Kicking off their pursuit of the Premier League crown after a 21-year hiatus, Arsenal led with a 2-0 triumph against Wolves at their home field, the Emirates. The victory was a strong debut, thanks to Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz’s scoring in both halves of the match.
There was a moment, however, when the outcome of the game was uncertain, with the Wolves showing some threat to Arsenal’s lead that was established during the first half by Havertz’s header. Matheus Cunha of the Wolves was presented with a golden opportunity to level the score following a major mistake from William Saliba, sadly, Cunha didn’t take advantage of the chance to force a draw.
Fans breathed a sigh of relief when Saka scored the second goal towards the end, providing a much-needed comfort and easing the way to a triumphant start to the season.
The match opened with Arsenal taking the initiative, and the first real threat of a goal came 14 minutes in. Havertz played the ball to Saka, with Rayan Ait-Nouri close on his heels, and forced José Sa into making a save.
Arsenal continued to push, with Ben White narrowly missing and Declan Rice wildly missing as they tried to break through the Wolves’ defence. The first point came shortly after, with Saka providing a perfect cross to Havertz who swiftly moved the ball, heading Arsenal to take the lead.
Arsenal’s goalkeeper, Raya, also played his part, making a crucial save just before halftime to maintain the lead.
Hwang Hee-chan managed to find space to send a pass to Jorgen Strand Larsen, whose impressive movement got him past Saliba and an attempt to direct the ball into the net, but this was spoiled by an exceptional one-handed save. Arsenal, in the second half, upheld their pressure on the match.
They missed a golden chance to increase their lead when a deflected pass from Oleksandr Zinchenko landed at Thomas Partey’s feet, who unfortunately shot wide from just outside the penalty area. Ait-Nouri threatened to punish Arsenal’s wastefulness by striking a ball just wide from 25 yards out, reminding them of how vulnerable their slim lead was. Minutes later, they nearly handed out an easy equaliser when Saliba mistook his teammate for an opponent and directly passed the ball to Cunha whose resulting shot was saved by the keeper.
Seizing control of the situation, Saka set up a shot for Martin Odegaard, giving him the room to release a fierce long-range shot that was expertly handled by Sa. Home fans were relieved when a second goal was scored and this time it was all Saka’s doing. The ball came to him on the right side of the box and after positioning himself favourably, he delivered a powerful shot into the net making the score 2-0.
Meanwhile, Everton’s final season opener at Goodison Park was marked by a desolate performance in a 3-0 defeat to Brighton, with their newly appointed head coach Fabian Hurzeler marking his Premier League debut with a win. Kaoru Mitoma, Danny Welbeck, and Simon Adingra all scored valid goals, though Sean Dyche, the Toffees manager, was likely frustrated with how they were conceded.
The main point of discussion came two minutes into the second half when the score was still 1-0. Referee Simon Hooper penalised Lewis Dunk for a foul on Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but VAR Darren England urged Hooper to review the decision using the pitchside monitor. The in-stadium technology initially faltered as no replay was visibly displayed on the large screen, however, it was later confirmed by the Premier League that a secondary monitor allowed Hooper to reverse his decision.
The dark days for Everton continued when Ashley Young, their only fit right-back option, was dismissed in the 66th minute for restraining Mitoma who was on a break. The club could also be subject to scrutiny as the first goal celebration of Brighton players was disrupted by an object thrown from the Bullens Road stand section.
At 39 years and 39 days old, Young had just inked his name as the oldest player to ever step on the pitch for Everton, exceeding the age of Brighton’s emerging head coach by eight years. During the match, the German coach was even younger than nine of the starting players; James Tarkowski, Michael Keane, Abdoulaye Doucoure, Idrissa Gueye, Jason Steele, Dunk, Welbeck, Joel Veltman and James Milner who broke into the Premier League when the coach was merely nine years old. The coach demonstrated that the lack of experience did not hinder success, as his team absorbed early on-field pressure and then tactically exposed Everton’s inexperienced defence.
An energised start was seen from the home team, with the supporters already marking down the remaining games at their home stadium of 132 years before transitioning to Bramley-Moore Dock next season. Jack Harrison, back on loan from Leeds, asserted some early dominance with an on-target shot saved by Steele, and then turned home a goal from the successive corner which was ultimately disallowed for offside. Another relief came from an offside decision which saved Dwight McNeil momentary embarrassment when he missed an open goal after a breakthrough assist from Doucoure.
Despite this, Brighton seized the opportunity to increase their attacking intensity, and a 26th-minute goal was the result following a distance hit from Joao Pedro and an effective block from Tarkowski. Mitoma, who had been on a charging run from deep inside his half, then supported Minteh’s strike before beautifully finishing back a return pass from the latter. Everton had shown previous interest in Minteh.
Unfortunately, Minteh had to bow out just before the end of the first half owing to an injury suffered from a crucial clearance blocking Vitalii Mykolenko. Despite his resistance to the substitution according to concussion protocols, he eventually headed for the tunnel. From this point, Everton had a torrid rest of the day.
Mats Wieffer, a recent addition to the team, successfully cut off a pass from Gueye. Despite Tarkowski and Keane’s defence, Welbeck managed to hit a shot around them and beyond Jordan Pickford’s reach. Off the bench, Adingra tallied the third goal in another reactionary attack, skillfully shifting in from the right and scoring with his left foot.
Newcastle defeated Southampton 1-0, thanks to Joelinton’s strike during the 45th minute of a dramatic opening day in the Premier League at St James’ Park. Joelinton propelled Newcastle to victory, despite them being a man down due to Fabian Schar’s red card, received after a head-to-head with Saints’ newcomer Ben Brereton Diaz.
The visiting team, under Russell Martin, appeared to have the upper hand even before the Swiss defender’s ejection. Despite this, they failed to seize the opportunity to kick off their campaign on a high note, ultimately stung by the reality of Premier League football.
As hosts, Newcastle’s offence seemed out of practice, but their robust defence made up for it. However, they recognise the need for improvement to ensure future success, especially as the need for defensive support intensifies – as evident in their continuing fruitless pursuit of Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, compounded by Schar’s looming suspension.
Southampton entered the game comfortably with Joe Aribo and Brereton Diaz featuring significantly. However, a 10th-minute strike from Jack Stephens was disallowed due to an offside. Newcastle’s aggressive press forced the Saints to take courageous control of the ball which they did admirably in the kick-off stages. Lewis Hall made a crucial interception to stop Brereton Diaz’s 18th-minute cross from causing damage, after he and Aribo staged a swift counter-attack.
Ex-Newcastle striker Adam Armstrong took a long-distance shot, only to miss Nick Pope’s goal post. The visiting team looked more in control, while Newcastle struggled to find their footing.
The game witnessed a heated turn of events 28 minutes in when Brereton Diaz collided with Schar. The subsequent head-to-head clash saw the forward fall, leading referee Craig Pawson to show Schar a red card while Diaz received a yellow.
Newcastle employed Emil Krafth as a defensive substitution for Jacob Murphy, following an inconvenient exit by Schar. The team experienced heavy pressure as the half progressed. Brereton Diaz, despite being a subject of consistent jeering, managed to stir some applause from the home supporters by heading wastefully off target from Yukinari Sugawara’s 41st-minute delivery.
However, Newcastle seized the advantage just before the half-time, facilitated by Southampton’s goalie, Alex McCarthy’s flawed pass. Alexander Isak intercepted the pass, fed it to Joelinton who skillfully controlled and left-footed it right into the net.
The second half saw the guests coming close to an equalizer twice within the initial seven minutes. Hall made a timely clearance of Armstrong’s shot off the pitch before Diaz failed to make the most of the rebound. A second attempt by Armstrong was deflected by Pope.
In an effort to safeguard their lead, Newcastle receded deep, attacking Southampton on the counter, proving to be more effective with the former strategy under relentless pressure.
Armstrong’s 78th-minute effort was redirected wide, Carlos Alcaraz made a weak heading attempt at Pope with just three minutes left on the clock, and when replacement player Cameron Archer shot quite wide in the last normal time minute, both the game and the purpose were forfeited.
Nottingham Forest 1 Bournemouth 1 (Wood 23; Semenyo 86)
Nottingham Forest kicked off their Premier League journey on a challenging note, squandering a late lead to a draw against Bournemouth and was further strained by the severe injury sustained by midfielder Danilo.
Despite Chris Wood’s goal in the first half seemingly promising Forest their initial victory in their maiden premier match of the new season – a feat unachieved since 1996, Antoine Semenyo’s point-blank shot in the 85th minute ensured a tie and earned the Cherries a point at the City Ground, ending the match at 1-1.
However, Danilo’s injury, which occurred in just the seventh minute is indeed grave. A prolonged absence from the field is anticipated. Forest’s failure to close the game to their favour has added to boss Nuno Espirito Santo’s list of woes from last year.
As for Bournemouth, post Dominic Solanke era began on an optimistic note and they are keen about inducing Evanilson, their record signing, into the team for more offensive agility.
Spectating as Danilo traded an impactful appearance for a serious ankle wound, he was left in dire straits after an aerial clash with Semenyo, lasting only seven minutes on the pitch. After nine minutes of medical attention, he was masked from spectators with covers as the team’s medical team treated him, then was carried off the pitch on a stretcher with a splint stabilising his left leg. The game subsequently saw Forest setting the pace by scoring the first goal, 23 minutes in.
Taking over from Danilo, Ryan Yates took a low shot that Neto mishandled, allowing Wood to secure the rebound. Bournemouth believed they’d leveled the playing field when Dango Ouattara managed to capitalise on a short corner to net the ball from close range just past the half-hour mark. But Lewis Cook’s shoulder was judged to be offside by VAR, and as a result, the goal was disallowed.
Forest consistently had the upper hand, though Bournemouth did create opportunities with Semenyo narrowly missing the goal post and a strong save by Matz Sels against Ouattara during a swift counter-assault. Forest nearly widened the lead after half-time, with Willy Boly’s corner header being saved by Neto.
Still, Forest seemed the most probable team to secure a win, with Yates forcing Neto into another save with a powerful low shot. However, the tide changed in the 86th minute when Bournemouth equalised. Forest’s Harry Toffolo’s intended clearance from Ryan Christie’s cross ricocheted off his own team-mate Murillo’s face, presenting the perfect opportunity for Semenyo to score from close range.
Despite Forest getting multiple opportunities to reclaim their lead, Morgan Gibbs-White’s attempt was thwarted by a block, and Taiwo Awoniyi’s header was collected by Neto. So, the game ended on level pegging.