EPL Opening Day: Moyes starts Man Utd reign with 4-1 win

[caption id=“attachment_1041333” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  RVP starts for Man United. Getty Images[/caption] FULL-TIME: Swansea 1-4 Manchester United 92 minutes: GOAL! Rooney’s involved in this goal as he finds Danny Welbeck with a through ball and the young Englishman finishes with a glorious chip. 4-1 to United. 82 minutes: GOAL!! Another deep cross causes problems and United manage to get the danger away… but Welbeck tries to play it out, gets robbed and the ball falls to Wilfried Bony, who finishes with aplomb. 3-1 now. 80 minutes: All credit to Swansea that they’re still trying to score, but United have comfortably won this. Rooney slowly getting in the game – his one touch passing game on display. Van Persie tries to create another chance but Evra is offside on the overlap. 72 minutes: GOAL!! What can we say. RVP collects from around the halfway line and Rooney and Welbeck make runs to either side of him, pulling away defenders. RVP suddenly turns and sends a rasping strike past Vorm. 3-0 to United. 66 minutes: Rooney’s body language still seems shy of any enthusiasm. He’s played in by Welbeck but is offside. Meanwhile, Bony and Michu still keeping United defenders on their toes… a cross from Hernandez almost making its way to the latter. 60 minutes: Bony and Michu with some excellent linkup play and they almost have a goal each as Swansea push hard for the goals. And guess what, Wayne Rooney has come on for Ryan Giggs… seconds after RVP misses another chance from an acute angle. 53 minutes: Swansea have sent on record signing Wilfried Bony and Pablo Hernandez to see if they can get something from this game. They’ve started the second half on top again – Michu’s shot stinging De Gea’s palms before another Shelvey corner threatens. HALF-TIME: Swansea 0-1 Man Utd 36 minutes: GOAL!! That’s what champions do, it’s said. Out of nowhere United are 2-0 up. Evra’s cross falls to Valencia on the far post and he plays it back in the box for Danny Welbeck to tap in. 34 minutes: GOAL!! Out of nowhere, Giggs picks out Van Persie with a chip. The ball bobs in the air but the Dutchman holds of the defence, swings in the air and bam! 1-0 to United. 30 minutes: Britton gets some space outside the box and smacks a shot which is blocked by Vidic. It’s very sloppy from United in the middle, with Cleverley and Giggs making too many mistakes. There’s no pace in their game while Swansea run riot around them. 20 minutes: Danny Welbeck has been most impressive for United, but it’s no secret that Swansea are running the show in Wales. Ryan Giggs has a shot which goes past the post but Swansea almost scored in a goalmouth scramble and Michu is troubling in the air too. 10 minutes: The ball falls beautifully for Jones who takes it first time, and the ball is headed for the back of the net until Vorm dives to save it. 5 minutes: Early pressure from Swansea with a spate of crosses and a corner. United however, solid in clearing all the danger away. STAT: Ryan Giggs will play in his 22nd consecutive English season. Swansea XI: Vorm, Rangel, Chico, Williams, Ben Davies, Canas, Britton, Dyer, Shelvey, Routledge, Michu. Subs: Amat, Taylor, Bony, Hernandez, Ki, Pozuelo, Tremmel. Man Utd XI: De Gea, Jones, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Cleverley, Carrick, Valencia, Giggs, Welbeck, van Persie. Subs: Anderson, Rooney, Smalling, Lindegaard, Fabio Da Silva, Kagawa, Zaha. FULL-TIME: Arsenal 1-3 Aston Villa 85 minutes: GOAL! What is that… just what defending is that? Arsenal get a corner and then Antonio Luna breaks forward and finishes. OK, Wayne Rooney is on the bench for Manchester United vs Swansea. 80 minutes: What a chance… what-a-chance! Santi Cazorla’s eyes light up as he sees the ball bob at a good height. He takes a snap shot which is saved by Guzan and then hits the bar. So close. 75 minutes: Oh Rosicky!! He’s had a great game the Czech and one must feel sorry for him not scoring. Another quick exchange with Giroud, then an easy sidestep later he’s one-on-one with the keeper who saves the low shot. Could have chipped it? Easy to say, never to do. 68 minutes: Red Card! Benteke runs towards the Arsenal defence with intent and Laurent Koscielny trips him. That’s the end of his match. 62 minutes: GOAL!! Agbonlahor with another of those raw pacey runs and Koscielny slides in from behind, gets the studs to the ball, but the referee points to the spot. This time, Christian Benteke scores! It’s Arsenal 1-2 Villa. 60 minutes: On the hour mark, Arsenal’s side look exactly like they looked last season… without that one telling factor which can make a difference. New signing Yaya Sanogo is on the bench… will we see him? 52 minutes: Great chance for Arsenal! Wilshere plays the ball to Rosicky who shares quick passes with Giroud before opening his body to take a fine shot which sails over the bar. HALF-TIME: Arsenal 1-1 Aston Villa 42 minutes: Arsenal are currently suffering from a ’let-us-not-shoot’ syndrome. Both Rosicky and Ramsey had space to let go from outside the box, but they opt to curb their enthusiasm and make Walcott run. It doesn’t work and the attacks fizzle out. 35 minutes: Clash of the heads and Kieron Gibbs has come off for Carl Jenkinson. Szczesny suddenly decides to come off his line and is playing out of the box as we see, but Benteke can’t beat him and the lob that eventually comes in to catch the keeper out of position is saved with a dramatic dive. 21 minutes- GOAL! (penalty) Agbonlahor with a mazy run from midfield to the box – and he’s felled by Szczesny for a penalty. Benteke steps up before seeing his first attempt saved but he’s headed in the rebound. 15 minutes: Arsenal’s passing has been crisp so far. Rosicky and Wilshere the two men in midfield who are probing with crossfield passes and through balls. They’re not concentrating on possession, but more on a risky direct passing system. 5 minutes: GOAL! Chamberlain whizzes past every man on the left, stealing behind his marker to lay on a sumptuous cross for Olivier Giroud to sweep in from close range. 1-0 to Arsenal and they look menacing already. Kick-off at Emirates! Arsenal XI: Szczesny, Sagna, Mertesacker, Koscielny, Gibbs, Ramsey, Rosicky, Walcott, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Giroud. Subs: Podolski, Cazorla, Fabianski, Sanogo, Jenkinson, Frimpong, Gnabry. Aston Villa XI: Guzan, Lowton, Vlaar, Baker, Luna, El Ahmadi, Westwood, Delph, Weimann, Benteke, Agbonlahor. Subs: Okore, Clark, Bacuna, Helenius, Steer, Bowery, Tonev. It’s Arsenal vs Aston Villa now… FULL-TIME: Liverpool 1-0 Stoke City 89 minutes - Penalty Saved! Agger’s is adjudged to have handled the ball and the referee points to the spot. Walters steps up and guess what… Simon Mignolet, on his debut, has saved it to his right and kept Liverpool in the lead. 85 minutes: Jose Enrique has a chance to cross it, but wastefully goes for a shot that whizzes past the keeper and for a goalkick. At the other end, former Liverpool player Charlie Adam takes a shot from halfline which Mignolet taps away. That was brave from Adam. 77 minutes: Raheem Sterling, young star of Liverpool has come on for Iago Aspas, who’s gone off to a standing ovation from The Kop. It’s been a fine debut, which could have been better if he’d scored that early chance. Not a dream debut, but it’s not a bad one at least. 65 minutes: Honestly, Begovic is keeping Stoke in the game. Liverpool should ideally have finished this match off but Stoke have hung on courtesy their keeper. No more big highlights in this time but if Liverpool don’t get that second goal, then Stoke will always have a chance to fight back. Brendan Rodgers slightly touchy in the technical area. 57 minutes: Another brilliant move from Liverpool and Gerrard is in the middle of it. He takes a shot but it’s kissed the post and gone behind. 50 minutes: Liverpool are easily dominating now. Stoke City, it must be said, have changed their style of play. It’s not the usual Tony Pulis physical style, but more of a play-the-ball game. They’re getting close but that pass in the final third is missing. HALF-TIME 42 minutes: Walters from miles out! But Mignolet is up to the task. What a shot that is from the Stoke attacker… much more positive from the Potters today. 36 minutes - GOAL! He collects it some 20 yards out and smacks it in with that favourite left-foot. It’s low and hard and in the net. Daniel Sturridge has scored the first goal of the EPL 2013-14 season and Liverpool lead 1-0. 35 minutes: Best chance of the match as Iago Aspas is clean through on goal but Begovic goes down and thwarts him. Sturridge has another shot and the goalkeeper is up to the task again. Fantastic stuff. Liverpool are knocking on the door… 30 minutes: Another good move involving Coutinho, Gerrard and Enrique. The left-back bombs forward before playing a one-two with Gerrard but his low shot is saved by Begovic. 25 minutes: Coutinho has been brilliant so far. Hes asking for the ball, making use of it – spreading it around cleverly and creating openings. He gets a layoff and takes a shot, but it’s high. A few more openings like that and it won’t be a surprise if he scores. 18 minutes: Ball arrowed in towards Peter Crouch, who goes down between Glen Johnson and Daniel Agger… but the referee politely asks him to get up. No penalty and the tempo has risen in this match already. 11 minutes - Off the post! Oh and Stoke City almost score the first goal of the season via a shot from Huth off a corner. It was a sensational volley towards the far post but Liverpool survive. 5 minutes: Pretty touchy at the moment from both teams, but Liverpool clearly on top. Coutinho and Gerrard running the show in the middle of the park and new striker Iago Aspas looks pretty active too… jumpy in fact and constantly on the move. KICK-OFF! Liverpool XI: Mignolet, Johnson, Toure, Agger, Jose Enrique, Gerrard, Lucas, Henderson, Aspas, Sturridge, Coutinho. Subs: Brad Jones, Alberto, Allen, Borini, Sterling, Wisdom, Ibe. Stoke XI: Begovic, Cameron, Shawcross, Huth, Pieters, Whelan, Nzonzi, Palacios, Walters, Crouch, Etherington. Subs: Muniesa, Pennant, Jones, Wilson, Adam, Sorensen, Jerome. Click here to listen to our podcast and read our preview of the top three clubs from last year. Click here to read out preview featuring the clubs which will be embroiled in the battle for Europe and here for those which will be fighting for survival.