Premier League: 10 best opening day fixtures in history 

Manchester City v Huddersfield Town - Premier League
Which players will start their journey towards Premier League glory this weekend?

The kick-off to the new Premier League season is just days away. After a three month absence, the biggest league in the world will return to our screens this weekend, and if history is anything to go by, the opening weekend should have plenty of surprises in store for us.

The opening fixtures are often among the most exciting in the season, with new boys aiming to impress, and the big dogs trying to mark their territory early on.

Over the years, the opening day has provided us with many memorable and iconic moments, including thrilling end-to-end games, and huge upsets.

With the new Premier League season just days away, let's take a look at ten of the best opening day fixtures in the division's history.

10: Wigan 0-4 Blackpool 2010/11

Wigan Athletic v Blackpool - Premier League
Blackpool made an impressive start to their one and only Premier League campaign

Blackpool's stay in the Premier League may have only lasted one season, but the Tangerines certainly had fun while it lasted.

It's always nice to see a newly promoted underdog get a surprising opening day win, and Blackpool duly delivered in the 2010/11 season.

Ian Holloway's side had surprised the world a few months prior, securing their first ever promotion to the Premier League after defeating Cardiff City 3-2 in a thrilling play-off final encounter.

Most fans had written them off before they'd kicked a ball, but they continued to defy the odds by smashing Wigan on the opening day of the season.

A brace from Marlon Harewood, and goals from Alex Baptiste, and playoff hero Gary Taylor Fletcher secured the memorable win for the now League One side.

9: Arsenal 1-3 Aston Villa, 2013/14

Arsenal v Aston Villa - Premier League
Things got off to a bad start for Wenger in 2013

How things have changed for Aston Villa. On the opening day of the 2013/14 season, they produced one of the biggest upsets of the season when they recorded a comfortable 3-1 victory over Arsenal at the Emirates.

The start of the 13/14 season was one of the worst in Arsenal's history, and before the season kicked off, their only season that Summer was Yaya Sanogo.

Villa, on the other hand, managed then by Paul Lambert, had a fairly active pre-season and while they had to weather a storm at times, they were comfortable victors on the day.

A goal from Antonio Luca and a brace from Christian Benteke, who, at the time, was one of the hottest strikers in the division, were enough to condemn the Gunners to a defeat. The home crowd let their disappointment show, with the Emirates stadium drowning in boos at the final whistle.

8: Leicester 4-2 Sunderland, 2015/16

Sunderland v Leicester City - Premier League
Claudio Ranieri's Leicester side got off to an impressive start in their title-winning campaign

Leicester's impressive 4-2 victory over Sunderland on the opening day of the 2015/16 doesn't make this list because of how good a match it was, but because of the wheels it would set in motion for the coming season.

Claudio Ranieri's first game in charge of Leicester couldn't have gotten off to a better start, with the side taking a comfortable 3-0 lead over Sunderland inside the opening 30 minutes. Both teams in this match had both been hotly tipped for relegation, so this was a great way to get things underway at The King Power Stadium.

Sunderland would grab a goal back before Leicester grabbed their fourth, and a late consolation from Steven Fletcher for the black cats saw the game end 4-2.

At the full-time whistle, Leicester City sat second in the table, little did they know that 37 games later, they would finish one place higher.

7: Aston Villa 3-1 Manchester United, 1995/96

Brian Kidd and Alex Ferguson Premiership Trophy May 1996
You can't win anything with kids......

Twenty-three years have passed since Alan Hansen uttered his infamous 'You can't win anything with kids' line after Manchester United were defeated 3-1 on the opening day of the 95/96 season, and still to this day, the scot has not been allowed to forget about it.

Few young sides are as iconic as Manchester United 'class of 92' and this was one of their first appearances as a unit in the Premier League. Their side, which featured Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Nicky Butt, Paul Scholes and David Beckham, would go on to win both the Premier League and FA Cup that season but they were defeated fairly comfortably on the opening day by Aston Villa at Villa Park.

Their defeat prompted Hansen to utter his famous line in the post-match analysis, something that has haunted him ever since.

6: Wimbledon 0-3 Manchester United, 1996/97

David Beckham...
David Beckham became a star on the opening day of the 96/97 season

The opening day of the 1996/97 season provided the Premier League with one of its most iconic moments of all time, it also witnessed the birth of a star the likes of which the footballing world had never seen before.

Eric Cantona and Denis Irwin were both on the scoresheet that day, but neither of those goals will be remembered, instead, it was the beautiful half-way line goal by David Beckham.

This was not, contrary to some belief, Beckham's debut season for The Red Devils but it was that moment that made the world stand up and watch. Beckham made himself a star that day and the rest, as they say, is history.

5: Hull 2-1 Leicester, 2016/17

Hull City v Leicester City - Premier League
Jamie Vardy wasn't having a party in Hull

Leicester shocked the world when they won the Premier League back in 2016, and while nobody expected them to retain their trophy, most fans thought they would comfortably see off freshly promoted Hull on the opening day of their title defence.

While they had lost star midfield N'Golo Kante, they still managed to maintain the services of a lot of their Premier League winning team. In stark contrast, Hull were coming into the game with a paper-thin squad and without a permanent manager.

Adama Diomande smashed in the opening goal for The Tigers on the stroke of half-time, and while Leicester fought back through a penalty early in the second half, Hull completed their shocking victory thanks to a goal from Robert Snodgrass.

Hull would go on to be relegated that season but there are fewer things sweeter than defeating the reigning Premier League champions on the opening day of the season.

4: Arsenal 4-3 Leicester, 2017/18

Arsenal v Leicester City - Premier League
Arsenal and Leicester put on quite the show at The Emirates

Last season's opening day had plenty of memorable moments but the day's most exciting fixture took place at The Emirates Stadium, where two former Premier League Champions, Leicester and Arsenal, played their part in a seven-goal thriller.

As we've seen already, Arsenal have had mixed fortunes on the opening day and Arsene Wenger's side almost fell to another embarrassing opening defeat in what would be the Frenchman's final season as Arsenal manager.

Things started brightly for Arsenal when debutant Alexandre Lacazette scored less than two minutes into his debut. Leicester responded quickly though, with Shinji Okazaki levelling the scores in the fifth minute.

Jamie Vardy would then put the away side ahead before Danny Welbeck levelled the scoring for the Gunners moments before the half-time break.

Leicester would come back stronger after the break though, and the former Premier League champions found themselves 3-2 up after Vardy put them back in front 10 minutes into the half.

The Foxes were seven minutes away from a historic opening day victory when Aaron Ramsey scored Arsenal's third. Two minutes later, substitute Olivier Giroud would head home the winning goal for Arsenal in what was one of the most exciting opening day fixtures ever seen at the Emirates.

3: Chelsea 2-3 Burnley, 2017/18

Chelsea v Burnley - Premier League
Fabregas saw red as Chelsea's title defence got off to a terrible start

Antonio Conte's Chelsea side had cruised to a fairly comfortable Premier League title in 2016/17 in what was the Italian's first season in charge.

The club had finished on 93 points, losing only five games on their way to glory, but their defence of the title could not have gotten off to a worse start.

Sean Dyche's Burnley were the first team to face the defending champions last season, in what many fans expected to be a fairly comfortable victory.

Fans who were expecting the game to be one-way traffic were correct, except, everything was going Burnley's way, not Chelsea's.

Things got off to a bad start for The Blues when Gary Cahill saw red for them inside the first fifteen minutes, but they were stunned 10 minutes later when Sam Vokes opened the scoring. Things would get worse from there, with Stephen Ward adding another just before the 40-minute mark, and Vokes securing his brace on the stroke of half-time. Stamford Bridge was stunned as the scoreline was Burnley 0-3 Chelsea at half-time.

Chelsea would mount a comeback of sorts in the second half, with debutant Alberto Morata scoring with 20 minutes to go, only for Cesc Fabregas to become the team's second player to receive a red card of the day. David Luiz would then score in the 88th to set up a tense finale, but the champions didn't have enough in the tank.

The reigning champions never really recovered from their opening day embarrassment and would go on to finish fifth, 30 points behind champions, Manchester City. Burnley, on the other hand, continued to defy the odds, finishing 7th and securing themselves a spot in the Europa League.

2: Everton 1-6 Arsenal, 2009/10

Everton v Arsenal - Premier League
Arsenal embarrassed Everton at Goodison Park

Back in 2009, Arsenal were still considered to be a team who could challenge for the Premier League title, and their opening day demolition of Everton at Goodison Park certainly didn't damage their odds.

The two teams had finished fourth and fifth at the end of the previous season, but they looked worlds apart in what was one of the most comfortable opening day victories of all time.

Granted, Everton defender, Joleon Lescott was in the midst of a move to Manchester City, but that's still no real excuse for the total collapse of the whole Everton team.

Arsenal grabbed themselves goals through Denilson, Vermaelen, Gallas, Eduardo, and a brace from Cesc Fabregas, while Louis Saha scored perhaps the most pointless goal of his career for Everton in the 92nd minute, the very definition of a consolation strike.

Arsenal would go on to finish third that season, while Everton finished eighth, missing out on a spot in Europe to Liverpool by two points.

1: Arsenal 3-4 Liverpool, 2016/17

Everton v Liverpool - Premier League
Coutinho grabbed himself a brace in a thrilling opening day encounter

Arsenal and Liverpool have had some excellent games over the years, and their clash on the opening day of the 2016/17 season certainly ranks up there as one of their most exciting.

This game featured everything you could possibly want from a clash between two of the division's big boys- some wonder strikers, a nearly inspired comeback, a penalty miss, defensive errors, this was a non-stop thrill ride.

While the game took thirty or so minutes to get going, once Theo missed a penalty, things never really slowed down. The former England international would make up for his mistakes moments later, putting Arsenal in charge of the game but Liverpool would bounce back fairly quickly, with Coutinho slamming in an excellent free-kick seconds before the half-time break.

The reds got straight back to business after the break, with Adam Lallana firing in minutes after kick-off, before a beautifully worked 19 pass move culminated in Coutinho grabbing his second and putting Liverpool in a comfortable lead.

Sadio Mane then grabbed himself a goal on his league debut for Liverpool, putting the scoreline at 4-1, with 30 left to play.

Arsenal weren't going down that easily though, and an excellent run from future Liverpool star, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was topped off with a goal to give the Gunners some hope.

Callum Chambers would then head home for Arsenal with 15 minutes left to set up a tense finale. Liverpool, shaken by Arsenal’s fightback, managed to cling on to victory in what was one of the division’s most exciting opening day fixtures of all time.

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Edited by Arvind Sriram
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