London (AFP)

By beating Brentford (1-0) on Saturday, Chelsea retained the Premier League lead that Liverpool had taken, provisionally, by crushing Watford (5-0), for the 8th day, while Manchester City got rid of Burnley (2-0) and that United fell to Leicester (4-2).

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Chelsea folds but ensures

Thanks to a complicated success at Brentford (1-0), Chelsea provided the essentials and saved their place as leader on Saturday.

With 19 points, the Blues are ahead of Liverpool by a length, Manchester City by two and a small hole is made on Brighton, at 4 points, and United, at 5 points.

Deprived of Thiago Silva, returned late from selection, and Antonio Rüdiger, injured, Thomas Tuchel had an experimental hinge with the first tenure in the Premier League of French Malang Sarr.

This did not prevent Chelsea from imposing their rhythm in the first period and if Romelu Lukaku has not found the net for six matches, it is the left piston Ben Chilwell, with a beautiful end, just before the break, which gave him the three points (1-0, 45th).

The promoted, who had snatched a 3-3 draw against Liverpool recently, will have had his opportunities.

The French Bryan Mbeumo twice touched the post (21st, 75th) and Edouard Mendy increased his interventions in front of Ivan Toney (73rd), Saman Ghoddos (83rd) or Pontus Jansson (86th).

In added time, the former goalkeeper of Reims and Rennes deflected again on the top of the bar a return from Oliver Norgaard, winning the title of man of the match.

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Return of the infernal triplet of the Reds

A hat-trick from Roberto Firmino, a goal and an assist from Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané's 100th achievement in the Premier League, spoiled Claudio Ranieri's debut on the Watford bench (5-0).

Often decisive this season, Salah still regaled by offering Mané his 100th goal in PL (1-0, 9th), without a single penalty, a performance only achieved by Emile Heskey and Les Ferdinand before him.

He then performed a solo number in the opposing area, before scoring with a ball rolled up from the right (4-0, 54 ').

Firmino offered himself a hat-trick for his 2nd start of the season: he doubled the goal of six meters (2-0, 37th) then took back a ball released by Ben Foster (3-0, 52nd) and closed the mark in added time (5-0, 90th + 1).

Liverpool will go in full confidence to challenge Atlético Madrid on Tuesday in the Champions League, before a trip to Old Trafford next Sunday.

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Minimum fare for Manchester City

With an easy success (2-0) against Burnley (19th), City remains on the podium.

Pep Guardiola's men did not drag things out, scoring from the first quarter of an hour thanks to Bernardo Silva, the quickest to resume a strike from Phil Foden repulsed by Nick Pope (1-0, 12th).

Manchester City Portuguese midfielder Bernardo Silva during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Burnley at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north-west England on October 16, 2021. Oli SCARFF AFP

Faced with an opponent to whom they had scored 30 goals in the previous eight confrontations, the Citizens ended up making the hole through Kevin de Bruyne (2-0, 70th).

This success will at least have the merit of placing City in the best possible conditions before the trip to Bruges in C1 on Tuesday.

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Manchester United gloomy in Leicester

Despite the returns of Harry Maguire, holder, and Marcus Rashford, substitute scorer, Manchester United logically gave up against Leicester (4-2) after a crazy match.

Raphaël Varane injured, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had chosen to start Maguire, absent for three weeks due to injury.

The England international was at fault on the equalizer by being very slow on a pass from David de Gea, allowing Youri Tielemans to send the ball into the opposite skylight, with a curled and lobed strike (1-1, 31e).

Mason Greenwood had yet placed his family on the right track with a missile in the skylight of Kasper Schmeichel (1-0, 19th) and Rashford signed his return with a goal also (2-2, 82nd) ​​which could have saved a point.

But the Foxes, after a failed start to the season, seem refreshed and scored by Caglar Söyüncü (2-1, 78th), Jamie Vardy (3-2, 83rd) and Patson Daka (90th + 1) to move up to 11th place with 11 points.

Manchester United's Portuguese striker Cristiano Ronaldo (r.) And England's Red Devils defender Harry Maguire (l) warm up before the Premier League match between Leicester City and Manchester United at King Power Stadium in Leicester, in the center of England, October 16, 2021. Paul ELLIS AFP

Suffice to say that the pressure will be enormous on Soslkjaer for the reception of Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday, while the peak performances of Cristiano Ronaldo question.

© 2021 AFP