Manchester United 3 Bournemouth 1
Lead from the front, that is Jose Mourinho's style, and his Manchester United team began by doing just that on Sunday.
They
scored three goals in an away league win for the first time since
October 17, 2015, sweeping aside dangerous opponents in the process.
Bournemouth are no mugs, little but lively in Premier League terms, and
for all Manchester United's riches few regarded this game as a pushover.
Instead,
United were comfortable by then, despite some late resistance from an
Adam Smith goal. More to the point, some important individuals made
their mark on the Premier League and Mourinho's Manchester United.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic celebrates after scoring on his Premier League debut on Sunday
Ibrahimovic scored Manchester United's third goal as they won 3-1 at Bournemouth
United's No 9 watches on as his strike arrows into the bottom corner to give them a 3-0 lead
It completed
an unusual hat-trick for the Swedish striker who has now scored on his
Champions League, Serie A, La Liga, Ligue 1 and Premier League debuts.
The
former came during while playing for Ajax during the 2002-03 term in a
2-1 victory over Lyon. He scored both goals as the Dutch side prevailed
2-1 in a season where they reached the quarter-finals.
In
the 2004-05 campaign for Juventus, having just joined from Ajax,
Ibrahimovic came on as a second-half at Brescia and immediately made an
impact. Fending off the challenge of a defender the forward finished
with his right foot.
After five seasons in Italy, which included the last three at Inter, Ibrahimovic settled for pastures news at Barcelona.
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| Mata celebrates his goal |
Arsenal 3-4 Liverpool
In the summer sunshine of the Emirates Stadium, an afternoon of utterly beautiful chaos.
The
miserable facts for Arsenal manager are that his team lost at home on
opening day of the Premier League season for the third time in four
years.
That is all that will consume the Frenchman on Sunday night after
an afternoon that threatened to descend in to open supporter rebellion
as Liverpool scored four times in sixteen incredible minutes in north
London.
From
4-1 down – they had led in the first half – Arsenal managed to make a
game, a crazy game, of it by scoring the game’s final two goals. To lose
by the odd goal in seven represented something of an achievement given
the state they were in with less than half an hour left. It perhaps
saved Wenger from a savaging at full-time.
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Adam Lallana capped a brilliant Liverpool team move to send the away side into the ascendancy on Sunday
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Coutinho wields away in celebration having volleyed in his second of the afternoon for the away side
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Sadio Mane (right) fires in this unstoppable shot into the roof of Arsenal's net to chalk up a 4-1 lead for Liverpool
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Philippe Coutinho struck this superb freekick in first half stoppage time to cancel out Theo Walcott's opener
The bare
facts are that Arsenal – fielding a central defensive partnership of
Calum Chambers and 20-year-old debutant Rob Holding – controlled the
first half and led through a Theo Walcott goal that came only minute
after the same player had missed a penalty.
Two
minutes in to added time, Arsenal remained in control. But a free-kick
goal from Philippe Coutinho changed everything and Liverpool emerged for
the second half to tear Arsenal apart. As Wenger’s team collapsed,
Liverpool surged through them, scoring through Adam Lallana, Coutinho
again and then Saido Mane. All four of the Liverpool goals were superb
in their own way.
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Arsenal defender Rob Holding (left), a summer signing from Bolton, clears on his Premier League debut
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In the
opening stages, most of Arsenal’s best work came down their right side
where Liverpool’s left-back Alberto Moreno looked uncomfortable. That
set the tone for the rest of the first half.
Walcott
was actually the first player to exploit the weakness, drifting wide to
provide the overlapping Hector Bellerin with the chance to cross. On
this occasion the ball was over hit and drifted out of play at the far
post but Liverpool had been warned.
Liverpool
were also boasting a new central defensive partnership, with the
Estonian Ragner Klaven playing alongside Dejan Lovren. There seemed to
be a few teething problems, as you may expect, and only eight minutes
had passed when Alexis Sanchez teed up Aaron Ramsey inside the penalty
area and Mignolet saved a first time shot that arrived from the outside
of the Welshman’s right foot.
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Walcott is cut to the ground for a penalty by a late challenge from Liverpool's Alberto Moreno (right) after 28 minutes
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Simon Mignolet springs to his right to save Walcott's first half penalty during the Premier League clash with Liverpool
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The 27-year-old is congratulated by Alex Iwobi (centre) and Mohamed Elneny (right) after scoring the opener
Moreno contributed two aberrations that appeared to turn the game Arsenal’s way.
The
first was a clumsy tackle on Walcott inside the penalty area in the
31st minute. It seemed as though the Spaniard may have laid a foot on
the ball but replays told otherwise and it was a risky challenge anyway
in a position that required vigilance rather than intervention.
Referee
Michael Oliver awarded a penalty and though Mignolet dived smartly to
his right to save Walcott’s kick it was only a minute or so before the
Arsenal forward scored from an altogether more difficult position.
As Klopp
celebrated by offering his new signing a piggy back, all Wenger could
hear was abuse and by now it was getting nasty. A man holding a placard
asking: ‘Where has Our Money Gone?’ was spoken to by stewards behind the
away dug out and this intervention only served to increase the anger of
those seated further back.
Indeed,
such was the bedlam that many Arsenal will not have noticed
Oxlade-Chamberlain – on as a substitute for the injured Ramsey –
wriggling through to pull a goal back with a deflected shot.
At
this stage, there were still 25 minutes left and technically Arsenal
were still in it. Liverpool had scored four times in sixteen crazy
minutes but Klopp’s team didn’t look wholly solid as Arsenal found a
little fresh life and tried to assert themselves with some football
again.
Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez (right) can't hide his frustration with the Gunners suffering an opening fixture
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