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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United celebrates with teammate Daniel James after scoring their side’s fourth goal and his hat-trick during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Leeds United at Old Trafford on August 14, 2021 in Manchester, England. (Photo : Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
The 2021-22 Premier League season is finally off and running, with the new campaign delivering intense action right from the get-go. There’s immediately a quick divide in the league table as all opening ten fixtures produced victors, with Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea among the notable winners in Week 1.
Shockingly, powerhouse teams Arsenal and Manchester City failed to score points in their league openers, casting doubts on their title aspirations this season. Here’s an in-depth recap of the Week 1 fixtures in the English Premier League.
Man Utd, Chelsea, and Liverpool deliver statement wins in Week 1
Manchester United had a dream start to the 2021-22 Premier League season as the Red Devils destroyed Leeds United, 5-1, on Saturday. Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba starred for United, who lead the league table on goal difference after the Week 1 fixtures.
Fernandes drew inspiration from a packed Old Trafford crowd, scoring his first-ever hat-trick in English football against Leeds. He became just the 10th player in Premier League history to score a hat-trick in the club’s opening match of the season.
Fernandes opened the scoring in the 30th minute after a wonderful pass by Pogba, doing just enough to drive his effort past the Leeds keeper. He doubled his tally in the 54th minute, firing a low effort to make it 3-1 for United, with hawk-eye confirming that the ball had crossed the line before a Leeds clearance.
Fernandes then completed his hat-trick in the 60th minute, blasting a first-time finish into the roof of the net to send United fans into a frenzy. Also getting plaudits in this contest was Pogba, who recorded four assists against Leeds. That’s more than the three assists he recorded in 26 league games played last season.
Later on Saturday, Chelsea and Liverpool joined Manchester United at the top of the league table, recording a pair of 3-0 victories in their opening fixtures. Chelsea eased past Crystal Palace thanks to goals by Marcos Alonso, Christian Pulisic, and Trevoh Chalobah.
The Blues wreaked havoc even without the new signing Romelu Lukaku, who was unavailable for the Week 1 clash. On the other hand, Liverpool nabbed a vital road win against Norwich City with Diogo Jota, Roberto Firmino, and Mohamed Salah finding the back of the net.
Related Article: Premier League 2021-22 Season Preview: Can Chelsea and Manchester United Stop Manchester City?
Arsenal and Manchester City lose in league openers
Manchester City’s quest for a second consecutive league title got off to a rocky start as it suffered a shock 1-0 defeat to Tottenham on Sunday. South Korean striker Son-Heung Min scored the game’s only goal in the 55th minute to hand Spurs all three points.
Pressure is also mounting on Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta after the Gunners lost 2-0 to Premier League newbies Brentford on Friday. Sergi Canos and Christian Norgaard scored the goals for the Bees, who celebrated their return to the English top flight after a long 74-year absence with a stunning upset win.
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