On Saturday, seven matches of the third round of the English Premier League were played. One of the favorites, the Arsenal club, suffered a defeat, losing 0-1 to Manchester City away. The only goal from the penalty spot was scored by Joey Barton. Manchester City's central defenders Richard Dunne and Sylvain Distin, as well as goalkeeper Nicky Weaver, successfully stopped all of Arsenal's attacks. This was Manchester City's first victory against Arsenal since 1991.
The first victory was achieved by Charlton under the guidance of their new coach Ian Dowie, who defeated Bolton 2-0 at home. In the 28th minute, the hosts lost their red card after Icelandic defender H. Hreidarsson was sent off. Soon after, Dowie replaced defender Darren Ambrose with midfielder Radostin Kishishev and prevented the visitors from taking control of the midfield.
In the FA Cup final rematch, Liverpool and West Ham United faced off with Liverpool celebrating a 2-1 victory. The match began with Liverpool taking the lead, as Luis Garcia's shot missed narrowly in the 8th minute. Club newcomer Fabio Aurelio attempted a header two minutes later, but the ball was cleared off the line by Paul Konchesky. In the 11th minute, Nigel Reo-Coker opened the scoring for West Ham, while Liverpool had to try to take the ball out of the net first. Boby Zamora scored a goal from 18 meters, marking his fourth goal in the tournament. Liverpool continued to push forward, with Xabi Alonso and others attempting shots on goal.
Liverpool secured their win in the 41st minute when Daniel Agger scored a powerful goal from long range. The match ended with Liverpool leading 2-1.
Further down the table, Wigan managed to defeat Reading 1-0, with Emile Heskey scoring the only goal in the 38th minute. Fulham also secured a 1-0 win over Sheffield United, while Everton pulled off a surprising 2-0 victory against Tottenham. Kevin Kilbane and Mikael Arteta were among the scorers for Everton.
Manchester United continued their winning streak, defeating Watford 2-1 with goals from Ryan Giggs. Overall, the Premier League matches on Saturday showcased exciting performances from various teams.
Below is a summary of the results of the Saturday matches:
Charlton 2 - 0 Bolton
Liverpool 2 - 1 West Ham United
Wigan 1 - 0 Reading
Fulham 1 - 0 Sheffield United
Everton 2 - 0 Tottenham
Manchester City 1 - 0 Arsenal
Watford 1 - 2 Manchester United
Top scorers in the Premier League:
1. Boby Zamora - 4 goals (West Ham)
2-4. Luis Saha - 2 goals (Man Utd)
2-4. Nwankwo Kanu - 2 goals (Portsmouth)
2-4. Wayne Rooney - 2 goals (Man Utd)