The Premier League kicked off again just 48 days after the end of the 2019/20 season with a London derby as Arsenal visited Fulham following their promotion to the Premier League last season.
Arsenal’s debutants, Willian and Gabriel starred as they beat newly-promoted Fulham 3-0 at Craven Cottage in the Premier League season opener.
Arsenal got Mikel Arteta’s first full campaign up and running through Alexandre Lacazette’s tap-in as debutant Willian’s shot was parried by Marek Rodak, before Willian hit the post with a free-kick.
Willian’s corner was then nodded home by fellow debutant and man-of-the-match Gabriel Magalhaes after the break before Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang curled home a beauty from just inside the box from another Willian assist to hand Arsenal a dominant opening-day win.
Arsenal’s momentum and belief was clear to see, with Arteta claiming his 18th win in the last 30 games.
Still in London, Wilfried Zaha’s 50th goal in league football secured Crystal Palace a 1-0 win over Southampton on the opening day of the Premier League season at Selhurst Park.
Zaha met Andros Townsend’s cross to volley the hosts in front against an uninspiring Saints, who failed to replicate the impressive form shown towards the end of last campaign.
Palace, who had not won in eight games since last season’s restart, were very nearly made to pay for Zaha’s miss in stoppage time when Vicente Guaita saved brilliantly to deny Danny Ings during a frantic finish but they held on to secure all three points.
At Anfield, Mohamed Salah’s hat-trick helped Liverpool claim a thrilling victory over newly-promoted Leeds, as the Premier League champions were given an opening day scare.
Salah won a fourth-minute penalty when his shot hit Leeds debutant Robin Koch on his outstretched arm and he dispatched the spot-kick himself.
Leeds fashioned a stunning equaliser in the when on-loan Manchester City midfielder Jack Harrison cut past Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez before drilling a superb low finish into the bottom corner.
Virgil van Dijk restored Liverpool’s lead eight minutes later with a thumping header from Andy Robertson’s corner. Leeds equalised again when Van Dijk made a hash of a flicked attempt to clear and Patrick Bamford pounced to guide his shot past Alisson Becker.
A remarkable game produced more drama as Salah struck again three minutes later with a thunderous drive into the roof of the net.
Leeds equalised for a third time when Mateusz Klich made a well-timed run to meet Helder Costa’s pass with a composed finish.
But Liverpool won it in the 88th minute when Leeds’ record signing Rodrigo tripped Fabinho and Salah slotted in the penalty, leaving Klopp to sum up the feelings of both teams when he mouthed “wow” at the final whistle.
Leeds had waited 16 years for this return to the elite and it was well worth the time served as they showed they are no respecters of reputations, equalising three times to indicate the quality they possess.
Klopp told reporters after the game, “I congratulated everyone of their team, what a team they are. Unbelievable. I will watch them quite often during the season.
“What a game, what an opponent, what a performance from both teams. A proper spectacle, I loved that.”
In the final fixture of the opening day, Callum Wilson and Jeff Hendrick scored on debut as Newcastle heaped more early-season misery on West Ham with a 2-0 victory at the London Stadium.
Summer signing Wilson was a threat throughout Saturday’s clash at the London Stadium and got his just rewards on 56 minutes when he got to fellow debutant Hendrick’s flick ahead of Hammers goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski to bundle the Magpies’ opener home.
Wilson’s eighth goal in nine league appearances against West Ham looked to be enough for the victory but Hendrick made sure, adding a goal to his assist with an emphatic drive into the roof of the net four minutes from time to send the Magpies second in the table after their first winning start to a league season in eight years.
On the first Super Sunday of the season, a Timothy Castagne debut goal and two Jamie Vardy penalties helped Leicester to beat West Brom 3-0.
Leicester headed into the new season having dropped out of the top four and a Champions League qualification position in the final week of season – a position they had occupied since September 2019.
However, there was no signs of a hangover as Castagne – a £21.5million signing from Atalanta – headed them ahead before two Vardy penalties and wrapped up the points.
The weekend’s fixtures concluded in London as a Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s superb second-half header gave Everton an impressive opening-day away win against a lacklustre Tottenham on Super Sunday.
Both sides had chances in a goalless first half; Richarlison rounded Hugo Lloris but blazed over, before both Dele Alli and Matt Doherty were denied by Jordan Pickford at the other end.
Everton’s winner was coming, and Calvert-Lewin rose brilliantly to power a header into the top corner from Lucas Digne’s deep free-kick, with Spurs’ efforts to form a comeback lacking as the visitors comfortably held on.
There were concerning signs for Mourinho as he lost on the opening day of a league season for the first time as a manager.
“The struggle started in the way we pressed or, I will say, in the way we didn’t press because our pressure up was very poor.
“I would say it was lazy pressure and when you have lazy pressure, you don’t press and you let opponents build from the back,” Mourinho admitted after the game.
