blog.great-save.com

By Danny Wright

Thank goodness for that. Premier League football is back, and the old beast made its return with some aplomb in an action packed weekend. The ‘Get on With The Game’ plan made its debut, and a refreshing lack of abuse directed at the officials could be witnessed up and down the country. It didn’t stop David Moyes having a good whinge after the match though, but more of that later.

In the division’s opening match, Arsenal defeated West Brom 1-0 at the Emirates thanks to Samir Nasri’s debut goal.  Not exactly a classic by any means, but Wenger’s young guns will be pleased to have picked up the points in their hopeful title quest. For the Baggies, there were plenty of positives to be taken from a game where a cricket score was on the cards.

West Brom’s fellow new-boys Hull City faired somewhat better, making history in a 2-1 win over Fulham, the club’s first ever in their 104-year history. Caleb Folan’s late goal nearly lifted the roof off the KC Stadium as the crowd erupted, but things looked bleak for The Tigers when Seol Ki-Hyeon headed in after six minutes for the visitor’s. New-signing Geovanni was on hand to equalise with a stunning curler though, and Folan did the rest late in the day from close range.

Stoke City didn’t enjoy such luck however, going down 3-1 at Bolton. Ricardo Fuller nodded a late consolation but The Potters were 3-0 at half-time; Gretar Steinsson’s cross-shot deceived Thomas Sorensen for the first, then Kevin Davies glanced in a second. Big-money summer signing John Elmander then finished the game off with a fine header off his own. 

Champions Manchester United were held to a frustrating 1-1 draw at home to Newcastle, who had to rely on a Darren Fletcher goal to salvage a point. Obefami Martins had earlier put the Magpies in dreamland, but it wasn’t to be. Rivals Chelsea made a somewhat more convincing start, thrashing Portsmouth 4-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Joe Cole got the ball rolling, with Nicolas Anelka and Frank Lampard adding further goals. New-signing Deco capped off an impressive display with the fourth goal, beating David James from 30-yards in a game that the England man would rather forget.

Fernando Torres lifted the eternal gloom surround Liverpool as he bagged the winner in a 1-0 success over Sunderland, meanwhile Paul Ince’s managerial career got off to a dramatic start in Blackburn’s last-gasp 3-2 win over a thread-bare Everton. Moyes wasn’t too made up for his opposite number though, the Scot bemoaning Ryan Nelsen’s offside role in Andre Ooijer’s winner.

Gareth Southgate’s Middlesborough sprung the surprise of the weekend by beating much-fancied Tottenham, second-half goals from David Wheater and Mido sealing a 2-1 win. Dean Ashton notched two goals in front of England manager Fabio Capello in West Ham’s 2-1 win over Wigan, and Aston Villa sealed a miserable week for Mark Hughes Manchester City, Gabby Agbonlahor scoring the first hat-trick of the season in a 4-2 win.