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The first game of any season always feels special and every single manager involved will be keen to get off to a good start even if the odds are stacked against his team. Below we take a quick look at how each game went on this curtain raising day and the Aston Villa manager Ian Greaves gives his interpretation of how happy each individual manager feels following his teams performance and subsequent result. The happy scale shown for each game goes from one to ten, one out of ten meaning that the manager is distraught with his teams performance and result while ten out of ten indicates that the manager couldn't be any more delighted.
Game Number One - Arsenal V Everton
With home advantage and a superior squad the Arsenal gaffer Darren Humphris was no doubt rank favourite to take all three points from this game and that was the case as goals from The Gunners two front men Isak and Chiesa helped secure a reasonably comfortable opening day victory for the team in red. The Everton boss Mike McLeod will have been left furious with his front man Edouard as he put in a very rash challenge that resulted in a straight red card shortly before the half time interval. With the score at the time of the sending off incident already at 2-0 to Arsenal the fact that Everton were down to ten men for the whole of the second period had no further effect on the scoreline. In fact the Everton manager would have been pleased with the resilience his ten players showed during that second 45.
Final Score: Arsenal 2 - 0 Everton
Happy Scale:
Darren Humphris 8
Mike Mcleod 5
Game Number Two - Barnsley V Aston Villa
A game the Villa boss Ian Greaves would have fancied all the points from and it was star striker Luis Diaz that got the away side off to a good start with a goal after just six minutes. Barnsley who were positively outplayed for the majority of this game always looked dangerous when they broke forward and their front man Dilort soon squared the game back up. By mid point in the first period Aston Villa were once again in front, this time Martinez getting on the score sheet and Ian Greaves boys at this stage looking a safe bet to go on and win the tie. It was a game in which the Aston Villa front men in particular were very wasteful with their many shots at goal and ultimately paid the price for that as Hayden Dando’s Barnsley again levelled the game up just before the half hour mark. The game also took a turn after 39 minutes had passed when the Aston Villa goalkeeper picked up a knock and had to leave the field although Aston Villa continued to push forward and also continued to miss the target with the majority of their efforts. Deep into injury time Villa hit with a sucker punch as the Barnsley forward Ryan Kent scored his second of the game to gift all three points to a very jovial home team.
Final Score: Barnsley 3-2 Aston Villa
Happy Scale:
Hayden Dando 10
Ian Greaves 2
Game Number Three - Blackburn Rovers V Liverpool
This one a game that failed to inspire largely due to the Blackburn boss Ryan Field playing a rather negative tactic and formation. In a game in which goal scoring chances were at a premium it was the Liverpool front man Munir who first netted in the 76th minute and considering Hamza Siddiqui’s Reds had gone down to ten men just a few minutes earlier after Ben Mee received his marching orders Liverpool were more than delighted. Again though it was a very late goal that spoiled the party for an away manager when the home side were awarded a penalty 93 minutes in and with what proved to be the last kick of the game Blackburn took point as Mitoma smashed the spot kick home
Final Score: Blackburn Rovers 1-1 Liverpool
Happy scale:
Ryan Field 7
Hamza Siddiqui 3
Game Number Four - Burnley V Leeds United
Well this game certainly had the X Factor with the away side in particular running riot. Amazingly the crowd were kept entertained as no fewer than 13 goals rained in mainly in the Burnley goal much to the home crowd's dismay. It's not very often you will see a team score three goals in one game but still come away with a mauling but that's exactly what happened at Turf Moor today. Tim Davey’s Leeds United couldn't put a foot wrong today, scored at will to keep the home crowd in the main very quiet. It was hat trick man Osimhen for the away team who inflected most of the damage on Burnley but was also backed up with a brace from team mate Odegaard and with goals from Kostic, Jovic and Haverts it proved to be an opening day that Leeds United will never forget. Simon Hills Burnley by no means played badly and with goals for the home team scored by Pogba, Coufal and Toney there was at least some comfort for the home fans although that didn't really show on the face of the Clarets gaffer Simon Hill.
Final Score: Burnley 3 - 8 Leeds United
Happy Scale:
Simon Hill 3
Tim Davey 10
Game Number Five - Chelsea V Manchester United
Two good teams going head to head in this particular curtain raiser and it was the away side Manchester United managed by Steve Outten that came out well on top. Both teams set up in similar fashion to start the game and it was the Red Devils that always kept the upper hand. The first half ended goalless although that was no reflection on what was an exciting fixture and with Chelsea losing the services of Bissaka due to a red card early in the second period it seemed only a matter of time before the home side would go behind and it was Saka who finally broke the deadlock on the hour mark to give United a deserved lead in the game. Andy Babbs boys never matched their lively opponents in this game and it came as no surprise when the men from Lancashire doubled their lead through Elanga.
Final Score: Chelsea 0-2 Manchester United
Happy Scale:
Andy Babbs 3
Steve Outten 9
Game Number Six - Manchester City V Southampton
On paper a game in which Nick Lovell’s boys in Sky Blue would be clear favourites but in reality it was a bit of a nervy victory in the end for the home team. It was also a long awaited debut for the City new boy Jude Bellingham who certainly pulled some strings in this game and in flashes showed what he is all about. It was though full back Rensch who got the home side underway with a fine finish 27 minutes in and the City midfield maestro Silva who extended the lead just nine minutes later with a delicate headed goal. Lovell’s boys though didn't have it all their own way and a goal just after the break for Southampton through their front man Boniface led to a nervy second 45 for the home team as Jamie Smith’s boys could sniff a shock on the cards and although failed to pull it off did themselves proud on the day.
Final Score: Manchester City 2 -0 Southampton
Happy Scale:
Nick Lovell 8
Jamie Smith 6
Game Number Seven - Newcastle United V Crystal Palace
This game at St James Park ended up all square with the away team almost pulling off what would have been a shock win. Chris Banks the Newcastle gaffer played very much on the front foot in this encounter but it was the quick breaks that inflicted the damage on them by a resolute Crystal Palace team overlooked by long term manager Lee Clark. The home side certainly created more efforts on goal and quickly found themselves a goal to the good thanks to striker Tomas. Palace, despite being second best remained troublesome throughout and by the half way mark found themselves two goals to the good with excellent goals from Eze and Traore. The home side pushed hard and left it very late to find a levelling goal that came in injury time thanks to a second of the game from front man Tomas, a goal that left the Crystal Palace fans feeling gutted.
Final Score: Newcastle United 2-2 Crystal Palace
Happy Scale:
Chris Banks 6
Lee Clarke 6
Game Number Eight - Sheffield United V Tottenham Hotspur
A game that proved to be a close encounter in which the newly promoted and unfancied side Sheffield United ran the much more accomplished Tottenham outfit very close. Manageress Kelsey Barkworth playing her first Premier League game for quite some time and although ended up on the losing side can feel fairly happy at the way her team performed against much stronger opposition. Credit to the Blades they never sat back and in the end were only just defeated at the hands of Thomas Edvardsen’s Spurs outfit who will just about claim they had the upper hand in this tie. The telling and only goal came half an hour hour in as the Tottenham defender Aguerd took advantage of some sloppy play by the home sides back line with Aguerd going on to punish the Blades in brutal fashion. A tough one to take for the newly promoted team who had given a good account of themselves.
Final Score: Sheffield United 0-1 Tottenham Hotspur
Happy Scale:
Kelsey Barkworth 6
Thomas Edvardsen 7
Game Number Nine - Sheffield Wednesday V Wolverhampton
A fairly quiet affair this one with Mike Bradwell’s Owls and Ray Wallace’s Wolverhampton Wanderers sides both prepared to sit back and consequently producing a somewhat boring game that both sets of supporters had to endure. If any of these two teams looked like nicking the points it was the home side although in all honesty it came as no surprise when the final whistle went and a breakthrough had not been found.
Final Score: Sheffield Wednesday 0-0 Wolverhampton
Happy Scale:
Mike Bradwell 4
Ray Wallace 5
Game Number Ten - West Ham United V Brighton
Yet another very low key affair as Todd Fortune’s West Ham United outfit took on Peter Hayward’s Brighton and Hove Albion. It was again two sides whom’s tactics failed to produce any sort of spectacle for the paying spectators and again a final score that was very predictable. The home team edged the stats but that's all there is to say about this drab affair played out in the Capital.
Final Score: West Ham 0-0 Brighton
Happy Scale:
Todd Fortune 3
Peter Hayward 3