Manchester United enjoyed a dream start to the
Premier League season as Bruno Fernandes scored a hat-trick in a 5-1 thrashing
of Leeds in front of 73,000 at Old Trafford, while Chelsea swept aside Crystal
Palace 3-0 on Saturday.
Over 300,000 fans are expected to attend the
opening weekend of the season with full crowds restored following the easing of
coronavirus restrictions.
United were inspired by a raucous atmosphere as
Fernandes and Paul Pogba combined to blow away Marcelo Bielsa’s men.
Fernandes walked away with the match ball, but
Pogba was just as impressive as the Frenchman produced four assists for the
Portuguese’s first two goals and second-half strikes from Mason Greenwood and
Fred.
“I can’t remember the last time that happened,”
said Solskjaer on Pogba’s quartet of assists.
“Paul’s got that quality and, when you’ve got runners
willing to make runs and create space for others, it opens up.”
Luke Ayling’s stunning strike early in the
second-half briefly brought Leeds level, but it was another Old Trafford trip
to forget for them after also being thrashed 6-2 last season.
“To
have lost the way we lost cannot be described as just a blip,” said Bielsa.
–
Chelsea cruise –
After
seeing United display their title credentials, European champions Chelsea
dispatched Palace in Patrick Vieira’s first match in charge of the Eagles with
ease to make their own case.
Marcos
Alonso’s free-kick and Christian Pulisic’s scuffed finish gave Thomas Tuchel’s
men a commanding 2-0 lead before half-time.
Centre-back
Trevoh Chalobah then marked his Premier League debut with a long-range strike
to round off the scoring.
Everton
win
Elsewhere,
Rafael Benitez went a long way to quieting his doubters at Everton as the
Toffees came from behind to beat Southampton 3-1.
Adam
Armstrong’s opener on his debut for the Saints saw Benitez’s men booed off at
half-time at Goodison Park with many of the home fans still unhappy at the
appointment of the former Liverpool manager.
But
the mood was lifted straight after half-time by Richarlison’s equaliser before
Abdoulaye Doucoure and Dominic Calvert-Lewin ensured Benitez got off to a
winning start.
Vardy
goal gives Leicester first victory
Leicester
also secured all three points as Jamie Vardy’s deft flick proved the difference
in a 1-0 win over Wolves.
The
FA Cup winners are once again seen as the biggest threat to the established top
four of champions Manchester City, United, Chelsea and Liverpool for a place in
the Champions League next season and were worthy winners despite two big missed
chances from Adama Traore in Bruno Lage’s first game in charge of Wolves.
Aston
Villa defeated
Life
for Aston Villa without Jack Grealish got off to a terrible start as Watford
celebrated their return to the top flight with a 3-2 win at Vicarage Road.
Goals
from Emmanuel Dennis, Ismaila Sarr and Cucho Hernandez had the Hornets cruising
towards victory.
John
McGinn pulled a goal back and Danny Ings netted from the penalty spot on his
debut, but it was too little, too late for Villa.
Brighton
bounced back from conceding inside two minutes at Burnley to win 2-1 at Turf
Moor thanks to second-half goals from Neal Maupay and Alexis MacAllister.
