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Liverpool stays perfect in Premier League after beating Everton

Britain Soccer Premier League Liverpool's Ryan Gravenberch, second right, celebrates with teammates after scoring his side's opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield stadium in Liverpool, England, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira) (Rui Vieira/AP)

LIVERPOOL, England — (AP) — Liverpool maintained a perfect start in the Premier League after Ryan Gravenberch scored and assisted in a 2-1 win over Everton on Saturday.

Seeking consecutive league titles for the first time since the 1980s, Liverpool's record is 5-0 after the Merseyside derby.

Liverpool was listless and sloppy for long periods of the second half and Idrissa Gueye scored in the 58th minute for the Toffees, who lost for the first time since their opener at Leeds.

Liverpool has won five consecutive home games against the Blues for the first time since 1933-37. Everton has not won a match at Anfield attended by fans since 1999, its only victory since then behind closed doors in 2021 during the coronavirus pandemic.

Everton manager David Moyes remained winless in 23 games at Anfield with the Toffees, Manchester United, Sunderland and West Ham.

Liverpool’s top two summer signings, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, entered as second-half substitutes, Wirtz in the 61st and Isak in the 67th.

Gravenberch put Liverpool ahead in the 10th minute when Mohamed Salah lofted a one-hop pass into his path. The defensive midfielder extended his right leg and on the half volley lifted the ball over the outstretched arm of goalkeeper Jordan Pickford.

Gravenberch made a perfect through-pass in the 29th and Hugo Ekitike slotted the ball through Pickford's legs and inside the far post.

Gueye scored on a long-range shot after Iliman Ndiaye tapped back Jack Grealish's cross. Just shy of his 36th birthday next Friday, Gueye became the second oldest Everton player to score in a Merseyside derby behind 37-year-old Sam Chedgzoy in 1926, according to Opta.

Liverpool fans repeatedly serenaded Everton supporters with chants of “You haven’t won a trophy since 1995.”

Pressure mounting

It was another bad day for West Ham coach Graham Potter as his team lost for the fourth time in five games, going down at home to Crystal Palace 2-1.

Former Chelsea coach Potter has won just six times in 24 games since being hired in January and has lost 13 of those games.

Tyrick Mitchell scored a 68th-minute winner at London Stadium to pile the pressure on Potter, who lasted only seven months in the job at Chelsea.

Jean-Philippe Mateta put Palace ahead before halftime, with Jarrod Bowen leveling after the break. But any hopes the home fans had of picking up a point were ended by Mitchell.

West Ham was 18th in the standings with three points.

It's even worse for Wolves after losing at home to Leeds 3-1.

Vitor Pereira's team was in last place and still looking for its first points after five games.

Pereira signed a new contract at the club this week, but it looks like he's set for a tough season.

Defeat came despite Ladislav Krejci firing Wolves ahead inside eight minutes. Dominic Calvert-Lewin scored his first goal for Leeds since his move from Everton in the summer.

Anton Stach and Noah Okafor also got on the score sheet for the newly promoted team.

Spurs fightback

Trailing 2-0 at Brighton, Tottenham mounted a comeback to salvage a 2-2 draw.

Goals from Yankuba Minteh and Yasin Ayari looked like putting Brighton on course for only its second win of the season. But Richarlison halved the deficit before halftime and an own goal from Jan Paul van Hecke in the 82nd secured a point for Spurs.

It's the second time this season Brighton has squandered a lead late on, having conceded a stoppage time equalizer in the 1-1 draw with Fulham on the opening day.

Ange Postecoglou got his first point as Nottingham Forest coach in a 1-1 draw at Burnley.

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