Xabi Alonso’s men look like a force to be reckoned with going forward against Fulham, but their defence remains an area of concern for the new manager.
Mikel Arteta’s men were flawless against Coventry, while Michael Carrick’s troops looked out of place against Hull. This and much more as the first round of fixtures lived up to its billing. BolaNews provides an in-depth look at the results from the top five biggest Premier League games of the first round.
Fulham 2-3 Chelsea
The Blues made an incredible start when Joao Pedro, Morgan Rodgers and Cole Palmer breached the home side’s defence to secure a 3-2 victory over local rivals Fulham at Craven Cottage.
Joshua King cancelled out Joao Pedro’s opener, but new signing Morgan Rodgers restored Chelsea’s lead before half-time. Four minutes into the second half, Cole Palmer was on hand to extend the lead to 3-1.
Gonzalo Garcia’s goal shortly afterwards proved to be only a consolation, as Chelsea marched on to a 3-2 victory.
Manchester City 2-1 Bournemouth
Enzo Maresca’s men fought back from a goal down to salvage a 2-1 victory against Bournemouth.
Marcus Tavernier scored in the 26th minute to give the visitors the advantage. The home side dug deep in the final quarter of the game as Marc Guéhi levelled matters, while Josko Gvardiol scored in additional time to give City all three points.
Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool
Undoubtedly one of the most entertaining games of the new campaign, Anthony Elanga gave Newcastle the lead in the first minute.
Cody Gakpo levelled matters in the 55th minute, but Joe Willock subsequently put the home side back in front two minutes later.
When it looked like Newcastle were on the verge of victory, Lewis Hall committed a foul in the penalty area. Dominic Szoboszlai converted from 12 yards in the dying minutes of added time to level matters and give the Reds a precious point.
Hull City 2-0 Manchester United
It was a dream start for newly promoted side Hull City, who played like seasoned Premier League contenders to outshine Manchester United, who were nowhere near their usual best.
Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy both scored in the first half as Hull City marked their return to the Premier League with a resounding 2-0 victory over Manchester United at the MKM Stadium.
Arsenal 3-0 Coventry
The current Premier League defending champions were off to a spectacular start with a dominant display against newly promoted side Coventry. Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard got on the scoresheet.
Frank Lampard’s team could not initiate a comeback as Arsenal proved too strong, while Mikel Arteta celebrated his 150th Premier League win as the Gunners’ boss.
There is still a long way to go before the Premier League table takes shape. With plenty of games still to be played, fans can only wait in anticipation for what will become of the league as the campaign continues to heat up.
