Chelsea beat West Ham United 2-1 at Stamford Bridge on Saturday as goals from substitutes Ben Chilwell and Kai Havertz cancelled out Michail Antonio’s opener but they also had the VAR referee to thank after an apparent West Ham equaliser was ruled out.
The Blues, looking to improve on their stuttering start to the season, were rocked in the 63rd minute when they failed to clear a corner and Declan Rice squared the ball for Antonio to convert on the goal line.
Thirteen minutes later the hosts were level when Chilwell squeezed between two defenders to get his head on a long forward pass by Thiago Silva and deftly angled the ball between the legs of West Ham goal-keeper Lukasz Fabianski.
Havertz completed the comeback in the 88th minute when he connected with a cross by Chilwell to make it 2-1, moments after West Ham substitute Maxwel Cornet had headed against the post when he should have scored.
In the dying moments, Cornet thought he had levelled it for West Ham but his goal was ruled out after a VAR check found that Jarrod Bowen had fouled Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Elsewhere, Tottenham maintained their impressive start to the season with a 2-1 victory over Fulham that did not do justice to their best attacking display so far.
Goals in each half by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Harry Kane earned Tottenham a fourth win in six games but in-form Aleksandar Mitrovic’s effort set up a nervy finale.
For the first time Tottenham manager Antonio Conte unleashed Richarlison from the start to form an attacking trident with Harry Kane and Son Heung-min and it proved an exciting formula.
But after almost constant Tottenham pressure it was midfielder Hojbjerg who finally earned Tottenham the lead they deserved with a neat 40th-minute finish.
Kane made it 2-0 in the 75th minute and the superb Richarlison was denied by the woodwork and had a goal disallowed for offside as he did everything but open his account.
Mitrovic struck a superb reply in the 86th for his sixth league goal of the season but Tottenham sealed the win that put them on 14 points from six matches.
In Saturday’s early kick-off, Everton were denied a second-half win following a lengthy VAR review in a feisty 0-0 draw with Merseyside rivals Liverpool.
Both sides hit the woodwork in the first half at Goodison Park, with Tom Davies denied by the upright for Everton, before Darwin Nunez and Luiz Diaz both saw efforts come out off the frame of the goal for the visitors.
The game opened up after the break, with Jordan Pickford forced into several fine stops in the home goal, while Neal Maupay should have scored from close range on his Everton debut after signing from Brighton in midweek.
Then came the moment Everton fans had been waiting for after Conor Coady tapped home at the far post, but with pandemonium ensuing at Goodison the goal was ruled out for offside after a lengthy VAR review.
Both sides pressed for a winner, with Everton substitute Dwight McNeil’s deflected shot almost catching Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson out and Mohamed Salah firing against the post in stoppage time, but the rivals had to settle for a point each.
Ivan Toney meanwhile struck a sensational hat-trick to earn Brentford a thrilling 5-2 home win over Leeds.
A Daniel Podence goal on the stroke of half-time gave Wolves a 1-0 win over Southampton, their first victory of the season.
Newcastle United meanwhile had a second-half goal ruled out after a VAR review as they drew 0-0 with Crystal Palace in a game that was full of chances, but somehow yielded no goals.