Manchester: Manchester United kicked off the new Premier League season with a 1-0 victory over Tottenham on Saturday, after an own goal by Kyle Walker handed the points to Louis van Gaal's new-look side.
Walker prodded the ball into his own net in the 22nd minute as the Spurs defender tried to deny United captain Wayne Rooney an easy scoring opportunity at a sunlit Old Trafford.
It was one of very few chances in a scrappy game, with Spurs' hopes of an equalizer coming mainly in the closing minutes with two shots from attacking midfielder Christian Eriksen.
United started with four new signings, with Sergio Romero in goal after coach Louis van Gaal decided that Real Madrid target David de Gea was not in the right frame of mind to play.
Fullback Matteo Darmain, along with midfielders Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay all made convincing debuts and Romero improved after some early signs of nerves.
Tottenham made by far the better start and could easily have been ahead after five minutes. Striker Harry Kane sent a clever chip over the United defense but Eriksen could only send his cushioned volley over the bar from close range with Romero at his mercy.
Spurs were repeatedly caught out by the offside rule as they tried to get behind United's back four, but still looked the most likely team to score before gifting United its opener.
The visitors only had themselves to blame after a sloppy pass by Nabil Bentaleb gave the ball away in midfield. Ashley Young sped down the right flank before crossing for the unmarked Rooney, who had keeper Michel Vorm to beat. As the United striker hesitated, Walker arrived just in time to spear the ball away from Rooney's feet, past a despairing Vorm and into the corner of the Spurs net.
The goal gave United a lift and although there were no further scoring chances before the break, Van Gaal's side began to move the ball around with more assurance.
Another of new United's new signings, midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger, replaced Michael Carrick on the hour mark of what was turning into a fairly scrappy encounter.
Vorm smothered a low shot from Ashley Young through a packed area, while Rooney fluffed an attempted acrobatic volley before sending a free kick over the top as United gradually turned up the pressure in search of a second goal.
Tottenham waited until the final 10 minutes before pushing with any real conviction for an equalizer.
United defender Chris Smalling made a superb tackle to snuff out the danger from Nacer Chadli and Eriksen tried his luck with an angled drive that drew a good save from Romero.
Eriksen followed up by rifling in a powerful shot from outside the area in the 89th minute, but Romero was quick to make a block.
The final whistle came as a relief for United fans, whose club has spent more than $350 million since 2014 in building a squad that could once again challenge for top honors.
In another match, Leicester opened their Premier League season with three goals in the first 25 minutes, beating Sunderland 4-2.
Jamie Vardy struck first after 11 minutes with a header to the bottom right corner and Riyad Mahrez scored in the 18th and from the penalty spot in the 25th.
Former Chelsea coach Claudio Ranieri made a triumphant return to the league as Leicester continued its strong finish from last season when it managed to avoid relegation.
Jermain Defoe pulled one back at the King Power Stadium but Marc Albrighton ended the match with the Foxes' fourth, even though Steven Fletcher grabbed a second for the Black Cats to make it 4-2.
The win gave Ranieri, who replaced Nigel Pearson in the summer, his first win in charge of his first Premier League game in 11 years.
Ranieri had challenged Vardy to score more goals after he netted five last season and the forward responded instantly when he glanced Albrighton's free kick across goal and Sunderland allowed it to bounce in off the woodwork.
Mahrez saw a shot deflect wide but eventually doubled Leicester's lead when he powered in a 12-yard header from Albrighton's cross.
And seven minutes later he made it 3-0 when, after being brought down in the area by Lee Cattermole, the Algerian international sent Costel Pantilimon the wrong way from the spot.
Sunderland boss Dick Advocaat responded by replacing Cattermole with Fletcher but the game was already lost.
The visitors pulled a goal back against the run of play on 60 minutes when Adam Johnson slipped Defoe in to fire into the corner from 10 yards.
Albrighton made it 4-1 with 25 minutes left, drilling in from the edge of the area.
The goal rush continued five minutes later, though, when Fletcher made it 4-2, heading into an empty net after Defoe lobbed Kasper Schmeichel.
In another match, Norwich had an equalising goal harshly ruled out before Crystal Palace finished off a 3-1 win at the promoted side Saturday on the opening day of the season.
Substitute Cameron Jerome though he'd made it 2-2 when he stretched his boot up for an acrobatic overhead kick into the net in the 74th minute but referee Simon Hooper whistled for his foot being too high. Norwich also appealed for a penalty when Sebastien Bassong was pushed over by Connor Wickham in the area in the 89th minute, before new signing Yohan Cabaye netted Palace's third on a counterattack in stoppage time.
Wilfried Zaha and Damien Delaney gave Palace a 2-0 lead before Nathan Redmond pulled one back in the 69th.
Palace went ahead in the 39th after Jason Puncheon got away down the right flank before chipping the ball across the penalty area, where Zaha leaped high to sidefoot a volley past John Ruddy at the far post.
The visitors doubled their lead four minutes into the second half.
Pape Souare ran into the penalty area unmarked to head a corner toward the far post, where the ball was slotted in by Delaney.
Redmond hauled Norwich back into the game on 69 minutes, firing a low shot into the bottom left corner from distance.
Just four minutes later, Norwich thought they had equalized when Jerome hooked the ball over his shoulder, past marker Ward and into the roof of the net after a scramble in the six-yard box. However, the celebrations were cut short when Hooper - refereeing his first Premier League game - whistled for a foul for the striker's high boot.
Cabaye then ended any hopes of a comeback with a cool finish after being played clear in the area.
Comments
0 comment