Liverpool leads the way in the Premier League and gives Slot club record

Arne Slot earned a Liverpool record of nine wins from his first 10 games in charge after the club stayed on the top of the English Premier League on Saturday.

Diogo Jota’s ninth-minute goal at Selhurst Park held up to beat Crystal Palace 1-0 and ensure Slot would be looking down on rival managers Pep Guardiola of Manchester City and Mikel Arteta of Arsenal heading into the international break.

Four-time defending champion City is second after beating Fulham 3-2 and third-placed Arsenal won against Southampton 3-1. Both trail Liverpool by a point.

Slot is making light work of filling the void left by Anfield great Jurgen Klopp, with no other manager in the club’s history winning so many of his opening games in all competitions.

“It definitely is (very satisfying). And it’s actually also quite special if you know how many great managers Liverpool had,” Slot said. “But I also said last week I think that I hope they don’t only remember me in one, two, three, four, five years only for this. We are hoping to do more special things than this.”

Liverpool’s only defeat under the Dutchman was a shock 1-0 home loss against Nottingham Forest. Otherwise, it has been a perfect start for a man who had the ominous task of replacing Klopp, who won a full set of major honors including the Premier League and Champions League.

Slot looks likely to be the main challenger to City and Arsenal, who have been first and second respectively in the last two seasons.

Both of those teams survived scares to come from behind to win at home.

It wasn’t all good news for Liverpool after goalkeeper Alisson sustained a suspected hamstring injury and was substituted in the second half at Palace.

The Brazil international, who has only recently returned from a muscle injury, was holding the back of his right leg after limping off Selhurst Park and is likely to miss Brazil’s World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Peru.

Argentina midfielder Alexis Mac Allister also went off with a groin issue that makes him a doubt for his country’s qualifiers against Venezuela and Bolivia.

City extended its unbeaten home run to 50 games in all competitions with victory against Fulham.

The sequence dates to November 2022 when Brentford won 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium through Ivan Toney’s last-minute strike. City was knocked out of the Champions League quarterfinals by Real Madrid last season after losing a penalty shootout, but the game ended 1-1 after extra time and does not officially count as a defeat.

It took John Stones’ stoppage-time goal to preserve the record in a 2-2 draw against Arsenal last month and on Saturday two goals from Mateo Kovacic saw City fight back after Andreas Pereira fired Fulham into a 26th-minute lead.

Kovacic’s deflected strike leveled the score in the 32nd and he made it 2-1 in the 47th.

Jeremy Doku extended City’s lead in the 82nd before substitute Rodrigo Muniz set up a tense finish with Fulham’s second in the 88th.

Had Adama Traore been more clinical with chances in each half, City’s proud record might have been broken.

City is unbeaten in its last 30 games in the league.

Arsenal’s 400th home win in the Premier League era was secured only after being given a fright by second-from-bottom Southampton, which took the lead at Emirates Stadium through Cameron Archer 10 minutes into the second half.

Bukayo Saka set up goals for Kai Havertz in the 58th and Gabriel Martinelli in the 68th before Southampton twice hit the frame of the goal in search of an equalizer.

Saka then put the game beyond doubt with his third goal of the season in the 88th.

After becoming the first team in Premier League history to score in the opening minute in three consecutive games, Brentford is slowing down.

The west London club’s fans had to wait until the second minute to cheer its first goal against Wolves on Saturday when Nathan Collins found the back of the net on the way to a wild 5-3 win.

Matheus Cunha equalized for Wolves two minutes later and Bryan Mbeumo restored Brentford’s advantage from the penalty spot in the 20th.

It was all square again when Jorgen Strand Larsen leveled in the 26th, then Christian Norgaard put the home team in front for the third time in the 28th.

Ethan Pinnock made it 4-2 in first half stoppage time.

A frantic finish saw Fabio Carvalho score a fifth for Brentford in the 90th and Rayan Ait-Nouri grab a consolation for last-placed Wolves three minutes later.

Newcastle's Anthony Gordon failed to score from the penalty spot on his return to former club Everton as Newcastle drew 0-0 at Goodison Park.

Gordon, who began his career at Everton before joining Newcastle last year, saw his spot kick saved by Jordan Pickford in the 35th to the delight of the home fans.

The point maintained Everton’s recent upturn in form and extended its unbeaten run to four games in all competitions after losing its first four in the league.

Leicester won for the first time since being promoted back to the top flight by beating Bournemouth 1-0.

Facundo Buonanotte struck the winner in the 16th at King Power Stadium.

Also, West Ham beat Ipswich 4-1 at London Stadium.

James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon, left, sees his penalty shot saved by Everton goalkeeper Jordan Pickford during the Premier League match at Goodison Park, Liverpool. England, Saturday Oct. 5, 2024. (Peter Byrne/PA via AP)

West Ham United's Michail Antonio, right, celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match between West Ham United and Ipswich at the London Stadium, Saturday Oct. 5, 2024. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)

Leicester City's Facundo Buonanotte celebrates scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Premier League match at the King Power Stadium, London, Saturday Oct. 5, 2024. (Mike Egerton/PA via AP)

Brentford fans celebrate their side's fourth goal of the game scored by Ethan Pinnock during the Premier League match between Brentford and Wolverhampton at the Gtech Community Stadium, London, Saturday Oct. 5, 2024. (Steven Paston/PA via AP)

West Ham United's Tomas Soucek celebrates scoring his side's first goal of the game during the British Premier League soccer match between West Ham and Brentford, at the Gtech Community Stadium, London, Saturday Sept. 28, 2024. (John Walton/PA via AP)

Arsenal's Bukayo Saka celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Arsenal and Southampton at the Emirates Stadium in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Manchester City's Jeremy Doku celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Fulham at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Darren Staples)

Manchester City's Mateo Kovacic, center, scores his side's second goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Fulham at Etihad Stadium in Manchester, England, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2023. (AP Photo/Darren Staples)

From left: Liverpool's Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch and Diogo Jota celebrate after the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Liverpool's Diogo Jota, second from right, celebrates with teammatesafter scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Liverpool's Diogo Jota, right, scores the opening goal past Crystal Palace's goalkeeper Dean Henderson during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Liverpool's Diogo Jota, centre, scores the opening goal past Crystal Palace's goalkeeper Dean Henderson during the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Liverpool's Diogo Jota, left, and Crystal Palace's Ismaila Sarr challenge for the ball the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Liverpool's Cody Gakpo, centre left, Ryan Gravenberch, centre, and Diogo Jota celebrate after the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)

Liverpool's manager Arne Slot, centre right, celebrates with players after the English Premier League soccer match between Crystal Palace and Liverpool at Selhurst Park in London, Saturday, Oct. 5, 2024.(AP Photo/Ian Walton)

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — A rocket fired from Yemen hit an area of Tel Aviv overnight, leaving 16 people injured by shattered glass, the Israeli military said Saturday, days after Israeli airstrikes hit Houthi rebels who have been launching missiles in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza.

Another 14 people sustained minor injuries as they rushed to shelters when air raid sirens sounded before dawn Saturday, the military said.

The Houthis issued a statement on Telegram saying they had aimed a hypersonic ballistic missile at a military target, which they did not identify.

“A flash of light, a blow and we fell to the ground. Big mess, broken glasses all over the place,” said Bar Katz, a resident of a damaged building.

The attack came after Israeli airstrikes on Yemen’s Houthi-held capital, Sanaa, and port city of Hodeida killed at least nine people Thursday. The Israeli strikes were in response to a Houthi long-range missile that hit an Israeli school building. The Houthis also claimed a drone strike targeting an unspecified military target in central Israel on Thursday.

Israel's military says the Iran-backed Houthis have launched more than 200 missiles and drones during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. The Houthis have also attacked shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and say they won’t stop until there is a ceasefire in Gaza.

The Israeli strikes Thursday caused “considerable damage” to the Houthi-controlled Red Sea ports that will lead to the "immediate and significant reduction in port capacity,” U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said. The Hodeida port has been key for food shipments into Yemen in its decade-long civil war.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said both sides’ attacks risk further escalation in the region.

Mourners in Gaza held funerals for 19 people — 12 of them children — killed in Israeli strikes on Friday and overnight.

One strike hit a residential building in the built-up Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza, killing at least seven Palestinians, including five children and one woman, and injuring 16 others, health officials said.

In Gaza City, a strike on a house killed 12 people, including seven children and two women, according to Al-Ahli Hospital where the bodies were taken.

One man cradled a tiny shroud-wrapped body as mourners gathered at the hospital in Gaza City. Women comforted each other as they wept.

Overall, Gaza's Health Ministry said 21 people had been killed over the past 24 hours.

More than 45,200 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, when a Hamas attack in Israel killed about 1,200 people and triggered the 14-month war. The health ministry does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but has said more than half of fatalities are women and children.

Israel faces heavy international criticism over the unprecedented levels of civilian deaths in Gaza. It says it only targets militants and blames Hamas for civilian deaths because its fighters operate in residential areas.

Gaza's Health Ministry issued an urgent appeal for medical and food supplies to be delivered to Kamal Adwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya in largely isolated northern Gaza, while the hospital director described conditions as dire, as Israel's military presses its latest offensive.

The ministry reported continuous gunfire and Israeli shelling near the hospital, saying “shells have struck the third floor and the hospital’s entrances, creating a state of panic.”

Hospital director Dr. Husam Abu Safiyeh said the facility faced “severe shortages” and asserted that requests for essential medical supplies and ways to maintain oxygen, water and electricity systems "have largely gone unmet.”

He said 72 wounded people were being treated at the hospital.

“Food is very scarce, and we cannot provide meals for the wounded," Safiyeh added. “We are urgently calling on anyone who can provide supplies to help us.”

Aid groups have said Israeli military operations and armed gangs have hindered their ability to distribute aid.

The Israeli military organization dealing with humanitarian affairs for Gaza said Saturday it had led an operation delivering thousands of food packages, flour and water to the Beit Hanoun area in the north. It said trucks with the U.N. World Food Program transported them to distribution centers in the area Friday.

Iran on Saturday said unknown gunmen had killed a local staffer of the Iranian embassy in Syria, the official IRNA news agency said.

Its report quoted foreign ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei as saying “terrorists” opened fire on Davood Bitaraf’s car last Sunday. It did not say what he did with the embassy.

Baghaei said Iran considers Syria’s interim government responsible for finding and prosecuting those behind the killing. Iran had been a key ally of recently ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad.

Shurafa reported from Deir al Balah, Gaza Strip. Associated Press writers Elena Becatoros in Majdal Shams, Golan Heights, contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Bodies of victims of an Israeli airstrike at the Nuseirat refugee camp are prepared for the funeral prayer outside the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Men pray over the bodies of victims of an Israeli airstrike at the Nuseirat refugee camp during a funeral prayer outside the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Saturday Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

Bodies of victims of an Israeli airstrike at the Nuseirat arrive at the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital before their funeral in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Abdel Kareem Hana)

An Israeli soldier observes the site where the missile launched from Yemen landed Jaffa district, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Saturday, Dec. 21, 2024. (AP Photo/Tomer Appelbaum)