Barclays Premier League: Manchester United lose First Match, Arsenal Secure First Win
Louis van Gaal suffered his first defeat in his first English Premier League game as Manchester United manager on Saturday, while Aaron Ramsey scored a stoppage-time winner for Arsenal.The Red Devil’s first competitive match saw them lose 1-2 to Swansea City at Old Trafford, as the new side exhibited many of the same failings from last season when they finished seventh. It was United’s first home defeat on the season’s opening day since 1972.”It is very disappointing that we have lost our first home match,” said Van Gaal, who debuted 20-year-old Tyler Blackett and 21-year-old Jesse Lingard. “We were very nervous in the first half, made the wrong choices, and that is a pity. In the second half, we never played as a team. Therefore, I’m responsible.”Gylfi Sigurdsson secured his side’s victory with a shot past United goalkeeper David de Gea in the 72nd minute. He had earlier set up Korea Republic midfielder, Ki Sung-Yueng to score a 28th-minute opener, before new United captain Wayne Rooney got an equaliser for the hosts.”We have been working hard in pre-season on defensive shape and we can get even better at that,” Swansea manager Garry Monk said. “But there were pleasing signs in the way we stuck together and the goals we scored against a side of Manchester United’s resources.”FA Cup winners, Arsenal, on the other hand, opened their campaign with victory after Ramsey gave them a late minute 2-1 win at home to Crystal Palace, who are without a manager following Tony Pulis’s shock departure on Friday.New signing ,Brede Hangeland gave Palace a 35th-minute lead, while Arsenal centre-back, Laurent Koscielny equalised in first-half injury time by heading home a free-kick from Sanchez.Palace had Jason Puncheon sent off for two bookable offences and Arsenal capitalised in the 91st minute when Ramsey scored a badly cleared shot.Newly-promoted Leicester City got a dramatic 2-2 draw at home to Everton in their first top-flight game since 2004 while Eric Dier had a remarkable debut for Tottenham, scoring a 93rd-minute winner at West Ham United in Mauricio Pochettino’s first game as the Spurs manager. James Chester’s 52nd-minute header gave Hull City a 1-0 win at promoted Queens Park Rangers, while Andreas Weimann earned Aston Villa a 1-0 victory at Stoke City.EPL Champions, Manchester City travel to Newcastle United on Sunday, while Liverpool will host Southampton.
