A 16-year-old midfielder rescued Liverpool. In the 10th minute of stoppage time, substitute Rio Ngumoha scored a stunning curler to give Liverpool a thrilling 3-2 victory over Newcastle.

At 16 years and 361 days old, Ngumoha became the fourth-youngest scorer in Premier League history, after Wayne Rooney (16 years and 360 days), James Milner (16 years and 356 days), and James Vaughan (16 years and 270 days). However, Ngumoha is the second-youngest 16-year-old to score a winning goal in the Premier League, after Rooney for Everton against Arsenal in October 2002.

Timed at 99 minutes and 44 seconds, Ngumoha's goal is the fourth-latest winner in Premier League history and the latest since Cole Palmer's goal for Chelsea against Man Utd in April 2024 (100 minutes and 41 seconds).

Gyokeres opened his account at Arsenal. After a subdued debut in the opening draw with Man Utd, Viktor Gyokeres endured a difficult first half against Leeds. The Swedish striker's touch was clumsy, his finishing hasty, and he appeared overly eager to impress.

Things changed in the second half. Gyokeres burst into the box to make it 3-0 and then converted a penalty to seal a 5-0 victory. With Kai Havertz injured, Gyokeres is expected to shoulder the attacking burden. While his touches were still limited, his first two goals could boost the 86 million USD signing's confidence, especially ahead of the clash with Liverpool at Anfield on 31/8.

Gyokeres admitted he is finding his feet at Arsenal after a short pre-season. "The important thing is to get 90 minutes, get back into the rhythm, and get to know the team better," the 27-year-old told Sky Sports. "I feel more comfortable with the way we play, and I think you can see that."

Man City showed two sides. Against Tottenham at home, Man City displayed a completely different side compared to their 4-0 opening win at Wolves. Instead of creative, flowing combinations, they were plagued by misplaced passes and a lack of ideas.

Goalkeeper James Trafford's error leading to the conceded goal was a negative highlight, but he wasn't the worst performer. Man City were outplayed by a confident, cohesive, and tactically superior opponent. Cristian Romero neutralized Erling Haaland, the Joao Palhinha-Rodrigo Bentancur duo dominated midfield, and Mohammed Kudus was decisive in attack.

"Are they really title contenders, or was the opening game just a smokescreen?", Sky Sports questioned.

Ruben Amorim's attacking puzzle. "We will score goals, because we are creating a lot of chances," manager Ruben Amorim insisted after the 1-1 draw at Fulham.

In reality, Man Utd started brightly, creating several chances in the first 15 minutes. But after Fulham settled and used a diamond formation to restrict Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes, Man Utd's threat diminished.

Amorim's substitutions also raised eyebrows. He introduced center-backs Harry Maguire and Ayden Heaven in the 83rd minute with the score at 1-1. 99 million USD signing Benjamin Sesko came on earlier but had only one touch in the box and made little impact.

For the second time in 11 seasons, Man Utd failed to win either of their opening two Premier League games, after the 2022-2023 season. Since the start of last season, the "Red Devils" have failed to score in the first half in 29 matches—the second-most in Europe's top five leagues, behind only Genoa (30).

Grealish shines in Everton win. Jack Grealish received the biggest cheer before the match against Brighton at Hill Dickinson stadium. But the roars were even louder in the 93rd minute when he left the pitch after his best performance of the match, instrumental in the 2-0 victory.

The English midfielder assisted both goals—equaling his total assists in the past two seasons at Etihad. If Dwight McNeil had converted a late chance, Grealish would have had his first assist hat-trick since his Aston Villa days.

"Hopefully, he will do more of that," manager David Moyes said after the game. "The important thing is that Jack gives us the ability to keep the ball, keep our rhythm, and helps us play calmly and with more control."

Graham Potter under pressure. It's only mid-August, but West Ham are already showing signs of a relegation battle. They were thrashed 3-0 by newcomers Sunderland in the first round and then lost 5-1 at home to Chelsea. This is the first time in their history that they have conceded eight goals in their first two league games.

According to British media, manager Graham Potter will remain in charge for West Ham's next two games—against Wolves in the second round of the League Cup and Nottingham Forest in the third round of the Premier League. But if West Ham continue to perform poorly, Potter could become the first manager to lose his job in this Premier League season.

Ndoye fills the void left by Elanga. Anthony Elanga has been almost forgotten (moved to Newcastle) as Dan Ndoye quickly made his mark at Nottingham Forest.

The Swiss player has been involved in two goals in the opening two Premier League games—scoring in the 3-1 win against Brentford and assisting Callum Hudson-Odoi in the 1-1 draw with Crystal Palace. He became the first Nottingham Forest player to both score and assist in the first two rounds of the Premier League since 1998.

Compared to Elanga, Ndoye doesn't possess explosive pace, but his versatility and adaptability make him an exciting asset for manager Nuno Espirito Santo. This allows Nottingham Forest to maintain a dynamic attack with interchangeable positions.

Bournemouth keeping Iraola - the most important deal of the summer. Bournemouth lost several key players during this transfer window, including Kepa Arrizabalaga (end of loan), Dean Huijsen (to Real Madrid), Milos Kerkez (Liverpool), and Illia Zabarnyi (PSG).

But Bournemouth's philosophy and style of play remain intact. Therefore, their most important deal of the summer wasn't signing replacements but retaining manager Andoni Iraola.

Against Wolves, Bournemouth continued to display their familiar style: aggressive pressing and intensity without the ball. They scored the only goal from this approach, with Tyler Adams winning the ball from Jean-Ricner Bellegarde before Marcus Tavernier finished perfectly.

Hong Duy

Photo: EPA, Reuters, AP