Nick Seddon is back ahead of the new football season, ranking the top 5 Premier League Opening Day games of all-time. Read his write-up exclusively for kwiff.
Ranking the Top 5 Premier League Opening Day Games of All-Time
With newly promoted Coventry City kicking things off with the daunting prospect of facing the champions Arsenal at the Emirates, we’ve picked out five of the best Premier League curtain-raisers to date.
Arsenal 3-4 Liverpool (14th August 2016)
Arsenal are no strangers to an opening day humdinger, as they showed when on the wrong side of a seven-goal thriller to Liverpool 10 years ago. The Gunners had finished second behind surprise champions Leicester City the previous year and although Theo Walcott put them in front, they struggled to cope with a Liverpool side that had benefitted from a first summer transfer window under new manager Jürgen Klopp.
Philippe Coutinho drew his side level with a 30-yard screamer, before strikes from Adam Lallana, Coutinho again and new signing Sadio Mané had the Reds out of sight just after the hour mark. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain made things interesting just 60 seconds later, before Calum Chambers grabbed another, but Klopp’s men held on to win a topsy-turvy affair.
Arsenal 4-3 Leicester City (11th August 2017)
The Emirates found itself at the centre of yet another seven-goal slug fest just 12 months later, when a rejuvenated Leicester City rolled into town. The Foxes had struggled in their attempt to defend their historic title the previous year, parting company with Claudio Ranieri during the season, but the signings of Kelechi Iheanacho and Harry Maguire provided a renewed hope that they could continue to compete.
It was an Arsenal summer signing who made the first move, with Alexander Lacazette scoring from just his second ever touch in the league, but goals from Shinji Okazaki and Jamie Vardy put the visitors in front. Danny Welbeck replied to ensure a frenetic tie was level at the break, before Vardy popped up again just before the hour mark. Leicester were eight minutes away from a statement victory, but two goals in three minutes from Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud ensured Arsenal made up for the previous year’s disappointment by stealing all three points.
Middlesbrough 3-3 Liverpool (17th August 1996)
Liverpool also seem to have a habit of starting the season in dramatic circumstances and they had to contend with one of the best Premier League debuts of all-time at the Riverside stadium 30 years ago.
Middlesbrough finished 12th on their first season back in the top flight the year before and were keen to kick on, splashing £7 million on Fabrizio Ravanelli. That figure may seem insignificant now, but it was the third most expensive transfer in English history at the time and would be worth around £104 million in today’s money according to football finance expert Kieran Maguire.
It didn’t take the Italian striker long to make an impact, either, with two first half goals to cancel out strikes from Stig Inge Bjørnebye and John Barnes. Robbie Fowler thought he’d won it when guiding the ball into the top corner with 25 minutes to go, but Ravanelli popped up once again to complete his hat-trick and pinch a point.
Wigan Athletic 0-1 Chelsea (14th August 2005)
Like Coventry, new boys Wigan Athletic were given little hope on their top flight bow, against a Chelsea side that had just won their first Premier League title with a then-record 95 points. Wigan had been bankrolled to the top by businessman Dave Whelan, but the millions of Chelsea were on a completely different stratosphere, giving the game more of a feel of an FA Cup tie than a league match. Paul Jewell’s men were far from overawed, however, and quickly took the game to the champions. They should have taken the lead, too, with Henri Camara one of several to squander chances and Damien Francis hitting the crossbar.
The match seemed to be heading for a goalless draw until Hernan Crespo, who was last seen scoring a brace in the Champions League final for AC Milan, popped up with a 93rd minute cracker from outside the area to break Latics’ hearts and bail Jose Mourinho’s men out of jail.
Liverpool 4-3 Leeds United (12th September 2020)
Liverpool close this article by making their third entry on this list, with a certified classic from the pandemic era. Complications from the global shutdown meant that the season kicked off late and behind closed doors to boot, though little could dampen spirits on Merseyside after a maiden Premier League title.
It was also a big day for Leeds United after a 16-year absence from the top flight and this tie was frenetic from the outset, with five first half goals. Liverpool were twice pegged back by Jack Harrison and Patrick Bamford after a penalty from Mo Salah and a header from Virgil Van Dijk respectively, before Salah hammered his side back in-front before the interval.
The new boys wouldn’t lie down however and they equalised for a third time in style, with an excellent control and finish from Mateusz Klich with 24 minutes to play. The game seemed destined for a draw, until a clumsy foul on Fabinho two minutes from time enabled Salah to win it from the spot and seal a hat-trick in the process.
By Nick Seddon
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