Arsenal underlined their determination to retain the Premier League crown with a swaggering start to their title defence.
City were being held to a 1-1 draw by Bournemouth after Marc Guehi’s 84th minute header cancelled out Marcus Tavernier’s opener for the Cherries. Liverpool were in dire straits, trailing 2-1 after Joe Willock’s goal restored Newcastle’s lead following a Cody Gakpo equaliser of Anthony Elanga’s early strike. Replacing Pep Guardiola is a daunting task for former Chelsea boss Maresca, but he will have noted the Spaniard also needed a late goal against Sunderland to make a winning start to his reign 10 years ago.
AFP Sport looks at three things we learnt from the opening weekend of the Premier League: The victory over Frank Lampard’s side at the Emirates Stadium featured signs that should alarm any team hoping to take the title from them. Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard were the scorers, with England defender Ezri Konsa’s pre-match unveiling after his move from Aston Villa providing another ominous signal of Arsenal’s dynastic ambitions. Maresca’s side were fortunate to escape with three points after a mediocre display.
