The opening day of the Premier League season has never failed to throw up some shock results.
Even the very best sides have suffered from first day nerves, and this gallery will show you that true winners have the ability to bounce back.
Man Utd 1992-93
United will always have the accolade of conceding the very first Premier League goal, in a 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United. They lost again, 3-0 at home to Everton, but pressed on from there to become the inaugural Premier League champions. Image Source: Collect Soccer
Man Utd 1995-96
“You don’t win anything with kids”, said Alan Hansen after a young United side lost 3-1 at Villa Park on day one. One overturned 12-point deficit later, and we know exactly what will be engraved on your headstone Mr Hansen. Image Source: Twitter
Newcastle 1996-97
Alan Shearer was not the messiah when Newcastle visited Goodison Park on the first day of 1996/97. He wasn’t even a naughty boy. He was just bang average as his side went down 2-0, but they eventually finished second. Image source: Grand Old Team
Leeds 1999-00
Leeds faced Derby in their 1999-2000 opening game. A 0-0 draw did not suggest that this band of young upstarts was about to set the world alight, embark on an insane winning streak, top the table on Millennium Eve and qualify for the Champions League. Image source: Oz White LUFC
Ipswich 2000-01
Newly promoted, Ipswich fell to a 3-1 defeat at White Hart Lane, and anyone could be forgiven for thinking that this would continue for the new boys. It didn’t, and the men from Suffolk actually occupied a Champions League spot over Christmas before settling for fifth. Image source: Pinterest
Everton 2004-05
The fixture computer brought an invincible Arsenal side to Goodison on a searing August day. Predictably, Everton received an absolute roasting, 4-1 to be precise, but lost only three more times before the New Year, grinding out lots of 1-0 wins to qualify for the Champions League – without Rooney! Image source: Football Fancast
Man Utd 2007-08
A 0-0 draw at home to Reading did not suggest that United would win the Premier League and Champions League in May 2008. But they did. Image source: Manchester Red
Man Utd 2012-13
Everton dispatched the eventual champions 1-0 with a wonderful display of teamwork. New signing Robin van Persie never once got near the goal, but he was soon on fire. Image source: Footy Headlines
Arsenal 2013-14
Arsenal’s poor home record against Villa continued with a 3-1 defeat to Paul Lambert’s side. The Gunners enjoyed their customary fourth place finish and won the F.A Cup – their first trophy in nine years. Image source: MStars News
Tottenham 2015-16
It was against the run of play that Tottenham lost their opening match, 1-0 at Old Trafford. However, Mauricio Pochettino had the last laugh. He guided Spurs to a third place finish, and guaranteed Champions League football, while United scraped a Europa League place. Image source: Wikimedia Commons
SEE ALSO: Shock Europa League exits from English clubs
Stick that up your Arsenal!
This list is by no means exhaustive. Arsenal have proven particularly susceptible down the years, most memorably losing 4-2 at home to relegation favourites Norwich in their very first Premier League game almost 25 years ago.
The Gunners also opened with a draw, 1-1 at Elland Road, in their first title-winning Premier League season of 1997/98. Then there was a 1-0 defeat at Sunderland, on the first day of 2000/01, a season in which Arsenal went on to finish second.
The same finish was yielded fifteen years later, after Arsenal lost at home to Slaven Bilic’s West Ham (in Bilic’s very first managerial EPL match) at the Emirates.
Thankfully, for the sake of Arsenal fans – and NON-Arsenal fans who are utterly sick of the whinging rhetoric from North London – Arsenal’s poor openers have more often than not proved a mere blip on the road to a top four finish.
Relive some happier moments for the red half of North London.
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