Costa continues Chelsea’s march as Arsenal and Manchester City get stuck

Leading scorer in the league vaults farther up with a hat-trick, Pelle gets in a brace for Southampton, Wenger's men rally with two goals but are undone by poor marking as Demichelis gets in the equaliser, and more...

Diego Costa is going from strength to strength. Facundo Arrizabalaga / EPA

Diego Costa demonstrated his killer instinct with a hat-trick as Chelsea came from behind to extend their 100 per cent winning start to the Barclays Premier League season with a 4-2 win over Swansea at Stamford Bridge.

Swansea, like Chelsea, opened the season with three wins from three games, and early on the visitors looked more like title challengers than their lethargic hosts.

The lead, courtesy of a John Terry own goal, was just reward for City’s early dominance.

Chelsea’s response was slow in coming, but when it did Costa got his timing spot on, heading in his fifth Premier League goal just before the interval.

The Brazil-born Spain striker appears to be the ‘killer’ frontman Jose Mourinho coveted last term in becoming the first Chelsea player since 1928 to score in his first four games.

Jack Meredith managed just six goals in all for the Blues, a mark Costa soon surpassed as he tucked in his second after yet another assist from Cesc Fabregas.

The new signings have developed a strong understanding early in their Chelsea careers in a partnership integral to the Blues’ bid for a first Premier League title since 2010.

Costa’s goals are key to that, too, and he completed his hat-trick before making way for Loic Remy, who struck the fourth on his debut.

Jonjo Shelvey pulled a goal back, but it appears Chelsea and Costa will take some stopping this season.

ARSENAL 2 MANCHESTER CITY 2

Martin Demichelis seized a point for Premier League champions Manchester City with a late headed equaliser at the Emirates Stadium.

Arsenal were on track for victory after man of the match Jack Wilshere inspired a second-half fightback, firing a wonderful equaliser before teeing up Alexis Sanchez’s sublime volley.

But Demichelis rescued a draw from a pulsating match when he nodded Aleksandar Kolarov’s corner past Wojciech Szczesny in the 84th minute.

It was a bitter blow to Arsenal, who appeared to have done enough to mark Danny Welbeck’s debut with a precious victory over their title rivals.

Welbeck scored both goals in England’s 2-0 win over Switzerland on Monday but failed to finish a one-on-one with Joe Hart as Arsenal sought reward for a dominant opening.

Instead, his attempted lob of Hart struck the left post in a miss that Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal would use as justification for his £16million deadline day sale to Arsenal.

The outstanding forward on display was Sergio Aguero, whose wonderful finish of Jesus Navas’ sublime pass opened the scoring for a City side that was deadly on the counter.

A further setback to Arsenal saw full-back Mathieu Debuchy require extended treatment after falling awkwardly before being carried off on a stretcher.

WEST BROM 0 EVERTON 2

Romelu Lukaku began to repay his £28million fee after Everton cashed in on West Brom’s defensive nightmare with a 2-0 victory at the Hawthorns.

The striker pounced after less than two minutes to net his first goal following his permanent return from Chelsea in the summer.

It came after a poor clearance from Jonas Olsson, while Ben Foster added to the home horror show in the second half when he allowed Kevin Mirallas’ weak shot to dribble in.

The gaffes proved the difference and Steven Naismith could even afford to miss an open goal for the Toffees.

SUNDERLAND 2 TOTTENHAM 2

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino was denied a first ever victory at Sunderland by Harry Kane’s own goal.

Spurs boss Pochettino, who lost two and drew two of his four visits to the Stadium of Light with former club Southampton, looked set to leave with three points this time around after Christian Eriksen had fired the visitors into a 48th-minute lead.

However, substitute Kane unwittingly turned Jordi Gomez’s 82nd-minute free-kick into his own net to hand the Black Cats a point on an afternoon when they were second-best for long periods.

Tottenham had taken the lead after just two minutes through Nacer Chadli, but found themselves back level almost immediately through Adam Johnson’s fine solo effort.

SOUTHAMPTON 4 NEWCASTLE UNITED 0

The pressure on Newcastle manager Alan Pardew ratcheted up a notch at former club Southampton, where Graziano Pelle inspired Ronald Koeman’s new-look side to a dominant victory.

A recent poll showed 85 per cent of supporters did not want the Magpies manager to stay, and those dissenting voices were given further ammo by a tepid performance at St Mary’s.

Summer signing Pelle’s brace was complemented by goals from Jack Cork and Morgan Schneiderlin as Southampton ran out deserved 4-0 winners at St Mary’s, where calls for Pardew’s head punctuated a game Newcastle owner Mike Ashley was there to see first-hand.

STOKE CITY 0 LEICESTER CITY 1

Record signing Leonardo Ulloa’s third of the season in the 64th minute earned Leicester City a 1-0 win at the Britannia Stadium.

Stoke bossed the first half but were left to rue the lack of a cutting edge, while debutant goalkeeper Ben Hamer denied them a point with two great saves late on.

CRYSTAL PALACE 0 BURNLEY 0

Crystal Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni palmed Scott Arfield’s late spot-kick to safety which meant both teams remained winless for the season.

Toothless finishing from Seroni’s teammates left Neil Warnock’s side still seeking their first league win of the new term too, with Scott Dann heading against the bar and Dwight Gayle fluffing two fine chances.

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