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A player that Manchester City let go reins them back in, in a game that took off. Cole Palmer’s fine stoppage-time penalty was quite an ending to the story of the day, crowning what was probably the match of the season so far. While Chelsea’s late 4-4 draw ensures the defending champions are only a point clear at the top, it felt like this had a significance for more than the title race. It could be a launchpad for Palmer and maybe this Chelsea side, as they finally looked like a proper Mauricio Pochettino team. They pressed and pushed City into a pulsating 4-4 draw, Pep Guardiola’s side doing their own part with some wondrous play. There are a lot of issues with modern football, and it felt like this whole week was dominated by talk of referees, but this game right at the end reminded why we watch. VAR was mercifully muted, not quite silent, but it would feel even more wrong to talk about it after a game like that. This was really about the concentration of quality on show, particularly Reece James, Manuel Akanji, Rodri, Phil Foden, Erling Haaland and - perhaps above all - former City players Raheem Sterling and Palmer. Sterling might well have finished upstaged by Palmer, but he won’t be too bothered about that, not with his goal and the way they clicked together. There is something there. It felt symbolic that all of Chelsea’s front three - including the burgeoning Nicolas Jackson - scored. They are a long way off City’s imperious level, but it is telling they have not yet lost to a big-six side. Chelsea beat Tottenham Hotspur on Monday and have now followed that and previous draws with Liverpool and Arsenal with perhaps the most significant of the lot. It was, somewhat ironically given recent games, VAR that actually got things going. The match had started at a fast pace without too much happening, until the officials spotted some jostling between Haaland and Marc Cucurella. It looked like the both had as much a hold of each other, but the Chelsea defender hung on longer, resulting in a penalty. Haaland of course scored. Perhaps aggravated, it fired something in Chelsea. What followed was probably their best spell of football of the season. That was partly driven by Sterling’s best spell in a Chelsea shirt, but there was more to it. There was certainly so much to Palmer. It was like something finally clicked, with the attack rampant. Palmer was everywhere. The forward’s movement and touches were the perfect foil for Sterling’s running, which he often decorated with vintage tricks and nutmegs. Jeremy Doku, who could probably be described as Sterling’s long-term successor, was the victim of one flick through the legs. The pressure first told from a corner, with Thiago Silva plundering a fine equaliser with a guided header. Chelsea were at that point overrunning City, literally, which led to Reece James surging down the right to set up Sterling for a finish he would have relished. As good as Chelsea were, and as deserving as their lead was, they soon faced a dilemma. The issue with facing this City and getting the better of them is that you only have a certain amount of time until Guardiola figures it out and decisively changes it to reassert control. It felt like that had happened by the hour. City had already equalised before half-time through a brilliant Akanji header, capping a fine individual game. It could have been a lot worse for City had the centre-half not been so dominant, as Ruben Dias had an unusually erratic display. Akanji’s presence made it all the more surprising he was left unmarked. For the third goal, then, City just made their own space. Phil Foden paused on the ball to allow Julian Alvarez to burst from deep, the overlap then allowing Haaland to sneak in on the other side. It wasn’t the cleanest finish, but it was still artful forward play due to the quality of the run. VAR checked for half-time, but it would have been ludicrous to rule it out. Chelsea, for their part, kept persevering. This is where more encouragement could come from the display. They again gave Dias trouble, as the centre-half found himself caught out from a parried shot, allowing Jackson to equalise. Palmer was again making so much happen, enjoying the freedom that Pochettino affords him. If it feels remarkable that City let an academy player like that go, it only speaks to their strength in depth. The next goal suitably came from way back. Rodri took a shot from distance on 86 minutes, and the ball deflected into the net. There was still more in the game, though. Pochettino has instilled something in Chelsea. They kept going, and forced Dias into another rash moment. Palmer stepped up, You could have forgiven him for feeling some nerves. Ederson would have faced him a lot in training. Palmer made all that irrelevant, as he showed no nerves at all. It is obviously too early to say Chelsea are back. Palmer, however, is here. Read More Jamie Carragher bemused by penalty decision in Man City vs Chelsea: ‘It’s not right’ Five things we learned from Chelsea and Man City’s eight-goal thriller Chelsea’s downward spiral offers stark warning to Man City Jeremy Doku’s brilliance shows Man City’s edge and Chelsea’s key problem Chelsea will be fighting for titles sooner rather than later, says Pep Guardiola Chelsea vs Manchester City LIVE: Latest Premier League updates

Former Manchester City player Cole Palmer scored a penalty in the fifth minute of stoppage time as Chelsea came back to draw 4-4 with the defending Premier League champions

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Chelsea shrugged aside the attention surrounding Emma Hayes’ impending departure with a 3-0 win at Everton to consolidate their lead at the top of the Women’s Super League. Jessie Fleming’s opener was followed by goals from Sam Kerr and former Everton loanee Aggie Beever-Jones as the London side eased to victory over a spirited Toffees side who caused the champions plenty of first-half problems. Chelsea, who were playing for the first time since the announcement last weekend that Hayes will step down at the end of the season after 12 years as manager, remained clear of the chasing pack as a result. That is due in part to a surprise defeat for Manchester City, who headed into the weekend in second place and three points adrift of the leaders. Lee Geum-min returned to haunt her former club when she fired Brighton to a 1-0 win over Gareth Taylor’s team at the City Football Academy. The South Korea international scored the game’s only goal nine minutes from time as title hopefuls City were made to pay for not making the most of their dominance and slipped to a second successive league defeat in the process. Manchester United made no such mistake, routing West Ham 5-0 to leapfrog their neighbours. United stunned the Hammers with a fast start and then killed them off with a late flurry as they surged to a victory in torrential rain at Leigh Sports Village. First-half goals from Geyse, Millie Turner and Nikita Parris put the hosts in charge by the break, and late strikes from substitutes Lucia Garcia and Melvine Malard wrapped up a comprehensive triumph. Sophie Roman Haug’s second-half header ensured Liverpool emerged from their trip to Tottenham with something to show for their efforts. Celine Bizet Ildhusoy had fired the hosts ahead with a stunning solo effort at Brisbane Road, but the Norway striker levelled as the sides who started the day in third and fourth places respectively ended it with a 1-1 draw. Late goals from England international Rachel Daly and Ebony Salmon handed Aston Villa their first points of the season courtesy of a 2-0 victory at Bristol City. In a game of few clear-cut chances between the division’s bottom two sides, Daly broke the deadlock with 14 minutes remaining before substitute Salmon struck four minutes from time to secure three priceless points which lifted Villa from the foot of the table on goal difference. Read More Unai Emery demands consistency from Aston Villa after victory over Fulham Jurgen Klopp hits out at lunchtime scheduling of Liverpool-Man City clash I don’t like English referees – Roberto De Zerbi unhappy after Brighton held We’ve just thrown it away – Steve Cooper frustrated as Forest lose at West Ham Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart lead Britain to Billie Jean King Cup win over Sweden Brighton gift draw to Sheffield United after own goal and red card

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The father of Liverpool star Luis Diaz said he went “almost 12 days without sleep” and endured long horseback treks through mountain passes as he revealed the details of his kidnapping ordeal for the first time. Luis Manuel Diaz, 58, was released by the guerrilla group Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN) on Thursday, nearly two weeks after he was captured at gunpoint along with his wife near their hometown of Barrancas in northern Colombia. While Cilenis Marulanda was rescued by police within hours, Diaz Sr remained in the hands of his kidnappers and said he was told to remain calm. At a press conference in Barrancas, Diaz Sr said that although “the treatment was good, I didn’t feel very comfortable”. “It was a lot of horseback riding, really hard, a lot of mountains, a lot of rain, too many insects,” said an emotional and weary Diaz Sr, speaking alongside his family near the Colombia-Venezuela border. “I couldn’t sleep peacefully, it was very difficult, almost 12 days without sleep.” Despite the ordeal, Diaz Sr said he had no plans to move away from Barrancas and felt safe in Colombia. The father of the Liverpool forward said he did not understand why the ELN kidnapped him as he was not held to ransom. "My aspirations are to continue in my town because I have my entire family in my town," Diaz Sr said. "The government has given me impressively strong and great support. I trust and have faith that it will provide me security to be in Barrancas." Liverpool winger and Colombia international Diaz had made an emotional appeal for his father’s release after scoring a late equaliser for Liverpool in their 1-1 draw against Luton last weekend The 26-year-old marked the goal by revealing a T-shirt bearing a message in Spanish reading “Freedom for Dad’’ and then made a statement calling for his “prompt release”. Diaz Sr said he spoke to his son after he was safely released by the kidnappers on Thursday and Diaz told him he was “happy” to play in Liverpool’s Europa League match against Toulouse that afternoon. The Colombian police said it had arrested four suspects after investigating Diaz Sr’s kidnapping, while the head of the ELN has admitted it was a “mistake” to capture the Liverpool star’s father. Read More Jurgen Klopp reignites early kick-off row ahead of Man City vs Liverpool clash Mohamed Salah’s stunning Anfield record is making his brilliance appear normal Liverpool vs Brentford LIVE: Latest Premier League updates

Houston Dynamo are through to the Western Conference semifinals.

Liverpool’s 3-0 win over Brentford set up a mouthwatering top-of-the-table clash against Manchester City, but manager Jurgen Klopp is less than impressed with the lunchtime scheduling. The Premier League’s resumption after the international break kicks off with City v Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium live on television in a Saturday lunchtime clash. Klopp has been a long-time opponent of broadcast scheduling, particularly the 12.30pm slot, and he has aired his complaints again. “OK, no-one can say at the moment, but how can you put a game like this on Saturday at 12.30pm?” he said. “Is it the moment where the world pays the most to see a football game? I don’t know if that is the case, I really don’t. “Honestly, the people making the decisions, they cannot feel football, it is just not possible.” The logistics involved in getting players back from South America are well-drilled now and usually involve clubs liaising to charter a jet for all their players to return home together. But a lunchtime kick-off requires extra planning to get them back as early as practically possible, which often involves extra work to get them into one airport at the same time. “You have these two teams who have, all together, about 30 international players. They all come back on the same plane from Uruguay, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia,” said Klopp. “One game, one plane, they all come back.” Liverpool endured a couple of tricky moments at home to Brentford, but two goals from Mohamed Salah, taking him to 200 in English football, and one from Diogo Jota ensured Klopp’s side leapfrogged Arsenal into second place on goal difference. In becoming the first Reds player to score in each of their first six home matches at the start of a season, Salah joined Alan Shearer and Thierry Henry in having scored or assisted in 15 consecutive Premier League home games. “Exceptional, just exceptional player. Played a super game today and we all know how difficult it is against these tall centre-backs,” added Klopp. “Two players around him, all these kinds of things, how often he kept the ball for us and we could play from there. That was super important and scoring two goals. “We had so many good moments in the first half. We scored (through Darwin Nunez), but it was offside (twice), things like that, and then in that moment, the composure for the first goal is insane. “There is no doubt when the ball is in that area in the end you see it on the scoresheet. So a pretty special player.” Victory ensured the team headed off on international duty with a spring in their step after a difficult week which began with a draw at Luton and got worse with defeat in the Europa League to Toulouse. But in extending their 100 percent home league record to six matches this season, having conceded just twice at Anfield in that time, Liverpool moved into pole position as City’s nearest challengers. “Football is strange. If you would have asked me three days just about the feeling, not about what I know, I am not sure I would talk about the start (to their season),” said Klopp. “But obviously you look at the game, the numbers, the results, most of the time it was OK or better. “A point at Luton didn’t feel great, Tottenham, in the circumstances (a defeat after a controversial incorrect VAR decision) obviously didn’t feel great. “It’s absolutely all right if we just don’t really think about it. Today it was about getting through the game and we did. The boys responded sensationally well.” Brentford head coach Thomas Frank was unhappy with a second-half challenge by Wataru Endo on Christian Norgaard which, on the basis of what has gone before this season, he felt VAR got wrong. “I think this situation, back in the day, never would have been a red card, but in the football we are playing now, with the slow image you can see a clear foot on the leg, four bloody marks on Christian’s leg,” he said. “There is definitely some contact with force.” Read More Unai Emery demands consistency from Aston Villa after victory over Fulham I don’t like English referees – Roberto De Zerbi unhappy after Brighton held We’ve just thrown it away – Steve Cooper frustrated as Forest lose at West Ham Katie Boulter and Harriet Dart lead Britain to Billie Jean King Cup win over Sweden Brighton gift draw to Sheffield United after own goal and red card Aston Villa equal club-record home winning run by sweeping aside Fulham