Man City rout West Ham 5-0 to start Premier League defense

Raheem Sterling scored a hat trick as Manchester City began its bid for a third straight Premier League title with a 5-0 rout at West Ham on Saturday.

Gabriel Jesus opened the scoring and substitute Sergio Aguero added a retaken penalty as City stretched its winning league run to 15 games including last season and delivered a statement to Liverpool, which opened its league campaign with a 4-1 win over Norwich City on Friday.

City, which racked up 98 points to beat Liverpool by a point last season, rarely looked like getting out of second gear with a measured performance at London's Olympic Stadium.

"At times we were a bit sloppy in the first half, but once the second goal went in I thought the boys were brilliant," Sterling told BT Sport 1. "It was quite difficult first half to get the cobwebs off, but once we got our rhythm the chances came."

Riyad Mahrez, back in England after leading Algeria to the African Cup of Nations title, had the visitors' first effort in the ninth minute, and should have done better again after cutting inside Aaron Cresswell before shooting right of the post.

Jesus broke the deadlock in the 25th minute, converting Kyle Walker's cross from close range after Mahrez had played the England right-back in on the right.

West Ham rarely looked convincing. City's Oleksandr Zinchenko intervened when Manuel Lanzini was through at the other end, before Ederson had little trouble gathering the ball from record signing Sebastien Haller's attempted overhead kick.

It was only a matter of when City, with summer signing Rodri looking assured in midfield, would increase the tempo and make more of its superiority.

Kevin de Bruyne set up Sterling to score through Lukasz Fabianski's legs in the 51st, minutes before Jesus had a well-worked team effort ruled out through VAR for offside. Sterling, played in by David Silva before he crossed for Jesus' tap in, appeared to have his shoulder ahead of the defender.

Ederson was forced to make a double-save from Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, then Lanzini in West Ham's best phase.

"They had an incredible chance and it could go 1-2 with 15 minutes left. So you have to be strong, calm and positive. You have to control your emotions," said City coach Pep Guardiola.

VAR was needed again when Sterling grabbed his second in the 75th, timing his run for Mahrez's ball over the top before lifting it over Fabianski, but this time the goal was allowed.

Then Aguero was given a second chance to take his penalty after Fabianski saved his first effort. A VAR check showed Declan Rice was encroaching in the penalty area.

Aguero made it 4-0 in the 86th and Sterling wrapped it up in injury time, becoming the first since Didier Drogba in 2010-11 to start with a hat trick on the league's opening weekend.

Two-goal Kane leads Tottenham to 3-1 comeback win over Villa

Harry Kane scored two late goals as Tottenham came from behind to start its Premier League campaign with a 3-1 win over promoted Aston Villa on Saturday.

Tanguy Ndombele also struck on his debut as Mauricio Pochettino's side dug deep to overcome a stubborn Villa team.

Kane, who missed a good chance in first-half injury time, capitalized on a defensive lapse from Jack Grealish before coolly slotting the ball past goalkeeper Tom Heaton in the 86th minute.

The England forward then grabbed his second in the 90th after being set up by Moussa Sissoko. It was just reward for Spurs' pressure after the home side chalked up 28 efforts on goal, compared to six from the visitors.

Earlier, John McGinn stunned the home crowd by scoring against the run of play in the ninth minute. He held off Danny Rose's challenge and shot low past goalkeeper Hugo Lloris following a long ball forward from Tyrone Mings.

Ndombele tried his luck from distance before Pochettino brought on Danish playmaker Christian Eriksen in the 64th.

Spurs kept attacking and clubrecord signing Ndombele finally leveled in the 73rd when he let fly through a host of bodies after Lucas Moura had laid the ball back.

Crystal Palace held 0-0 by 10-man Everton in EPL

Crystal Palace was held to a goalless draw by 10-man Everton in the Premier League on Saturday, with Wilfried Zaha the focus of attention.

The Ivory Coast winger, who reportedly made a transfer request this week to try to force a move to Everton, came on as a Palace substitute in the 65th minute.

Everton had Morgan Schneiderlin sent off in the 76th for a second yellow card after tripping Palace captain Luka Milivojevic.

The visitors made the better start at Selhurst Park without testing home goalkeeper Vicente Guaita. Gylfi Sigurdsson missed the best early chance after scuffing a shot wide.

Seamus Coleman finally tested Guaita from close range after half an hour.

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was forced into two saves in succession to deny Jordan Ayew and Max Meyer in rare chances for the home side shortly before the hour.

Former Mainz midfielder JeanPhilippe Gbamin came on as a substitute to make his Everton debut. Palace has never won an opening-day Premier League home game.

Potter enjoys dream Premier League debut as Brighton coach

Brighton beat Watford 3-0 in a dream Premier League debut for English coach Graham Potter on Saturday.

In the 64th minute, Potter sent on two forwards — new signing Neal Maupay and Romanian striker Florin Andone — with Brighton leading 1-0. Both went on to score.

Potter enjoyed considerable success with Swedish side Ostersunds FK before taking over Championship club Swansea last season.

Brighton, which narrowly avoided relegation last season, took the lead when Watford midfielder Abdoulaye Doucoure deflected German midfielder Pascal Gross' cross into his own net in the 28th.

Andone scored a minute after coming on after being set up by Davy Propper, and French striker Maupay, who joined from Championship side Brentford for a reported $24 million last week, scored on his debut after being sent through by Lewis Dunk in the 77th.

Brighton's Australian goalkeeper Mat Ryan saved Craig Dawson's attempt to pull one back on his Watford debut. Watford's other new signings Ismaila Sarr and Danny Welbeck both missed the game at Vicarage Road.

Barnes double leads Burnley to 3-0 win against Southampton

Ashley Barnes scored twice as Burnley launched its Premier League campaign with a 3-0 victory against Southampton on a windswept, rain-lashed day at Turf Moor on Saturday.

The home team did not have a shot on target until Barnes pounced on a mistake by Southampton's Jannik Vestergaard to grab the opening goal in the 63rd minute.

Burnley's new signing Erik Pieters was involved in the first goal and also laid on the second in the 70th minute as his deep cross found Barnes and he supplied the finish with his right foot.

Johann Berg Gudmundsson then got on the end of a long clearance from goalkeeper Nick Pope, who was making his first league appearance since May 2018, before firing home from a tight angle.

Sharp strikes as Sheffield United grabs point on EPL return

Substitute Billy Sharp scored a late equalizer as newly promoted Sheffield United marked its Premier League return by securing a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth on Saturday. Sharp, a boyhood Blades fan, had been on the pitch just six minutes when he scrambled home from close range in the 88th minute following a well-worked free-kick routine.

Sheffield, back in the top flight for the first time since 2007, looked set to leave the Vitality Stadium empty-handed after defender Chris Mepham's first Cherries goal in the 62nd.

Ryan Fraser's right-wing freekick was nodded down by Philip Billing at the back post and, after an acrobatic attempt from Nathan Ake and Dean Henderson's save from Callum Wilson, Mepham powered in from close range.