Friday evening saw the commencement of the 2022/2023 season of the Premier League. Arsenal kicked off their campaign against Crystal Palace away at Selhurst Park for the first showdown. Unlike the previous two seasons, Arsenal managed to secure victory in the first match of the new season. After all the signings they have made so far, the result feels satisfying to see, and the fans are happy. The Gunners won the match 2-0, which included the first goal by the ever-energetic Gabriel Martinelli. The second goal came as an own goal. The most important thing is that Arsenal maintained a clean sheet, something that makes the manager and the coaching staff happy. On the other hand, their North London rivals, Tottenham, started on a thumping note as well. They are the other club that has had a significant impact on the transfer market. Starting their matchday at home, the Spurs dismantled Southampton 4-1. With this margin of victory, they are top of the table at the end of matchday 1.
Liverpool was held to a 2-2 draw by the newly promoted Fulham. This is not the start Jurgen Klopp expected his team to have despite getting the biggest signing in the form of Darwin Nunez. The Reds had to come from behind twice in the match to avoid a defeat. It would have been embarrassing to lose the first match of the season to a new team. At least Liverpool avoided a defeat and earned a point instead of a zero. The same cannot be said about Manchester United, who lost their season opener at home to Brighton.
Let’s have a recap of match day 1 of the Premier League.
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Premier League Recap: Erling Haaland Secures A Brace, Darwin Announces Himself
Erling Haaland made his dream debut in the Premier League, opening up with a brace. On matchday 1, Manchester City faced West Ham United, a difficult away match. The first 10 minutes were completely dominated by the home team, and the Blues were put under pressure. Soon, the Pep mentality came into action, and City saw more than 80% possession with them. West Ham entered a very passive zone, despite being the home team and starting off brilliantly. After a long spell, Gundogan found space and a lovely pass for Haaland. Too quick to track, Haaland easily reached the ball before the goalkeeper and earned a penalty. It was only a few seconds before Erling scored his first goal in the Premier League. The second goal was a trademark Haaland goal, making a run past the defender and finishing it off with his left foot. With two goals from the new striker, Manchester City closed the game with a 2-0 victory.
Liverpool faced a very formidable opponent in the form of Fulham. A newly promoted team gave the top team a run for their money. The Londoners scored first to keep the away team on their toes. It was in the second half when Klopp brought in the summer signing Darwin Nunez on the field. Soon after, Darwin scored a nice flick from a very close range to make it 1-1. But as fate had it, Fulham earned a penalty in no time. Mitrovic converted to make it 2-1 in favor of the home team. It was not until the 83rd minute that Salah again equalized for the Reds. It was definitely a tough opening game for the Merseyside team.
United’s Loss And Other Results
Erik Ten Haag’s managerial career started off on a disappointing note with Manchester United. At home, they faced a crushing defeat at the hands of Brighton. The team did not look like a team playing to win but instead struggled just like the previous seasons. Cristiano Ronaldo started off from the bench and came on when his team was already 2-0 down. However, Manchester United managed to pull back one goal in the end, but it was too little too late. Chelsea showed resilience against Everton, playing away. They won 1-0 via a penalty, scored by Jorginho. Overall, it was a weekend of ups and downs in the Premier League.
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