized in the 85th from the penalty spot thanks to Billy Sharp

« I’m disappointed that I didn’t take the three points, » said Fulham boss Scott Parker « To have your nose ahead with 10 to go, you should see the game come out. It wasn’t meant to be but there are some real positives

« We had a lot of rhythm in the squad and we caused a lot of problems for United. We should have scored a second »

The Blades had plenty of scoring opportunities in the first half and their best chance came when Oli McBurnie connected with a cross at the edge of the penalty area, only to see Alphonse Areola make a fantastic reflex save

The home side thought they had taken the lead a few minutes later when Sander Berge’s cross was deflected into Fulham’s net by Tosin Adarabioyo, but the goal was scored for an offside in the build-up

Sheffield United’s Billy Sharp after scoring his side’s first goal from a penalty kick against Fulham at Bramall Lane on SundayCredit: Getty Images

Fulham had a golden opportunity to take the lead in second from the penalty spot when Jack Robinson was found to have handled the ball in the box But Aleksandar Mitrovic kicked the ball across the crossbar and over- above

The visitors took the lead as Lookman dribbled past two defenders before crushing the ball past goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale for his debut Premier League goal

However, the Blades won a penalty following a VAR review after Mitrovic kicked Robinson while competing for a high ball, and substitute Sharp did not. made a mistake in beating Areola in Fulham’s goal

Mitrovic almost settled the fight in stoppage time as he rose above United’s defense to reach Lookman’s cross, but his header sailed a few inches from the near post

Blades boss Chris Wilder has said there is no shame in their winless start to the Premier League campaign

“It’s an incredibly competitive league,” he said. “The numbers that are being discussed and the efforts of football clubs to survive and be in this division

« We did well to get into this league way in advance and we didn’t win in the first five games of the season. It’s not going well, people shouldn’t be embarrassed about that, c ‘is difficult at the moment « 

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Premier League, Fulham FC, Sheffield United FC, Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, Crystal Palace FC, Aleksandar Mitrović, Ademola Lookman, Billy Sharp