Premier League round-up: Leeds come out on top against Watford

Leeds United 1 Watford 0

Diego Llorente’s first-half strike secured dominant Leeds a 1-0 win against Watford and their first Premier League victory of the season.

The Spain defender marked his return to action after a three-game injury lay-off with his second goal for Leeds following a corner in the 18th minute.

Leeds, as usual, created and wasted a hatful of chances, and the full-time whistle at Elland Road was celebrated wildly by home fans in a crowd of 36,261.

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It was Leeds’ first league win in seven top-flight matches this season, yet it should have been by a much bigger margin.

Leeds burst out of the blocks in typical fashion and Dan James was denied by Ben Foster’s outstretched leg after the Watford goalkeeper had kept out Stuart Dallas’ shot.

Mateusz Klich then ballooned an effort over the crossbar after being set up by Dallas as Marcelo Bielsa’s side laid siege on Watford’s goal.

It was just the start Leeds’ fans had been hoping for as United looked to kick-start their season and they were rewarded with an opening goal.

Raphinha hit the spot with a whipped-in corner and the ball broke for Llorente, who applied a neat first-time finish.

Leeds were furious when referee Simon Hooper waved play on following William Ekong’s challenge on James in the penalty area and more so at VAR’s role in the decision-making.

Raphinha fired into the side-netting after skipping round Foster soon after and Leeds continued to swarm forward.

A defensive howler from Llorente presented Watford with their only sight of goal in the first half, which Turkey midfielder Ozan Tufan blazed over on his full Premier League debut in the 28th minute.

There was no let-up from Leeds in the second period, with Dallas firing over and Foster doing well under pressure from another pin-point Raphinha corner.

Leeds were dominant, but still not precise enough with the final pass and with no end product, the usual anxiety crept in on the terraces.

Most of Elland Road breathed a huge sigh of relief in the 73rd minute.

Goalkeeper Illan Meslier spilled a corner over his goal-line, but referee Hooper ruled out Watford’s ‘equaliser’ for Christian Kabasele’s foul on Liam Cooper.

Leeds twice went close to adding a game-clinching goal in the closing stages. Tyler Roberts’ shot was cleared off the line by Juraj Kucka and when the Leeds substitute followed up, his second attempt hit the crossbar.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2 Newcastle United 1

Hwang Hee-chan’s brace inspired Wolves and sunk winless Newcastle to pile the pressure on Magpies boss Steve Bruce.

The striker scored Wolves’ first home goals in the Premier League this season as Bruno Lage’s improving side bagged a 2-1 win.

Jeff Hendrick’s first-half leveller briefly threatened to upset the hosts’ momentum but they have now won three of their last four top flight games which threaten to ignite their season.

It was not a classic performance but it was good enough to beat the Magpies, who are still searching for their first win of the season and slipped to second bottom.

Bruce would have left frustrated after a tight game yet there was little suggestion Newcastle will avoid a relegation battle this term.

They began brightly enough with Allan Saint-Maximin the focal point but fell behind to the game’s first chance after 20 minutes.

It was more evidence Raul Jimenez’s powers are returning after his fractured skull when, fresh from his first goal in 336 days to beat Southampton last week, he turned provider at Molineux.

The striker brilliantly held off Sean Longstaff and slipped in Hwang to draw Karl Darlow and slide a low shot under the goalkeeper.

The confidence drained from the Magpies while Wolves, looking for successive wins for just the third time this year, grew and Joao Moutinho tested Darlow from distance.

There was, though, a lack of flow to the game which continued to be punctuated with breaks for treatment and Joe Willock was eventually forced off nine minutes before half time and replaced by Hendrick.

Chances were rare but Wolves should have doubled their lead when Francisco Trincao blew a golden opening.

Ruben Neves found Hwang and his cross reached Trincao but the forward smashed a thundering effort off the underside of the bar.

It was a wretched miss and Wolves paid the price 73 seconds later when the Magpies levelled after 41 minutes.

Joelinton raced onto Saint-Maximin’s pass and Jose Sa injured himself diving at his feet.

The ball ran loose and Neves lost possession on the edge of the area for Javier Manquillo to find Hendrick and, with Sa struggling to regain his position, the substitute drilled into the corner from 25 yards.

Wolves were furious and boss Lage was booked while a bottle appeared to be thrown onto the pitch from the home fans in the aftermath but there was little wrong with the goal.

Emboldened, Newcastle went for another after the restart and Sa needed to be alert to block Saint-Maximin’s close-range effort following Joelinton’s cross.

But Wolves regrouped and restored their lead when Jimenez and Hwang and combined again for the winner after 58 minutes.

Jimenez showed excellent skill and strength to turn Longstaff and ride a challenge from Isaac Hayden to feed Hwang and the South Korea international produced another excellent low finish.

Burnley 0 Norwich City 0

Burnley and Norwich saw their winless starts to the Premier League continue as they fought out a goalless draw which at least provided a first point of the season for the Canaries.

The first 0-0 draw between these clubs — after 44 meetings in all competitions - neatly summed up how their seasons are going to date.

Sean Dyche celebrated 400 games in charge of the Clarets and there was a first Burnley clean sheet of the campaign but those were among the few positive statistics on an afternoon when they extended a club-record winless home run to 14 matches.

Norwich at least ended their miserable run of 16 straight defeats in the top flight but there was little on show at Turf Moor to hint a radical change of fortunes is imminent.

The form of both sides coming into the fixture suggests this could be a Championship fixture next season and it played out like one for much of the afternoon with a lack of quality on show.

Max Aarons flashed an early shot wide for Norwich after Matt Lowton had his pocket picked by Teemu Pukki, who would prove a pest for a Burnley defence without the influential Ben Mee — out with an injury to allow Nathan Collins a Premier League debut in his place.

The summer signing from Stoke was in the thick of it with 15 minutes gone when he was caught by Tim Krul as he came for a free-kick — but Burnley shouts for a penalty were waved away by Kevin Friend.

Tempers frayed again soon afterwards when Chris Wood was booked for a late tackle on Ozan Kabak — the first of four Burnley players to be cautioned before the break.

Their sense of frustration was further fuelled as Friend waved away further penalty claims, though none of them were clear.

Matej Vydra was eased over by Grant Hanley as they chased a loose ball before Jay Rodriguez — who replaced the dazed Czech in the 35th minute — saw his header hit Hanley’s chest, then his arm.

Lowton then hit a shot against Dimitris Giannoulis’ outstretched arm late in the half, though the defender knew little about it.

Instead, the closest Burnley would come to breaking the deadlock in the first half was a Lowton cross which Mathias Normann inadvertently headed at goal, with Krul adjusting well to hold on to the ball.

The angst of the Burnley fans only increased in the second half.

Rodriguez was guilty of an air shot when Krul’s interception of Josh Brownhill’s cross sent the ball spinning invitingly up in the air.

Dwight McNeil then missed an even better chance, looking surprised as Johann Gudmundsson’s cross floated over Rodriguez to find him in acres of space at the back post, bouncing off his leg and harmlessly wide.

In between times, Normann had spun his way into the Burnley box before sending a rising shot over Nick Pope and on to the roof of the crossbar.

The visitors threatened again when Charlie Taylor had to clear from under his own crossbar as Aarons stretched to meet Giannoulis’ cross.

Burnley continued to probe. Taylor went down in the box claiming a push from Aarons but got a familiar response from Friend.

Substitute Ashley Barnes then dragged Krul wide but when he lifted his cross towards the centre of goal, he saw there were no team-mates waiting.

Brownhill then linked up with Taylor to float the ball over for Lowton but he sent his header narrowly over and both sides settled for an uninspiring draw.