The English Premier League 2024/25 season is off and running with many Week 1 matchups already in the books. Let’s have a quick run through of all the action and results so far this weekend.
Man United Open With 1-0 Win Over Fulham
Manchester United ticked off a solid performance with a late goal from summer signing and debutant Joshua Zirkzee to beat Fulham 1-0 in their season opener.
United dominated the game nearly from start to finish, giving their doubters a taste of what could be to come this season. They ended up with 14 shots on goal and 5 on target.
Full back Noussair Mazraoui played all 90 minutes in his Manchester United debut, which seemed to create opportunities in the front. Zirkzee on the other hand, who had been lacking match fitness after his move from Bologna last month, was subbed in only for the final half hour. His impact was felt however, as the Dutch international was able to chipped home an Alejandro Garnacho cross in 87th minute.
Next up for Man United will be Brighton next week, another match that the team is expected to win rather easily. Fulham will have some respite in their second match, as they face off against Leicester City who were at the bottom of the table last season.
Arsenal Cruise In 2-0 Victory Over Wolves
Arsenal started their Premier League campaign with a comfortable victory over Wolves at Emirates Stadium on Saturday.
Kai Havertz opened the scoring for his team with a header in a first-half opener which came off a pin point accuracy Bukayo Saka cross from the right. Saka then went on to double the lead in the second half with a powerful left-foot shot into the right corner.
Despite Arsenal not putting their best foot forward, the team was in control almost the whole way through. They will likely have to up their level of performance however when they take on Aston Villa next week at Villa Park.
The Wolves had a few opportunities to make a match out of it but couldn’t quite convert. Debutant Jorgen Strand Larsen had a first-half header saved by Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya which looked like their best chance. Substitute Matheus Cunha also had a solid opportunity late in the first half but drilled one straight at Raya who made a relatively simple stop.
It will be a disappointing first outing for the Wolves after bringing in almost £100m from the sales of Max Kilman and Pedro Neto over the summer. They will likely need to reinvest further before the end of the summer trade window if they are looking to make a mark this season.
Newcastle Defeat Southampton Despite Red Card
Newcastle seemed to roll back the years in their Week 1 win over Southampton at St. James’ Park on Saturday. The scorecard read 1-0 at the end of the match despite Fabian Schar getting sent off for lowering his head into Ben Brereton Diaz in the 28th minute.
Being down a man so early in the match meant that Newcastle were on the backfoot a majority of the time, conceding 78% of the possession to Southampton. They had to withstand 19 shots on goal to come out with the shutout.
Just before half-time, Brazil midfielder Joelinton gave Newcastle an unlikely lead after the Southampton goalkeeper made an error which gave the ball straight to Alexander Isak. Isak picked out Joelinton who neatly laid it in the net to give them a 1-0 lead.
The goal would be enough to secure three points in their opener, as Newcastle’s defense stood tall despite numerous close chances.
Newcastle has Bournemouth next on their Premier League schedule which should be another match that favors them. Starting their season with a couple wins could be just what the squad needs to pull out a successful season.
