City, Liverpool and Chelsea all level at Premier League summit
Riyad Mahrez missed a penalty as the champions Manchester City could only draw 0-0 with Liverpool at Anfield.
With Chelsea making up ground by winning 3-0 at Southampton, the league's three unbeaten teams go into the international break locked together on 20 points.
City are top on goal difference, with Chelsea second and Liverpool dropping to third, two points ahead of Arsenal, who routed Fulham 5-1 for their ninth successive win in all competitions.
Mahrez has now missed five of his past eight Premier League penalties -- one for City and four for his previous club Leicester City -- and seems highly unlikely to be given another chance after blasting the ball over the bar in the 86th minute.
City's normal penalty taker, Sergio Aguero, had already been substituted when Virgil van Dyke clattered into Leroy Sane in what the defender later admitted was "not a smart move".
City defender John Stones said the players had decided among themselves that Mahrez would take the kick after impressing with his spot-kicks in training last week. "Riyad feels deflated, he feels he has let us down," he said.
Stones said City were delighted to keep a clean sheet after conceding seven goals in their past two visits -- one game in the Premier League and one in the Champions League -- but Mahrez's miss took the gloss off their performance.
Liverpool's front three had been deadly in those Anfield games last season but they created little on Sunday, with the home side's rhythm further disrupted by a first-half injury to James Milner.
There was no shortage of goals at Craven Cottage where Arsenal, who lost their opening two league games, provided further proof that they are starting to gel under new manager Unai Emery.
Published: by Radio NewsHub