Game Recaps

LONDON — A late goal from substitute Eddie Nketiah gave Arsenal a 2-1 home win over West Ham United in the Premier League on Saturday after Michail Antonio's first-half strike for the visitors had cancelled out Alexandre Lacazette's 50th goal for the Gunners.

West Ham were more organised playing with a five-man defence than in their opening 2-0 home loss to Newcastle United as they faced an Arsenal side fresh from a 3-0 win at promoted Fulham.

BERLIN — Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland scored twice and teenager Giovanni Reyna added another goal as they cruised past Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-0 in their season opener on Saturday.

The 20-year-old Haaland scored a 54th minute penalty, awarded for a foul on Reyna, and bagged another with a sensationally quick counter-attack and a Jadon Sancho assist as Dortmund utilised their fearsome youthful attacking weapons.

MANCHESTER, England — Manchester United's season got underway with a shock 3-1 defeat by Crystal Palace as Wilfried Zaha grabbed a late brace for the visitors in the Premier League on Saturday although VAR was once again the centre of attention over a re-taken penalty. 

United looked off the pace early on as Andros Townsend put Palace in front after seven minutes, with the home side's campaign starting a week later than initially scheduled due to last season's Europa League commitments running into mid-August.

The North Carolina Courage won a seven-goal thriller last week. Back on CBS this week, the 2019 NWSL champs just couldn’t find a way past USWNT keeper Ashlyn Harris.

The Orlando Pride, playing in their first match of 2020, held the Courage to a 0-0 draw on Saturday in the NWSL Fall Series, with Harris and the Pride defense coming up big to deny North Carolina’s potent offense. 

LEEDS — Newly-promoted Leeds United continued their barnstorming return to the Premier League as they claimed their first points with a thrilling 4-3 win over Fulham at Elland Road on Saturday.

After a 4-3 loss to champions Liverpool on the opening day, Leeds, back in the top flight after a 16-year absence, produced more vibrant attacking football along with defensive jitters.

Helda Costa gave them a flying start only for Aleksandar Mitrovic's penalty to level for Fulham before Mateusz Klich restored their lead also with a spot kick before halftime.

LIVERPOOL, England — Colombian playmaker James Rodriguez scored his first Premier League goal and Dominic Calvert-Lewin bagged a hat-trick as Everton thrashed 10-man West Bromwich Albion 5-2 at Goodison Park on Saturday.

West Brom started brightly and opened the scoring through Grady Diangana, but when Calvert-Lewin equalised following an intervention from the Video Assistant Referee, Everton took control.

They scored five goals in 35 minutes as West Brom capitulated following a needless red card for defender Kieran Gibbs.

Bayern Munich is the best team in the world. The German giants proved that by winning the Champions League in August on the back of eight straight Bundesliga titles. But based on the way Bayern opened its 2020-21 campaign, including a stunning Robert Lewandowski rabona assist, Die Roten might be even better this season.

BUDAPEST — Hungarian champion Ferencvaros progressed to the Champions League playoff round for the first time after winger Myrto Uzuni went from villain to hero in their shock 2-1 win over Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday.

Uzuni scored a 23rd-minute own goal which hauled Dinamo level after captain Gergo Lovrencsics had given the home side an early lead and he netted a 65th-minute winner to set up a two-legged tie against Molde.

The start of Paris Saint-Germain’s season went from bad to worse after two straight defeats to open Ligue 1 play. But a sublime Ángel Di María touch vs Metz helped PSG secure its first victory of the new campaign in superb fashion, securing a 1-0 win late over Metz on Wednesday, despite playing the final 30 minutes a man down.

Preseason results don’t matter, especially so when you’re FC Barcelona playing against third- and second- division sides, but Barça has followed up Saturday’s 3-1 win over Gimnàstic with a 3-1 victory over Girona on Wednesday.