Football: Aston Villa Struggles, Chelsea and Liverpool Stumble

In a disappointing Saturday of Premier League action for Aston Villa, Chelsea and Liverpool both dropped points at home, drawing with Hull City (2-2) and Fulham (0-0), respectively. Aston Villa found themselves in a precarious position, finishing 19th after a late defeat to Nottingham Forest (2-1).Published on: 12/09/2026 - 19:53 Modified on: 12/09/2026 - 20:55

The fourth matchday of the Premier League has thus far been filled with disappointment for several top English clubs. Among the notable failures, Crystal Palace, coached by Pierre Sage, suffered a cruel defeat, conceding a last-minute goal to Ipswich (3-2) after battling bravely in a man disadvantage. Sage, the French coach, will have to continue waiting for his first win at Selhurst Park.

In the stands, fans experienced a rollercoaster of emotions: joy at an opening goal (14th minute, 1-0), concern after Axel Disasi’s red card (34th), uncertainty amid the responses to Emersonn’s equalizer (23rd, 1-1) and Leif Davis’s goal (45th, 1-2), elation at Jorgen Strand Larsen’s equalizer (75th, 2-2), and despair after Zian Flemming’s fatal hit in the 90th minute (2-3).

Aston Villa's morale also took a hit as Nottingham's Igor Jesus scored late in the match (88th minute, 1-2), shaking the nets of Zion Suzuki. The Birmingham club now has only one point and three losses after four games.

On a brighter note, Unai Emery's team managed to score their first goal of the season in the league, thanks to a header deflected by Alysson from a cross by captain John McGinn (74th, 1-1).

Tottenham continued to search for joy but was denied by Everton in London (0-0), leaving them without a victory or goal in the season so far. Despite a hefty spending in the transfer market, Roberto De Zerbi's team, featuring six new starters including three forwards (Savinho, Omar Marmoush, Mateus Fernandes), was unable to break through Everton's defense.

Chelsea and Liverpool's coaches, Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola, also experienced disappointment from their respective benches. The Blues drew with Hull City (2-2) at Stamford Bridge, with the impressive promoted team still sitting on the podium after four matches. Joao Pedro, assisted by Cole Palmer, limited the damage (66th, 2-2) for a Chelsea side that appears defensively brittle, having conceded 18 goals across all competitions in six matches.

"Perhaps it’s entertaining, but I hope one day you’ll say it was a boring match that we won without offering these moments of spectacle," Alonso commented.

Liverpool, on the other hand, did not concede any goals but also failed to score in their match against Fulham (0-0), marking a severe underperformance at home. "When we draw, especially at home, we cannot be satisfied. We lacked a bit of freshness and did not do enough offensively to make a difference," Iraola stated post-match.

Bradley Barcola missed a chance at the far post (43rd) while Alexander Isak narrowly missed the net from a corner by Dominik Szoboszlai in stoppage time (90+1). It could have been worse at Anfield without the French defender Jérémy Jacquet, who made a crucial clearance (11th).

There was also no winner in the match between Bournemouth and Brentford (2-2).