It's just the beginning

The Premiership kicked off this weekend and turned out to be a spectacle. There was a winner in every match and iSport’s Pulasta Dhar analyses the victories and performances.

Chelsea vs Hull City was a match in which everybody expected Chelsea to come up trumps. Especially after the ambitious appointment of Carlo Ancelotti, a true blue expected some Italian-style attacks. Chelsea delivered them, but it was the most unexpected player who scored the first league goal of the 2008/2009 season. Stephen Hunt to score must have carried odds of 80/1 I suppose! And he made those bookies rich by netting. Chelsea responded…well, they had to respond. Didier Drogba enjoyed a night of excitement as he fired in a freekick and then scored late to hand Chelsea the 3 points.

Aston Villa almost broke into the top 4 last season….almost! But even that is quite an achievement. Expectation was high as they took on Wigan, a team headed by new manager Roberto Martinez. Well, it was a dream start for him as Hugo Rodallega fired in an absolutely stunning volley from 30 yards out. Villa never really hit back and were punished once more by Jason Koumas. Not a happy beginning for Barry-less Villa.

Blackburn did not make it easy for the stars of Man City to record a rare away victory. It was said last season that if City wanted to finish higher, they should start winning their away games. Adebayor made his debut and gave a glimpse of his brilliance in the 3rd minute, supplying a brilliant first timer to the net. Wright-Phillips was on top of his game and so was Micah Richards. City made it tough for themselves by not scoring till the 90th minute, until Ireland made it 2-0 with a placed shot.

Bolton are synonymous with mixed performances. They took on a rejuvenated Sunderland who have been spending heavily and had a new manager in Steve Bruce. Bolton have failed to make any big transfers this season and suffered in front of goal. Darren Bent was the debutant and you might just want to read his Twitter after his goal-scoring debut. 1-0 to Sunderland.

Portsmouth are in trouble and pundits predict this to be the season they might go down. The trouble worsened as they took on a highly motivated Fulham side. Roy Hodgson has transformed their performances and they have been a thorn in many of the top 4 teams march towards trophies. This time they were a thorn in a relegation threatened team, beating them 1-0 thanks to Zamora’s goal.

New boys Burnley were welcomed home by Stoke City. Stoke were happy to record a win, thanks to a Ryan Shawcross goal. Apparently, he has been linked to United to ease their defensive troubles. You can guess who supplied the assist for the second goal. You are right, it was Rory Delap and his surging throw. Stoke showed some good attacking intent and Burnley now know what to expect in the Premiership.

It was all W’s when Wolverhampton Wanderers took on West Ham. Zola’s youngsters have continued to live up to their expectations as he put out a few of them. Noble was the first one to get on the score-sheet and Mathew Upson followed with a header. Maybe it was just the goal needed to take him to Arsenal. Wolves looked threatening at times but never really got many shots on target.

Well, well, well, now we come to Arsenal. Not a happy beginning if you saw the fixture list. Everton away are not very welcoming. But if you see the final score, a fan could not expect more. A brace of assists and goals from Fabregas took them to a 1-6 victory. Denilson scored a brilliant top netter and debutant Vermaelen and Gallas also added with their heads. Well, it was Defender’s Day this week.

Manchester United is always the team to beat. It applied to new comers Birmingham City also. United were weak in defense and did not boast the best midfield too. But when there’s Rooney, you never know. He tried to single-handedly take the game to City by trying a few long range efforts, which were not too far mind you! He finally scored when the pole assisted him. Owen missed a golden chance to score on his debut as he was through one-on-one but could not convert. 1-0 to Utd and 3 points in the bag.

The bookies have placed high odds on Liverpool to finish top this season. But if they perform like in their first match, Arsenal might higher. Tottenham have also been big spenders. The Londoners scored first when Assou-Ekotto launched a rocket into the net. Liverpool replied with a Stevie G penalty, but another debutant defender scored when Sebastien Bassong netted. There were no clear but chances for the reds. The only controversy was a penalty decision where Liverpool considered themselves unlucky. 2-1 to Spurs and this remains the biggest upset of the week.

This is just the beginning folks! There's a lot of football to be seen and a lot more games to be played! The Premiership may witness the most competetive season this time around, with big spending teams like Man City, Sunderland and Tottenham all starting with wins. The Big 4 should be scared as this time they will surely be challenged to be included in that elite group.