Shelvey in spotlight as Liverpool goes top

LONDON: Swansea midfielder Jonjo Shelvey took center stage against his former club as Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League with a 2-2 draw at the Welsh club on Monday.
Shelvey scored Swansea’s first goal and created their second but two shocking passes set up both goals for Liverpool who moved a point clear of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at the top of the table.
Shelvey, who joined Swansea for 5 million pounds ($8 million) from Liverpool in July, gave his new team the lead after two minutes when he swept a shot into the net at the second attempt from six meters.
But two minutes later a weak back pass was pounced on by Daniel Sturridge who fired the ball past goalkeeper Michel Vorm for his fourth goal in four games this season.
Another loose pass by Shelvey after 36 minutes was easily picked off by Victor Moses and the winger, on-loan from Chelsea, broke forward and slotted the ball past Vorm from the edge of the area.
Shelvey’s deft header set up striker Michu for Swansea’s equalizer after 64 minutes and the home side, 13th in the standings with four points from four games, looked more likely to snatch a winner in the closing stages.

Totti helps Roma maintain perfect start
Meantime, Evergreen Francesco Totti, in his 22nd season with AS Roma, scored his first goal of the new campaign to give help them to a 3-1 win at Parma which maintained their 100 percent record in Serie A on Monday.
New Dutch midfield signing Kevin Strootman was also in inspired form, setting up Totti’s goal and converting a penalty as Roma overturned a 1-0 halftime deficit.
Roma and Napoli, the two biggest spenders in the close season, are the only teams to have won their opening three games. They are followed by Inter Milan, Juventus and Fiorentina, all on seven points.
Parma, under former Italy coach Roberto Donadoni, broke through six minutes before halftime when Frenchman Jonathan Biabany beat his marker to Mattia Cassani’s cross and headed in at the near post.
Roma, who spent around 66 million euros ($88.1 million) in the transfer window with 16 million of that going on Strootman, levelled less than two minutes after the break when Miralem Pjanjic set up Alessandro Florenzi who blasted a right-foot shot past Antonio Mirante.
Strootman then cleverly set up Totti, 36, who stayed onside and placed his shot beyond Miranda in the 70th minute.
With five minutes left, Ivorian forward Gervinho was hauled down by Cassani in the area and Strootman rifled home the penalty for his first goal since his move from PSV Eindhoven.
Parma have taken only one point from their first three games.