City and Liverpool work hard for opening victories
MANCHESTER City and Liverpool, last season’s top two in the Premier League, were both made to sweat by determined opposition before opening their campaigns with hardfought victories yesterday.
David Silva and Sergio Aguero scored as City began their title defence with a 2-0 success at Newcastle United, after Daniel Sturridge had struck late in the game to earn Liverpool a 2-1 win at home to Southampton.
The two rivals joined five other teams, including Arsenal, on maximum points, ahead of their showdown at the Etihad Stadium next Monday in the first major head-to-head of the season.
City manager Manuel Pellegrini gave a debut chance to new Brazilian midfielder Fernando and saw his side take the lead in the 38th minute at St James’ Park. Yaya Toure found Edin Dzeko with a lofted pass over the top and, as Newcastle’s centre-backs rushed across, the Bosnian teed up Silva with a back-heel and the Spain midfielder coolly beat Tim Krul.
Newcastle, who gave debuts to Daryl Janmaat, Jack Colback, Remy Cabella and Emmanuel Riviere, improved after the interval, with Cabella and Paul Dummett spurning opportunities to hit the target. Substitute Ayoze Perez then saw a curling effort deflected agonisingly wide by Fernando, before Aguero ran through and beat Krul at the second attempt in stoppage time to finally put the game to bed.
Sturridge, meanwhile, snaffled a 79th-minute winner as Liverpool edged Southampton at a sunsoaked Anfield.
Raheem Sterling put Liverpool ahead midway through the first half but Nathaniel Clyne lashed home an equaliser shortly before the hour following a neat exchange with debutant Dusan Tadic.
Brendan Rodgers’s Liverpool looked destined to drop points in their first competitive game since the sale of Luis Suarez to Barcelona, but with 11 minutes to play, Sterling teed up Sturridge to flick home the winning goal.
“We scored two very good goals and we’re delighted about the win,” Liverpool manager Rodgers told Sky Sports. “In terms of the character and desire and the will to win, we were exceptional.”
Southampton may have lost five key players and appointed a new manager in Ronald Koeman, but they were not cowed by Liverpool’s opener and equalised in the 56th minute. After Steven Davis had shot meekly at Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, Sterling headed on a loose ball for England teammate Sturridge to nudge home the winner from a matter of yards.
There was time for one last scare for Liverpool, with Mignolet touching a drive from Schneiderlin onto the bar and Southampton debutant Shane Long, a late substitute, heading the rebound wide.
Manchester United’s campaign got off to a false start on Saturday with a 2-1 loss at home to Swansea City in new manager Louis van Gaal’s first competitive game. Arsenal needed an injury-time goal from Aaron Ramsey to overcome Crystal Palace 2-1. Chelsea open their campaign at Burnley tonight.