Saturday review: Lukaku double and Barkley strike give Everton sweet victory

Southampton – Everton 0-3

Romelu Lukaku scored twice as Everton made light of a poor record at Southampton to run out 3-0 winners at St Mary's Stadium.

With one victory from their previous 14 Barclays Premier League visits, history weighed against Everton and Lukaku, who scored an own goal on the ground last season, endured an inauspicious warm-up when his wayward shot struck a fan, prompting the striker to head into the stands to apologise. He proved more accurate once the action got under way, netting a first-half double as Roberto Martinez's men demonstrated their threat on the counter-attack.

The match turned on a fine Tim Howard save, which came less than 60 seconds before Lukaku's headed 22nd-minute opener, while the Belgium forward's second goal also arrived at the end of a quick break. Ross Barkley added a third late on with a crisp finish to bring further pain to Southampton manager Ronald Koeman, who returned to the dugout on crutches after missing the 2-2 draw at Newcastle United last weekend with a ruptured Achilles’ tendon.

Lukaku signalled his intent early on, his powerful run halted by Matt Targett's foul just outside the area. Barkley's free-kick clipped the wall and deflected over the crossbar.

Everton were pressed into defensive action in the 14th minute when Graziano Pelle's downward header picked out Dusan Tadic, but his shot was blocked and the visitors scrambled the ball clear.

Pelle, with three goals in the opening three matches of the season, failed to connect properly with a back-post header and flicked it harmlessly wide of Howard's right-hand upright. The hosts continued to force the issue and Sadio Mane brought an excellent stop from Howard with a low close-range effort, before Southampton were caught on the break.

Barkley set free Arouna Kone, who had been the visitors' only change from the opening day after his late leveller from the bench against Watford, down the right after a Southampton corner and the Ivorian’s superb delivery was expertly headed in across goal by Lukaku, who was quick to acknowledge the quality of the assist.

Martinez's men could have extended their lead just before the half-hour, but Barkley's strike from the middle of the area was straight at Maarten Stekelenburg and Tom Cleverley put the rebound wide.

Lukaku did make it 2-0 on the brink of half-time, stroking his shot past Stekelenburg after gathering Barkley's pass.

Koeman introduced his new midfield signing Oriol Romeu Tadic for the second half and Southampton started brightly, with Pelle's half-volley stinging Howard's palms. The Italian carried his side's most potent threat, heading another chance over the bar in the 66th minute as Southampton looked to breach an Everton team with only one clean sheet in their last 17 away league matches.

Mane went close, bringing a full-stretch save from Howard from distance, but Barkley's fine right-footed finish put the result beyond doubt in the 84th minute.

For Martinez, who has promised new arrivals, it was a demonstration of the quality already at his disposal, while Southampton's focus will switch to the first leg of their UEFA Europa League qualifier against FC Midtjylland on Thursday.

West Ham United 1-2 Leicester City

Leicester City's impressive start to life under Claudio Ranieri continued with a 2-1 victory at West Ham United, their second win in a row and the first time they have done so in 18 years.

Building on their emphatic 4-2 opening-day win over Sunderland, Leicester took a deserved 27th-minute lead in east London as Japan forward Shinji Okazaki scored his first for the club. Riyad Mahrez was a two-goal hero for City last time out and the Algeria winger was on target once more to give Ranieri's men breathing space at the interval.

West Ham were shock victors over Arsenal in their opening match but rarely threatened to scale the same heights on this outing. Dimitri Payet halved the deficit 10 minutes into the second half with his first goal for the club but could not prevent West Ham's final league campaign at the Boleyn Ground from getting off to an anti-climactic start, with a red card for goalkeeper Adrian in stoppage time compounding a miserable afternoon.

Swansea City 2-0 Newcastle United

Jefferson Montero put in another dazzling display as Swansea City cruised to a 2-0 victory over 10-man Newcastle United.

The Ecuador winger gave Branislav Ivanovic the runaround as the Welsh club picked up a 2-2 draw at Chelsea last weekend, and he was at it again on Saturday.

After Bafetimbi Gomis had given Swansea a ninth-minute lead, the lively Montero drew two clumsy challenges from Daryl Janmaat that earned the full-back a pair of bookings and a dismissal four minutes before the break.

Montero hit a post with his best chance to add his name to the scoresheet but provided the assist as an Andre Ayew header made it 2-0 seven minutes into the second half.

Newcastle rarely threatened as Steve McClaren's decided to play without a recognised striker for much of the second period.

Tottenham Hotspur 2-2 Stoke City

Mame Biram Diouf and Marko Arnautovic were on target as Stoke City stunned Tottenham Hotspur with a late fightback to draw 2-2 at White Hart Lane.

First-half goals from Eric Dier and Nacer Chadli had put Spurs in command and on course to avenge their two defeats by Mark Hughes' side last season. But Stoke refused to lie down and substitutes Joselu, making his top-flight debut, and Stephen Ireland made telling impacts as the visitors struck twice in the last 12 minutes to salvage a point.

Arnautovic pulled a goal back from the penalty spot after striker Joselu had been brought down by Toby Alderweireld, then Diouf headed in an Ireland cross seven minutes from time to stun the home side, whose new signing Clinton N'Jie watched from the stands.

Norwich City - Sunderland 3-1

After a 4-2 defeat in last weekend's opener against Leicester City, Dick Advocaat's woes at the back continued in front of their home supporters, as Norwich celebrated a first win since returning to the top flight.

Russell Martin, the Norwich captain, knew little about the opening goal he bundled home, but there was no fortune about Steven Whittaker making it 2-0, the full-back finishing a well-crafted move.

Nathan Redmond, who was rewarded with a start after making a positive impact off the bench in last week's 3-1 loss to Crystal Palace, scored his second goal in as many league matches just shy of the hour.

Substitute Duncan Watmore netted a late goal for Sunderland on his league debut but it was little consolation on a dismal afternoon for the Black Cats.

Watford 0-0 West Bromwich Albion

Watford missed the chance to secure their first Barclays Premier League win since May 2007 as they were held to a 0-0 draw by West Bromwich Albion.

Quique Sanchez Flores's side dominated their first match at Vicarage Road this season, but were made to rue a host of missed chances, Odion Ighalo passing up their best openings.

The Nigerian striker, along with his captain Troy Deeney, posed a real threat in the opening 45 minutes, but Watford's neat build-up play lacked the finishing touch.

West Brom flattered to deceive in the opening hour, although the introduction of record signing Salomon Rondon gave them a glimmer of hope. The Venezuela forward saw his first effort in English football fly over the crossbar, a rare highlight for the visitors as they clung on to their first point of the campaign.