Champions-League-winners FC Chelsea put in an easily played victory at the start of the new Premier League season. The Blues from team manager Thomas Tuchel came to a 3-0 (2-0) against Crystal Palace. A dream free kick from Marcos Alonso (27th) as well as hits from the former Dortmund player Christian Pulisic (40th) and Trevoh Chalobah (58th) made for the three.
Tuchel had ordered the German internationals Timo Werner and Antonio Rüdiger into the starting line-up, Champions League hero Kai Havertz initially sat on the bench and was only substituted eight minutes before the end. The Belgian 115 million newcomer Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan was not yet part of the Chelsea squad.
Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool FC followed suit in a duel between the German coaches on Saturday evening. Liverpool won 3-0 (1-0) against newly promoted Norwich City and team manager Daniel Farke. Diogo Jota (26th), Roberto Firmino (65th) and Mohamed Salah (74th), who was the first player to meet for five years in a row on the opening weekend, met for the Reds.
Defender Virgil van Dijk was back in a competitive game for Liverpool after a long injury break. At Norwich, the former Bremen Milot Rashica and Joshua Sargent made their Premier League debut. The latter came on for Rashica in the 77th minute.
England’s soccer record champions Manchester United, on the other hand, were happy to kick off a runaway victory, three goals from Bruno Fernandes and four assists from French star Paul Pogba. The Old Trafford team prevailed against the former champion Leeds United with the German international Robin Koch in the starting eleven with 5: 1 (1: 0).
The Portuguese Fernandes (30th) scored the opening goal for United after preliminary work by Pogba. The former BVB star came on from the 75th minute and celebrated his competitive premiere for Manchester United.
Luke Aylin (48th) initially equalized for Leeds, but Mason Greenwood (52nd) and Fernandes again (54th) set the course for victory with their goals. Both Manchester United goals were again prepared by Pogba. For his part, however, the French world champion had carelessly missed a great chance in the 13th minute. Fernandes scored his third goal after an hour. Fred (68.) ensured the final score on preparatory work by Pogba.
Shortly before the start of the game, ManUnited announced the transfer of French world champion Raphael Varane (28) for up to 50 million euros from Real Madrid. The defender receives a contract with the record champion until mid-2025.
.
