Manchester United got the English Premier League season underway in impressive style on Saturday when they won 2-0 at Everton with goals from Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wayne Rooney.
Chelsea begin the defence of their title at promoted Wigan Athletic on Sunday, when runners-up Arsenal are also in action at home to Newcastle United.
West Ham United enjoyed a winning return to the top flight after a two-year absence when they came from behind to beat Blackburn Rovers 3-1, helped by a goal from 39-year-old former England striker Teddy Sheringham.
Tottenham Hotspur won 2-0 at Portsmouth while 10-man Charlton Athletic won 3-1 at promoted Sunderland and Aston Villa drew 2-2 at home with Bolton Wanderers.
The biggest game of the day was the early kick off at Goodison Park between an Everton team delighted to finish fourth last season and a United side hugely disappointed with third.
BARREN SPELL
Everton's unexpectedly high finish was helped by an April victory over United that ended a 10-year barren spell against their Lancashire neighbours and they started full of energy again on Saturday.
However, just as in Tuesday's 2-1 home Champions League defeat by Villarreal, they reached halftime behind after Van Nistelrooy showed all his old finishing instincts to turn in a low cross in the 43rd minute.
The match was decided in the first minute of the second half when Rooney scored his first United goal at his old home since swapping Goodison Park for Old Trafford a year ago.
He was gifted the chance by a suicidal square pass by the home side's centre back Joseph Yobo.
Last season Everton lost their first game 4-1 at home to Arsenal but went on to secure their best-ever Premier League finish while United lost 1-0 to Chelsea, a result manager Alex Ferguson said they never really recovered from.
"When you see Everton away on the fixture list you know it's going to be a very, very tough day," Ferguson told Sky Sports TV.
"We've got the good start this season and hopefully we can take advantage of that and go on to a good spell of form."
West Ham, promoted via the playoffs last season, fell behind to an Andy Todd goal after 18 minutes but Sheringham, the oldest player in the league, levelled in the 46th.
Nigel Reo-Coker shot West Ham ahead after 62 minutes and Matthew Etherington completed the victory 10 minutes from time.
Tottenham gave their ever-hopeful fans all the encouragement they could when an Andy Griffin own goal and a Jermain Defoe effort gave them all three points at Fratton Park.
Kevin Phillips got off to a flying start on his debut for Aston Villa, putting them ahead after four minutes against Bolton Wanderers, but the limelight moved on quickly as three more goals landed in the next five minutes.
Kevin Davies and Ivan Campo had Bolton ahead only for Steve Davis to make it 2-2 after just 11 minutes of action.
There were no such fireworks at Fulham or Manchester City, who drew 0-0 with Birmingham City and West Bromwich Albion respectively.
© 2024 Rediff.com -