LONDON, Sporting Alert – English Premier League scores and results on the opening day of fixtures on Sunday, 9 August.
The standout fixture on Sunday came at Emirates Stadium where Arsenal were beaten 2-0 by West Ham United in their season opener.
English Premier League Scores and Results
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However, Liverpool grabbed a late win against Stoke City on the road and avoided a repeat of last year’s thumping.
Chelsea were reduced to 10 players and held 2-2 at home by Swansea City in the defence of their Premier League at Stamford Bridge.
Goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was given a straight red card in the second half.
Before that though, Jose Mourinho’s side twice took the lead in the game, but were pegged back by a very spirited Swansea City side, which clearly went to the home of the defending champions in search of a victory.
Midfield player Oscar put the Blues ahead against the run of play in the 23rd minute when he saw his free-kick skid past everyone, including goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski and into the back of the net.
However, debutant Andre Ayew scored a brilliant equaliser to put the hosts on level terms seven minutes later.
The summer signing was the first to pounce on a loose ball after some exciting action inside the six-yard box, which included Courtois making a superb save off a Bafetimbi Gomis shot and another block by the Chelsea defenders inside the area.
With the ball falling to his feet from the blocked attempt, Ayew cleverly pulled the ball back from the stretching Chelsea defenders and then blasted home past the keeper who could only watch the ball going past him.
Those celebrations though were cut short as Chelsea took the lead again 92 seconds after the Swansea City goal as Willian saw his attempt at goal deflecting off defender Federico Fernandez and going past Fabianski off the left post.
In the second half Mourinho saw his team reduced to 10 players, after Courtois was shown a straight red card for bringing down Gomis in the 52nd minute.
After a goalkeeper change, which saw Asmir Begovic coming in for Oscar, Gomis stepped up to coolly beat the substitute and tie up the scores at 2-2 in the 55th minute.
Both sides went all out for the three points, but was unable to break each other down and the points had to be shared evenly today.
Meanwhile, there were also wins on the day for Manchester United, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Leicester City.
In the curtain raiser at Old Trafford, Louis van Gaal got off to a winning start on his 64th birthday, following United’s 1-0 victory over Tottenham.
Spurs dominated the opening 20 minutes and should have scored at least twice.
However, it was Manchester United who took the three points when Kyle Walker knock home a cross from Memphis Depay past his own keeper in the first half.
Picking up a 1-0 victory on Saturday as well were Aston Villa, who beat new boys Bournemouth 1-0 on the road.
Substitute and new summer recruit Rudy Gestede popped up to head home past the goalkeeper to give Tim Sherwood’s men the three points on opening day.
Elsewhere in other Premier League scores, a brace from Riyad Mahrez, including a 25th-minute penalty carried Leicester City to a 4-2 victory over Sunderland and handed new manager Claudio Ranieri a winning start at the King Power Stadium.
Jamie Vardy and Marc Albrighton were also on target for the home side.
Jermain Defoe and Steven Fletcher scored the goals for Sunderland in the second half.
At Carrow Road, Wilfred Zaha, Damien Delaney and summer signing Yohan Cabaye were all on the scoresheet in Crystal Palace’s 3-1 win over Norwich City.
Nathan Redmond scored the lone goal for the home side in the defeat.
At Goodison Park, Everton and Watford finished 2-2.
Miguel Layun and Odion Ighalo twice gave the visitors the lead, but Ross Barkley and Arouna Kone saved the day for Roberto Martinez’s side, which received boos and jeers at halftime after going down 1-0 heading into the interval.
