Losing one-nil to a late header? Check. Taking, and then surrendering, the lead twice at a famous old ground? Check. Controversially denied a goal and a penalty in a home defeat? Check. The Premier League has given all three promoted teams a trademark boot in the ribs today, although Watford will be by far the happiest, earning a draw at Everton with a new manager and several new signings gelling at an unexpected pace.
None of Norwich, Bournemouth or Watford looked more out of their depth than Sunderland, who were flattered by a 4-2 defeat at Leicester, with Riyad Mahrez particularly impressive in a swashbuckling performance as Claudio Ranieri returned to the top flight with two fingers to the naysayers. It won’t be like this every week, but who cares – for now, Leicester are top of the league.
For a while, it looked like the top flight might outstrip the Championship for excitement, but the world’s finest league bounced back, with Brentford scoring two injury-time goals to draw with Ipswich, QPR slumping to defeat at unfancied Charlton, and Reading missing a 96th minute penalty in their 2-1 loss to Birmingham. Thanks for joining me. Cheerio.
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A few highlights from elsewhere: in League One, it finished Burton 2-1 Scunthorpe, while Millwall won by the same score at Shrewsbury. Wigan lost at Coventry, and it finished Gillingham 4-0 Sheffield United on a bad day for the pre-season favourites. In League Two, Barnet and Bristol Rovers lost on their league return, Portsmouth beat Dagenham & Redbridge 3-0, and Wycombe put their playoff woes firmly behind them, beating York City 3-0 at home. In Scotland, Hearts won 2-1 at Dundee, while Dundee United won 2-0 at Motherwell and Ross County beat Hamilton 2-0. In the Scottish Cup Winners’ Cup, it finished St Johnstone 1-1 Inverness.
All the full-time results are right here.
Championship full-time results
Reading, 2-1 down at Birmingham, get a 96th-minute penalty. Orlando Sa takes it... and it’s saved! Football’s back, everyone! Here are the Championship results, then:
Birmingham 2-1 Reading
Blackburn 1-2 Wolves
Bolton 0-0 Derby
Brentford 2-2 Ipswich
Charlton 2-0 QPR
Hull 2-0 Huddersfield
Rotherham 1-4 MK Dons
Sheffield Wednesday 2-0 Bristol City
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You want injury-time goals? We’ve got ‘em! Brentford have equalised through James Tarkowski, after finding themselves 2-0 down after 90 minutes. Two injury-time goals at Doncaster, but with good cause, as Doncaster allowed Bury to walk in an equaliser to a freak late goal. It finished 1-1, and football was the winner.
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Premier League full-time results
That’s your lot. Here are the full-time scores:
Bournemouth 0-1 Aston Villa
Everton 2-2 Watford
Leicester 4-2 Sunderland
Norwich 1-3 Crystal Palace
GOAL! Norwich 1-3 Crystal Palace (Cabaye)
With Norwich piling forward, Yohan Cabaye is set free on the break, and marks his competitive debut for Palace with a goal to seal the three points.
Seconds remain in the four Premier League games, with Bournemouth lining up a late corner. Luton have equalised at Accrington, while Brechin may take the cake in terms of a first day nightmare – it’s Brechin 1-6 Dunfermline in Scotland’s League One.
The Carrow road crowd bay for a penalty as Bassong goes down in a penalty box melee. Simon Hooper ain’t interested, and Norwich have an early Premier League hate figure in the shape of the fresh-faced referee. In the Championship, it’s Brentford 1-2 Ipswich.
In the big A30/A303 derby, it’s Exeter 3-2 Yeovil, Will Hoskins edging the Grecians ahead. In the Championship, Bolton have hit the bar three times, and have now seen Jay Spearing mysteriously sent off. It’s all set up for a last-minute Derby winner.
Gillingham 3-0 Sheffield United in League One, the Blades tussling with Sunderland for worst performance of the opening day. Speaking of Sunderland, Connor Wickham is on for Glenn Murray at Carrow Road, as his former club search for someone that can nab a couple of goals in the last ten minutes. “Hi Art. 90 degrees. Sunshine. Cheers!” says Jim in Brentford Orlando.
GOAL! Everton 2-2 Watford (Kone)
It’s back off. The misfiring Arouna Kone changes the habit of an afternoon, making a neat run that catches Watford cold and finishing well to level the scores.
GOAL! Everton 1-2 Watford (Ighalo)
It’s back on! Quique Flores turns to Odion Ighalo, a stalwart of Watford’s Championship campaign, and the substitute restores Watford’s lead, sashaying through the Everton defence before slotting home.
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“I don’t just want to win this league – I want to smash it and get 100 points.” The words of David Sharpe, chairman of Wigan, who are two goals down at Coventry. Other teams doubling their lead are Burton, who lead Scunthorpe 2-0, and Hull, thanks to a goal from Arsenal loanee Chuba Akpom.
Also in the Championship, MK Dons are warming all our hearts with a gutsy 4-1 lead at Rotherham. In League One, spoilsports Millwall now lead 2-1 at Shrewsbury, and Chesterfield have rallied from 0-1 to 3-1 at home to Barnsley.
GOAL! Everton 1-1 Watford (Barkley)
A brutal five minutes for the wide-eyed Premier League newcomers is complete, as Ross Barkley equalises with a thunderbolt from distance.
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Referee Simon Hooper, making his Premier League bow at Norwich, has drawn the wrath of the Carrow Road faithful, controversially chalking off a Cameron Jerome equaliser for raising his boot too high.
QPR have taken their top-flight form into the Championship – they’re 2-0 down at Charlton. In League One, Swindon are racing into the distance – they lead Bradford 4-1.
GOAL! Bournemouth 0-1 Aston Villa (Gestede)
Tim Sherwood’s switch works a treat, with new signing Rudy Gestede nodding home a trademark downward header to poop Bournemouth’s party.
GOAL! Leicester 4-2 Sunderland (Fletcher)
Pantilimon looks to have handled the ball outside the box, but gets away with it – and Sunderland charge up the other end to get another goal back! Fletcher is on hand to head home a loose ball, and this one is back on...
GOAL! Norwich 1-2 Crystal Palace (Redmond)
So such security for Crystal Palace, with substitute Nathan Redmond finding the far corner from 25 yards out to cut the deficit for Norwich.
GOAL! Leicester 4-1 Sunderland (Albrighton)
The Sunderland comeback is snuffed out ruthlessly by Claudio’s mean machine, with Marc Albrighton adding to his two assists, nicking the ball off Kaboul, possibly from an offside position, to restore that three-goal cushion.
“Three o’clock kickoffs are not televised in the UK, right? So how is that here in the USA! I can watch all of them, live & in color?” says Art Durbano, who won’t win any friends by gloating.
Mixed fortunes for the lower league heavyweights, and in turn our own league previews. Sheffield United are two goals down at Gillingham, Swindon have fought back to lead Bradford 2-1, Portsmouth lead Dagenham & Redbridge 1-0, and Luton are a goal down at Accrington. In Scotland, two quickfire Juanma goals have made it Dundee 1-2 Hearts, and it’s Birmingham 2-1 Reading and Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 Bristol City in the Championship.
Also worth a mention: Tranmere have taken the lead in their opening National League fixture – a none-more-Conference home game against Woking.
GOAL! Leicester 3-1 Sunderland (Defoe)
They could have been six down by now, but Jermain Defoe gives Sunderland a glimmer of a sliver of a half-chance with a tidy finish.
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Tim Sherwood responds to Bournemouth’s continued pre-eminence by throwing on Rudy Gestede in place of Jordan Ayew. In League One, it’s now Swindon 1-1 Bradford and Shrewsbury 1-0 Millwall. Burton join Shrewsbury in making the step up with ease – they lead at home to Scunthorpe.
Sunderland and Norwich are both pushing forward, with Jeffrey Schlupp climbing highest to deny Steven Fletcher, and Norwich boss Alex Neil throwing on Nathan Redmond in place of Alex Tettey. Leicester force Paul Merson to say “it should have been four” for about the fifth time, with Mahrez hitting the post with a curling shot. Sunderland fans: let’s be honest, this is disappointing, isn’t it?
Charlton 1-0 QPR at the Valley, with former Barcelona tormentor Tony Watt getting the goal. Another team struggling at a different level are Bristol Rovers; they’re a goal down at home to Northampton.
You want match reports? We’ve got ‘em. Here’s Daniel Taylor on Manchester United 1-0 Tottenham and a tidy summary of Leeds 1-1 Burnley.
Double hurt for Norwich, as Ryan Fraser makes it Brentford 0-2 Ipswich. This getting promoted stuff is so overrated. It’s Birmingham 2-0 Reading, Jon Toral getting the second, while back at Carrow Road, Alex McCarthy makes a stupendous double save to keep Palace’s two-goal cushion intact.
Norwich 0-2 Crystal Palace (Delaney)
Eek. Norwich get in all sorts of bother defending a set piece, allowing Souare to nod a cross, or mishit a header on goal, which lands neatly for fellow defender Damien Delaney, who sweeps home from five yards.
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“Leicester owners King Power are advertising Leicester home shirts in their stores in Bangkok Airport Duty Free today under the slogan “We’re Staying Up, 2015/16”. With this kind of pragmatism, I’d say they’ve got the culture of English football down pat.” says Tim Wallwork. I like the fact that they’ve confined their optimism to this season only.
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So, a promoted team winning away, and a disastrous tonking – Watford and Sunderland are keeping up their end of the opening day bargain. Can Bournemouth get in front against Villa, and/or can Norwich strike back against the mighty Palace? We’re about to find about.
Ranieri should get the league table on a t-shirt for his next press conference. Just for those haters.
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Half-time Championship scores
A couple of significant goals late in the first half, with Kevin Bru scoring for Ipswich, and Dave Edwards putting Wolves back in front, deflecting in a Dicko shot, quite possibly with his hand. Tsk.
Birmingham 1-0 Reading
Blackburn 1-2 Wolves
Bolton 0-0 Derby
Brentford 0-1 Ipswich
Charlton 0-0 QPR
Hull 1-0 Huddersfield
Rotherham 1-3 MK Dons
Sheffield Wednesday 0-0 Bristol City
All the half-time scores are right here.
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Half-time Premier League scores
Bournemouth 0-0 Aston Villa
Everton 0-1 Watford
Leicester 3-0 Sunderland
Norwich 0-1 Crystal Palace
Troy Deeney picks up a yellow card for a two-footed challenge on Galloway, before Layun almost joins Mahrez on two goals for the season, firing a volley inches wide. On the south coast, Bournemouth are threatening, with Guzan denying Marc Pugh with a fine save. It’s easy, this Premier League lark, isn’t it?
Mahrez fires a fierce volley just over the bar for Leicester, which is a neat segue into an e-mail from Graham Randall: “What an absolute lovely player to watch. Just needs consistency – glad he signed a 4 year deal this week.” I agree – Mahrez was an underappreciated star of Leicester’s fightback last season, though it’s easier for me to say so now he’s the Premier League’s top scorer.
The Championship is getting its act together – Ben Marshall has levelled for Blackburn, David Cotterill has given Birmingham a barely deserved lead against Reading, and Hull are up and running, debutant Sam Clucas giving them the lead at home to Huddersfield.
GOAL! Norwich 0-1 Crystal Palace (Zaha)
After spending the first half-hour on the back foot, Palace take the lead. Jason Puncheon jinks past Bassong, dinks a cross to the far post, and Zaha thuds a volley in off the helpless John Ruddy. Welcome back, Norwich.
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Exeter lead Yeovil 1-0 in a League Two West Country derby, given that the towns are 60 miles apart, can I call it a derby? Well, I just did. Teddy Sheringham’s managerial career is off to a bad start, with Stevenage a goal down at home to Notts County.
At Goodison, Heurelho Gomes is enjoying his Premier League return, diving low to repel Ross Barkley. Brentford v Ipswich in the Championship, is ‘competitive, despite the heat’ according to Chris Kamara. It’s 26 degrees in West London; warm, but hardly the Azteca Stadium.
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Patrick van Aanholt, who is in my fantasy football team, is being given a roasting by Riyad Mahrez, but at least he’s still on. Lee Cattermole has been given the hook already, replaced by Steven Fletcher. Glenn Murray has missed a presentable chance for Palace at Norwich, where it remains 0-0. In the Championship, Wolves take the lead at Blackburn, Benik Afobe getting it with a cheeky chip over the keeper.
Bournemouth and Aston Villa remains goalless, and Tim Hill has more from a jumping Dean Cour ‘Vitality Stadium’. Jamie Vardy spurns a chance to make it four for Leicester, while in the Championship, it’s Rotherham where you’ll find the only entertainment. It’s Rotherham 1-2 MK Dons, and those are the only goals in the 3pm kick-offs.
GOAL! Leicester 3-0 Sunderland (Mahrez penalty)
We all saw this coming, right? Leicester have been terrific, Sunderland have been terrible, and Mahrez gets his second from the penalty spot, sending Costel Pantilimon the wrong way after being brought down by... any guesses? Yeah, Lee Cattermole.
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“What’s the record for the earliest point of the season to call a relegation six pointer?” asks JR in Illinois, and I think we all know where he’s going with this. “I would like to stake a claim if I could. I say this Leicester-Sunderland match is a relegation six pointer. I’ve tipped them both to go down.”
There may well be more recent examples, but a hat-tip to my colleague Ed Aarons, who has mentioned that Norwich v Crystal Palace was also an opening day fixture in 2004/05. Both teams were newly promoted, and drew 1-1. Both teams then went down the following May – and both would have been saved with an extra two points.
Mixed fortunes for the teams dropping from tier two to tier three: Wigan are a goal down at Coventry, while Blackpool are a goal up at Colchester.
I've got the windows open and Paul Merson on the telly. God knows what the neighbours think is going on in here. @niallmcveigh
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) August 8, 2015
GOAL! Leicester 2-0 Sunderland (Mahrez)
Sorry, haters – Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester are two goals up, with another assist for Albrighton, as his long cross is nodded home by Riyad Mahrez. Not an ideal start to the season for Sunderland.
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Goals galore in the Scottish Premiership – well, three goals anyway. Dundee 1-0 Hearts, Ross County 1-0 Hamilton (ouch), and St Johnstone 0-1 Inverness is the tale of the tape so far. MK Dons have been put back in their place, with Matt Derbyshire levelling for Rotherham.
GOAL! Everton 0-1 Watford (Layún)
With apologies to Everton fans, this is what we like. Watford break away from defensive duty down the left, and Miguel Layún lashes home a half-volley!
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GOAL! Leicester 1-0 Sunderland (Vardy)
The Tinkerman strikes early! Jamie Vardy gets the goal, with his header pinging in off the post from a Marc Albrighton free kick.
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Sheffield United’s bid to finally escape the clutches of League One isn’t off to a great start – they’re a goal down at Gillingham. Elsewhere in the third tier, it’s Chesterfield 0-1 Barnsley and Swindon 0-1 Bradford. At Carrow Road, Norwich continue to press, with Lewis Grabban hitting the post from a Steven Whittaker cross. Should have scored...
Watford look to set up on the counter attack at Goodison, which is probably not a bad idea, with pretty much a totally new team. Sunderland should be a goal up, but Jermain Defoe sees his shot saved at close range by Kasper Schmeichel. In Scotland, Hibs are a goal down to Dumbarton, and Hamilton have missed a penalty against Ross County.
Grabban and Dorrans have both booted half-chances over the bar at Carrow Road. We have a goal in the Championship – and it’s the plucky Dons of MK who get it, through Rob Hall. Rotherham 0-1 MK Dons.
We're off!
Leicester are on the front foot at the King Power Stadium, with Jamie Vardy pressing and harrying in typical fashion. Take that, Ranieri naysayers.
It’s almost time! The Boys in the Sky Studio are jingoing it up, asking how Shinji Okazaki can possibly cut it in the Premier League after arriving from Mainz, a mid-table team in a better league, and revealing Phil Thompson’s hilarious notes on how to pronounce his name. It’s pronounced ‘Shinji Okazaki’.
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I’ve just nipped up to Gretna to collect this dispatch from Simon McMahon, previewing today’s action in a land where The Football started a whole week ago:
“Afternoon Niall. Game of the day in the Scottish Premiership is at Fir Park where Dundee United travel to face Motherwell. United will be looking to bounce back from their opening day defeat to Aberdeen and give a debut to new hope Scott Fraser. Remember the name.”
“Ross County are at home to Hamilton in what is already being termed a relegation six pointer, and the past two winners of the Scottish Cup, Inverness and St. Johnstone (yes, really), meet in Perth. The Scottish Championship and Leagues One and Two get going today, including East Stirling v East Fife. Just imagine how good those teams could be if they included players from West Stirling and West Fife too.”
@guardian_sport @niallmcveigh why pick on Leicester for the half/half scarf 😉 obvious Nottingham based media bias...
— Andy Hamilton (@Hamiltona74) August 8, 2015
In the interests of balance, here’s our report from Brighton 1-0 Nottingham Forest, which happened last night.
That’s also the final scoreline at Old Trafford, where United played well without putting the game to bed, and Spurs fought gamely but still lost. It’s a whole new world, this Premier League season...
Am I right in thinking an actual Foxes v Black Cats dust-up would be rather one-sided? Or am I underestimating our feline friends? Canaries v Eagles would also be a short-lived aerial battle, but I can’t call Toffees v Hornets.
Now, the sharper minds out there may have noticed that The Football has already started. Manchester United are edging their way to a 1-0 win against Spurs – join Barry Glendenning for the end of that one. In the Championship, we’ve had two last-gasp equalisers already – Craig Noone for Cardiff to nick a 1-1 draw against Fulham, and a gutsy Sam Vokes leveller for Burnley at Leeds, where it also finished 1-1.
So, just one new face in the Bournemouth side, in the dashing form of forward Joshua King, while Tim Sherwood throws five summer recruits into Aston Villa’s curious mix, with Jordan Ayew preferred to Rudy Gestede up front. Norwich start with either the nucleus of a Premier League side, or much of the same motley crew that went down two seasons ago, depending on your point of view. New arrival Robbie Brady does start at left back, though, while Yohan Cabaye goes straight into the heart of the Crystal Palace midfield, with Patrick Bamford and Connor Wickham on the bench.
There’s a familiar look to the Everton team, save for the presence of Brendon Galloway, with the teenager filling in for the injured Leighton Baines. The same can’t be said for Watford, with (deep breath) Étienne Capoue, Valon Behrami, Allan Nyom, José Manuel Jurado, Miguel Britos and Sebastian Prödl making their competitive debuts. Leicester and Sunderland, both relatively quiet in the transfer market, start with a shiny new forward each – Shinji Okazaki for the Foxes, Jeremain Lens for the Black Cats.
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Team news
Bournemouth v Aston Villa
Bournemouth: Boruc, Francis, Elphick, Cook, Daniels, Ritchie, Gosling, Surman, Pugh, King, Wilson.
Subs: Gradel, Mings, Smith, Kermorgant, Federici, Distin, O’Kane.
Aston Villa: Guzan, Bacuna, Richards, Clark, Amavi, Veretout, Gueye, Westwood, Sinclair, Ayew, Agbonlahor.
Subs: Baker, Cole, Richardson, Hutton, Sanchez, Bunn, Gestede.
Norwich v Crystal Palace
Norwich: Ruddy, Whittaker, Martin, Bassong, Brady, Howson,
Johnson, Tettey, Hoolahan, Dorrans, Grabban.
Subs: Wisdom, Jerome, Hooper, Rudd, Redmond, Ryan Bennett, O’Neil.
Crystal Palace: Alex McCarthy, Ward, Dann, Delaney, Souare, Mutch, Cabaye, McArthur, Zaha, Puncheon, Murray.
Subs: Bamford, Bolasie, Hennessey, Jedinak, Gayle, Wickham, Kelly.
Everton v Watford
Everton: Howard, Coleman, Jagielka, Stones, Galloway, Cleverley, McCarthy, Barry, Mirallas, Barkley, Lukaku.
Subs: Robles, Oviedo, Kone, Naismith, Osman, Browning, McAleny.
Watford: Gomes, Nyom, Cathcart, Prodl, Holebas, Layun, Capoue, Behrami, Anya, Jurado, Deeney.
Subs: Angella, Vydra, Gilmartin, Paredes, Pudil, Watson, Ighalo.
Leicester v Sunderland
Leicester: Schmeichel, De Laet, Huth, Morgan, Schlupp, Albrighton, Drinkwater, King, Mahrez, Okazaki, Vardy.
Subs: Hammond, Kante, Kramaric, Ulloa, Fuchs, Benalouane, Schwarzer.
Sunderland: Pantilimon, Jones, Coates, Kaboul, Van Aanholt, Cattermole, Johnson, Rodwell, Larsson, Lens, Defoe.
Subs: Bridcutt, Matthews, O’Shea, Graham, Giaccherini, Mannone, Fletcher.
The Football League
There are eight Championship games kicking off at 3pm. Highlights include Hull making their second-tier return at home to Huddersfield, who the bookies make the second least likely team to take the title at 50-1 – by comparison, Spurs are 100-1 to win the Premier League. More signs of healthy competition may well be found at The Valley, where Charlton host the fallen QPR.
Bristol City and loveable upstarts MK Dons start their campaigns in Yorkshire, at Sheffield Wednesday and Rotherham respectively. Brentford and Ipswich will aim to put their play-off pain behind them at Griffin Park, while Derby, favourites for promotion despite making a hash of it for the last two seasons, go to Bolton. Elsewhere, it’s a dark horse derby as Birmingham face Reading, and at Ewood Park, Blackburn host my outside tip for the title, Wolves. Sorry, Wolves fans.
In League One, Wigan start their march to 100 points at Coventry, with fellow Championship evictees Millwall and Blackpool facing opening-day embarrassment in Shrewsbury and Colchester. Burton open their first-ever third tier campaign at home to Scunthorpe, with Bury away at Doncaster and Southend making the long trip to Fleetwood. Perennial promotion favourites Sheffield United start at Gillingham, while Swindon v Bradford is another to keep an eye on.
The plum pick in League Two is a London derby, as Leyton Orient host Conference champions Barnet. Fellow returnees Bristol Rovers are at home to Northampton, Teddy Sheringham gets started at Stevenage v Notts County, and favourites Luton and Portsmouth face Accrington and Dagenham & Redbridge.
Preamble
Welcome back. After three months of pre-season tours, garish kit launches, England heroics, interminable transfer sagas and a few flurries of excitement in the wider sporting world, the most entertaining, unpredictable and – let’s just say it – greatest league in the world is back. More on the Championship later – but let’s start with its three most recent graduates.
Bournemouth, Norwich and Watford have been waiting all summer for this afternoon – and for far longer, to varying degrees. The Canaries, play-off final winners under Alex Neil, return after 15 months away, while Watford have waited eight years. That’s nothing, scoff 116-year-old Bournemouth, who are about to play their first ever top-flight match.
A thinly-spread opening weekend schedule, and the three sides’ shunning by TV cameras, has given the newcomers the spotlight – a rare case of two wrongs making a right. Bournemouth host Aston Villa in a game Eddie Howe will surely have marked ‘win’ on the wallchart – you can follow that game with Tim Hill. Norwich host Alan Pardew’s much-admired Crystal Palace, while for Watford, new manager Quique Sànchez Flores takes his team to Everton for a re-run of the 1984 FA Cup final.
The other 3pm kick-off, Leicester v Sunderland, could easily have been a second-tier affair this season. This opening encounter might tell us just how much their respective managers were responsible for last season’s great escapes. Sunderland have persuaded Dick Advocaat to stay, while the Foxes have traded Nigel Pearson for Claudio Ranieri, with both teams joining the promoted trio in making survival their primary aim.
There’s also action in the Championship, Leagues One and Two, the Conference Vanarama National League and across the Scottish Leagues. More on that imminently, but for now, just take a moment – because The Football is about to start, and once it does, it isn’t going to stop.
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