'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The 2021-22 Premier League got off to a riveting start last weekend. There were emphatic performances and surprises aplenty during the opening Matchday of the season.
Among a few notable results on the opening game week, Manchester United got the ball rolling with an emphatic 5-1 win over rivals Leeds United. Chelsea and Liverpool coasted to three-goal wins without conceding, while Leicester City beat Wolves by a solitary goal.
However, reigning champions Manchester City slumped to a 1-0 reverse at Tottenham Hotspur. Arsenal fell to a shock 2-0 defeat at newly-promoted Brentford.
Trending
On that note, here's a look at the ten most interesting stats from Matchday 1 of the 2021-22 Premier League season:
#10 Second-most prolific opening Gameweek in Premier League history
It was a goal-filled opening game week of the 2021-22 Premier League, with all ten games producing definitive results.
As many as six teams scored at least thrice, with Manchester United putting five past Leeds United. The two highest-scoring matches of the opening game week produced six goals each (Manchester United 5-1 Leeds United and Newcastle United 2-4 West Ham United).
With 34 goals, it was the second-most prolific opening game week in Premier League history.
Only the opening game week of the 2003-04 Premier League season saw more goals scored (36) than the one in 2021-22.
#9 Freddie Woodman becomes the eighth goalkeeper to save a penalty on his Premier League debut
Making a memorable Premier League debut, Newcastle United goalkeeper Freddie Woodman became only the eighth debutant in competition history to save a penalty. The goalkeeper's efforts were insufficient in the end, however, as Newcastle lost 2-4 to West Ham on the night.
After Jacob Murphy felled Pablo Fornals inside the Newcastle box, Woodman saved Michail Antonio's penalty. However, he palmed it straight into the path of Tomas Soucek, who pounced on the rebound.
Earlier, Newcastle led twice against West Ham, courtesy of Callum Wilson and Jacob Murphy. But the Magpies conceded thrice in the second period to slump to a disappointing home defeat.
#8 Danny Ings scores the 2000th penalty in Premier League history
Danny Ings scored the 2000th penalty in Premier League history when he scored in the 97th minute against Watford. However, it was too little too late as Aston Villa fell short in a five-goal thriller.
Nevertheless, Ings is the member of an illustrious list of 459 different players to score a penalty in the Premier League. He stands along the likes of Alan Shearer (56 penalties scored), Frank Lampard (43) and Steven Gerrard (32), among others.
It was Ings' eighth penalty in the Premier League. He has missed just one, doing so in Bournemouth's 2-0 loss to Southampton in 2019-20.
#7 Norwich City now have the second-worst losing streak in Premier League history
It was a forgettable return to the Premier League for Norwich City after a year's absence, as they fell to a 3-0 home defeat against Liverpool.
The loss marked The Canaries' 11th-straight in the Premier League, the worst losing streak in the competition after Sunderland (20). Norwich had ended the 2019-20 campaign with ten defeats on the trot, ultimately resulting in relegation to the Championship.
Despite returning to the Premier League at the first time of asking, the 2020-21 Championship winners found the going tough against Liverpool. They conceded thrice without reply despite a bright overall performance.
#6 Roberto Firmino scores Liverpool's 8000th English top-flight goal
Roberto Firmino hasn't been among the goals of late. But the Brazilian opened his 2021-22 Premier League account by scoring on the opening day of the season.
Firmino came off the bench to double Liverpool's lead midway through the second half as the Reds won 3-0 on the night. It was a landmark strike for the 29-year-old, as it marked Liverpool's 8000th goal in the English top flight.
Firmino, who has failed to record double-digit goal tallies in his last two Premier League campaigns, only started from the bench against Norwich. Diego Jota was preferred alongside Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane up front.
#5 Marcos Alonso scores Chelsea's 50th direct free-kick goal in the Premier League
Marcos Alonso scored Chelsea's first goal in the 2021-22 Premier League, curling in a sumptuous free-kick to open the scoring against Crystal Palace. It marked Chelsea's 50th direct free-kick goal in the competition, with only Manchester United (64) having scored more.
Alonso has scored 25 goals for Chelsea in 168 games across all competitions, with 22 of these strikes coming in the Premier League. The left-back now has four direct free-kick goals for the Blues. It is the most by a Chelsea player since the start of the 2016-17 season, when Alonso first arrived in the English top flight.
#4 Manchester City's loss marks the third instance of a defending Premier League champion losing their first match of the season
Manchester City launched their bid for the 2021-22 Premier League on the wrong note as the holders slumped to a 1-0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur.
That marked only the third instance of the reigning Premier League champions losing their first league game of the new season.
The defeat to Spurs was Pep Guardiola's fifth away from home against the London club. It is the most in the legendary manager's illustrious career against a single opponent.
Although City have ample time to get their campaign back on track, the defeat doesn't bode too well for their hopes of a successful title defense. That's because Manchester United (thrice) are the only Premier League holders to successfully defend their title after a loss in the opening game week.
#3 Mohamed Salah becomes the first player to score in five consecutive opening-day games in the Premier League
Mohamed Salah has been a prolific scorer in the Premier League. The Egyptian opened his account in the 2021-22 edition of the competition by netting Liverpool's third goal in their 3-0 win at Norwich City.
That made Salah the first player to score in five consecutive opening-day games in the Premier League. The Liverpool striker, who scored on his Premier League debut against Watford on the opening day of the 2017-18 season, is now only four goals away from scoring 100 goals in the competition.
Salah has scored 96 goals in 146 Premier League games for Liverpool. Interestingly, 32 of these strikes came in his debut campaign in the competition four years ago.
#2 Paul Pogba becomes the seventh different player to provide four assists in a Premier League game
Paul Pogba may finally be living up to the hype since returning to Manchester United five years ago.
The Frenchman, who dazzled at Euro 2020 for France this summer, produced an emphatic performance in his opening game of the 2021-22 Premier League. Pogba was one of the standout performers in his team's 5-1 home win over Leeds United, registering an incredible four assists.
That made the 28-year-old the first Manchester United player to produce four assists in a single game in the competition. Pogba also became just the seventh overall in the Premier League to achieve the feat. Interestingly, the Frenchman assisted only thrice in the league in all of last season.
United's 5-1 victory was the biggest win in the opening Matchday of the 2021-22 Premier League.
#1 Bruno Fernandes scores the 10th opening-day hat-trick in Premier League history
After a forgettable campaign for Portugal at Euro 2020, Bruno Fernandes has hit the ground running in the Premier League.
The midfielder could not have chosen a better occasion to score his first Manchester United hat-trick. Fernandes' three-goal haul marked only the tenth hat-trick on the opening day of a Premier League season.
The 26-year-old has been like a breath of fresh air since his arrival at Old Trafford in January 2020. Fernandes now has 43 goals in 81 games for the club, with 29 of these strikes coming in the Premier League.
