Gary Lineker: Good evening and welcome to Match of the Day for our first thoughts on the brand new Premier League season! I will be your host after each round of games and Alan Shearer and Alan Hansen will assist me as we provide fresh post-match analysis on the seven clubs we have highlighted this season.
Alan Hansen: We will also show you some interview specials with the managers right after the games, as well as occasional player profiles.
Alan Shearer: And finally, but not at last place, you will be updated with the latest news on injuries, dressing room events or even rumours surrounding your favourite clubs.
Gary Lineker: So are you ready? What really happened in the opening weekend of world's best league? Here we go...
Chelsea - Liverpool
2-1
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2-1
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Gary Lineker: We just have to start with the game at the Bridge. The return of the Special One to England against the pragmatic but heavy working Brendan Rodgers in what is the very first title contenders clash for the season! Chelsea emerged victorious after a second half turnaround, including a late, late winner by Eto'o. Was that result just or Liverpool can feel hard done?
Alan Hansen: Sadly football ain't about what's just. Liverpool had a great first half but Brendan Rodgers made a mistake by letting the lads stay too deep after the break. A Chelsea side really have players who can harm you when you let them play the ball in your final third. Additionally, Liverpool faded away on the hour mark and that's when Chelsea got the equalizer. I think Rodgers has a lot of work to do on the physical prep.
Alan Shearer: We should highlight the debut of Matuidi, he was a rock in midfield for the Reds and truly unfortunate to get booked in the first half as that restricted his aggression which was really troubling Chelsea to hold the ball. David Luiz had a good game for the Blues and while Eto'o got the winner the never aging captain Frank Lampard deservedly got the PoM award.
Gary Lineker: Let's see what the managers had to say after the game!
Reporter: How did that second debut game feel?
Jose Mourinho: It was a great game, great win against a great club.
Reporter: What are your thoughts on the performance today?
Jose Mourinho: The players never gave up but it was the fans who got us the strength to go on looking for a winner, Samuel will agree with me here, our great fans got us a vital win here.
Reporter: Not the perfect start after you had the lead for so long. This must be a real disappointment for you.
Brendan Rodgers: We had to dig deep but I felt we had done enough to get away with a point, which would have been a good result and a fair result. The lads are devastated in the dressing room.
Reporter: There were visible fatigue issues in the second half. In hindsight don't you think you could have subbed Gerrard a little earlier?
Brendan Rodgers: Stevie is our captain and he is vital for such games, there was no way I was going to take him off. It just wasn't our day but we will be working hard and look to bounce back the next game!
Gary Lineker: Mourinho got to a dream start here and he really feels fish in the water at Stamford Bridge.
Alan Hansen: He has the fans behind him and that wasn't the case at Real Madrid. That was the difference.
Alan Shearer: There weren't any injuries or suspensions after this game so let's move on.
Arsenal - Swansea
4-1
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4-1
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Gary Lineker: Swansea were the pleasant surprise last season and many expected they could cause an upset here after buying well in the summer and having played competitive games already. It didn't work out that way as the positive energy at the Emirates helped Arsenal smash them. Was the scoreline reflect what we saw on the pitch though?
Alan Hansen: Absolutely. Swansea were trying to hang in the game after Chico pulled one back near the hour mark but fell apart in the final minutes. Arsenal are very sharp, they looked confident and aware they can score goals at any point in their matches. This is something we will be seeing them do a lot this season, murder teams on the break.
Alan Shearer: I think Giroud was awesome today after some heavy criticism recently. He scored and assisted, Walcott and Podolski also did well to come off the bench and get a late goal each. Despite conceding, Szczesny was very solid in goal and Sagna left his lungs on that pitch, grabbing a completely deserved PoM award.
Gary Lineker: Let's see what Arsene Wenger had to say after the game!
Reporter: Comfortable home start and the team looks very impressive, is this what you have been lacking in recent seasons? Strong starts?
Arsene Wenger: We have been stronger in the latter stages of the campaign but we are working towards a more balanced performance, yes.
Reporter: Mesut Ozil didn't really impress in his debut before going off for Podolski. Should the fans get worried?
Arsene Wenger: Why? It is his first game in a different league with a team he hasn't trained with much. It doesn't concern me and Poldi got a goal when he came on. Let's focus on the positives.
Gary Lineker: Wenger shielded his record purchase from early criticism but if Ozil fails to impress come September, it may be problems in the Arsenal dressing room.
Alan Hansen: We should note that his very presence lifted the entire team though and the ground was buzzing. Arsenal have too many quality players and Ozil often stays in the shadows, letting them shine. Plus I thought he was okay, not special but certainly not bad!
Alan Shearer: There weren't any injuries or suspensions after this game so let's move on.
Gary Lineker: Wow! That's as shocking as it gets! After all the noises and the arrival of a top manager, the Citizens fail to defend an early lead and collapse in the very first week of the season! New recruit Mike Williamson quickly negated the early Negredo goal in an explosive start of the game, before Joel Ward gave Palace the lead just after the break. Manchester City were unable to get back in the game despite playing against ten men in the final minutes after Jack Hunt was sent off for a second yellow. Credit to Palace!
Alan Hansen: I didn't see that one coming, even when Palace got a quick equalizer. I was always waiting for that City breakthrough when the hosts wear off enthusiasm but it never came. City dominated possession and had a number of chances but were ultimately unable to convert them and paid the price.
Alan Shearer: To be fair despite the debut goal Negredo didn't do much in that game and Aguero should be to blame as he missed a number of chances. The only City players who can walk out of this game with heads up are Gael Clichy and David Silva.
Gary Lineker: Let's see what Manuel Pellegrini had to say after the game!
Reporter: A rough start, Mr. Pellegrini! Would you say the honeymoon is now over?
Manuel Pellegrini: We knew it would be a tough game against a side wanting to impress their home fans in their first Premier League game after promotion. But we couldn't carry the intensity we wanted and our last touch in the final third was a little slow. We started okay but then pulled a gear down and never picked it up.
Reporter: It is even more awkward considering Palace held your star attack at bay even when they were down to ten men?
Manuel Pellegrini: It would have been harsh on them to concede at that stage as I felt they defended well. We have to be honest to ourselves and admit we weren't good enough today. So that we can get it right tomorrow.
Gary Lineker: Pellegrini was philosophic at this defeat but he can't really afford another wrong step and must get his troops going in away games if he wants to mount a serious title challenge. Otherwise City will be left empty handed again.
Alan Hansen: What I noticed is he picked to spread the blame around the entire team and didn't single anyone out for criticism. He is trying to get the players to feel as a team rather than a group of highly talented individuals but that can easily backfire as they are under heavy pressure to produce results.
Alan Shearer: City fans were worried when Sergio Aguero had to go out on the hour mark after a tough clash with a Palace player but news from the club is he has a slightly bruised rib and should be okay for the next weekend.
Manchester United - Stoke
1-1
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1-1
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Gary Lineker: Champions Manchester United were also unable to get on a winning league start under new manager David Moyes - what a bad day for Manchester! The Red Devils went behind when Huth scored a typical set piece goal but Tom Cleverley quickly got the hosts back on level terms. Old Trafford went increasingly noisy as the game wore off but it was deafening silence at the full time whistle - 1:1!
Alan Hansen: I think Manchester United were surprised by Stoke's bold attempt to put the ball down and play some actual football. I haven't seen them concede so many chances there recently, their defense looked vulnerable at times. I was also shocked to see Stoke have only committed 6 fouls to Manchester United's 24! And even then they won the midfield battle and held the ball for a respectable portion of time. A point is no less than they deserved.
Alan Shearer: There weren't any good performances in red shirts. I can only highlight the fullbacks Evra and Fabio were poor, Giggs and Kagawa failed to control the midfield or bring anything creative and Ashley Young was a disgrace as usual. Phil Jones also had a particularly poor game when he came on in the second half.
Gary Lineker: Let's see what David Moyes had to say after the game!
Reporter: Despite anticipation for a big win today, you couldn't deliver and the fans were disappointed.
David Moyes: We should have done better. We didn't manage their physicality and had to commit a lot of fouls which broke down the fluency of our game. And that worked well for Stoke.
Reporter: There was considerable criticism you started Fabio over Smalling and brought in Macheda when Chicharito was on the bench?
David Moyes: I picked my team based on what I saw on the training ground and my plan for the game. Don't think there is anything I need to explain further than that. As for Chicharito this simply wasn't the kind of game to exploit his qualities.
Gary Lineker: Well a single game and he's already under attack! Manchester United need a winning start desperately or this could get messy!
Alan Hansen: I feel there is a degree of sense in that criticism though. It seems as if Moyes still doesn't truly know his players and is making some mistakes in the process. There may be further inconsistency in the champions over the coming month or two.
Alan Shearer: There weren't any injuries or suspensions after this game so let's move on.
Newcastle - Southampton
4-4
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4-4
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Gary Lineker: After plenty of turmoil at Tyneside many didn't quite know what to expect from Newcastle. One thing seemed certain - there would be goals in this game. And so it was! Saint James' Park witnessed a true spectacle which saw Newcastle take the lead through a Boruc own goal before Southampton went riot and turn it to 1-3 thanks to Wanyama, Ramirez and Osvaldo goals. The hosts didn't give up and pulled back to level terms as Gouffran and Landon Donovan found the net and just when the Geordies were expecting a complete turnaround, Benayoun pulled the Saints ahead in the final minutes. This wasn't all though as a Leighton Baines free kick special once again leveled the score. There were even further attempts but none of the teams got a fifth. Final score 4-4!
Alan Hansen: It was a mad game and a joy to watch as there were a lot of chances both ways. None of the teams managed to dominate it but there were a lot of mistakes, too. I feel Southampton could be a little more disappointed considering they had the lead at 3-1 and 4-3 but Newcastle somehow survived. The Magpies were extremely uncomfortable with the formation played and didn't seem to understand what is being asked of them.
Alan Shearer: In terms of performances Debuchy was the most impressive Newcastle player on the pitch and I must also highlight Yoan Gouffran who played a key role when introduced at the break by getting a goal and assisting for another.
Gary Lineker: Let's see what Dimiter Hristov had to say after the game!
Reporter: You must wonder how you didn't lose that game even though Southampton manager Pochettino said your late equalizer was completely deserved and he has no grudges.
Dimiter Hristov: On the contrary, we kept looking for goals and you shall remember that even after the Baines free kick equalizer we had one or two excellent chances to wrap up the game. I have to admit it would have been very harsh on our visitors today though as they weren't afraid to take the gauntlet and attack. Spectacles take two teams and we had a good opponent today.
Reporter: There is some heavy criticism going on in the social media: a number of your new signings didn't make it to the starting lineup and your team looked very disjointed. Your response?
Dimiter Hristov: We do need time as a group to get used to the philosophy I am putting in place. I didn't really have a full pre-season to work with the team and some of the new arrivals need a few months to bed in. That being said, we still showed great attacking intent, we scored four goals and there was amazing character to get back in the game disregarding the score. I think if you criticize you should be fair enough to point the positives as well.
Gary Lineker: The young manager stands his ground and it's amazing how he seems immune to whatever they throw his way. This may be his shell at the moment but if results don't go his way he will quickly be branded arrogant.
Alan Hansen: To his credit he is giving the fans what they want - entertaining football. That cannot and must not cover for the financial risks he took as it can easily wipe the club out!
Alan Shearer: On another note Papiss Cisse limped off at half time after a clash in the air and has suffered a strained neck. He will miss out the next couple of games for Newcastle.
Gary Lineker: There is another team that could have used a longer pre-season. Spurs looked a side still blending despite the undoubted quality in their ranks and went down to hard working West Ham. Matt Jarvis and forgotten England hero Emile Heskey got the Hammers comfortable lead at half time and despite early glimmer of hope for Spurs with an early Dawson goal after the break Heskey grabbed his second for the night to kill off any hopes of a comeback. Kyle Walker got on the scoresheet for Tottenham near the end to make it interesting and Spurs went all-out but failed to get an equalizer.
Alan Hansen: This was a game where Spurs kept on creating chances while West Ham got the goals. Home advantage made the difference in a game Tottenham could have easily slaughtered their hosts.
Alan Shearer: Despite this there were only two barely decent performances for Tottenham in that match - captain Michael Dawson and Mousa Dembele. All the others on the pitch disappointed for them.
Gary Lineker: Let's see what Andre Villas-Boas had to say after the game!
Reporter: You created dozens of chances and yet managed to lose the game. Why?
Andre Villas-Boas: We were punished for lapses in defense. West Ham took full advantage and got their goals at crucial times of the game. I am still pleased with the effort by the players. Our team will only get better as we gel in weeks to come.
Reporter: There is comprehensive strength in depth in your team as suggested by the bench you named tonight. Even then your substitutions failed to change the game.
Andre Villas-Boas: That is only partially true. Paulinho had a good game and created our second goal. I think Lamela and Townsend also looked sharp but were unlucky with the chances they had to score.
Gary Lineker: Villas-Boas needs time and that is even more evident from what we saw at Boleyn Ground. Question is will it be too late when Tottenham get up to full speed?
Alan Hansen: Andre is trying to ease his new players to the team and a tough away game was hardly the best place to field them. I think Spurs will look much different at home.
Alan Shearer: Especially as they picked up no injuries or suspensions in that game.
That is all from this edition of Match of the Day! Watch out for the newspaper columns of our regular pundits to find out their take of the games. And do not forget there is a midweek title contenders clash coming up as Chelsea have their visit to Newcastle pulled early because of their European Super Cup game!
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