Premier League match reports

Brief reports of Premier League matches played on Saturday and Sunday, the opening weekend of the 2008-09 season:

ARSENAL 1 WEST BROMWICH ALBION 0

A fourth-minute goal from French debutant Samir Nasri gave Arsenal all three points against promoted West Bromwich Albion in a game the hosts dominated.

Arsenal created plenty of scoring chances but were denied by West Brom debutant goalkeeper Scott Carson who prevented them winning by a far more convincing margin.

- - - -

ASTON VILLA 4 MANCHESTER CITY 2
 
Gabriel Agbonlahor scored a hat-trick in seven minutes as Aston Villa beat Manchester City 4-2 at Villa Park on Sunday with five of the six goals coming in the final 26 minutes.

John Carew headed Villa in front just after halftime before Elano equalised for City with a 64th-minute penalty following a foul on Michael Johnson. Agbonlahor then scored in the 68th, 74th and 76th minutes to seal the victory before Vedran Corluka scored City’s second in the 89th minute.

- - -

BOLTON WANDERERS 3 STOKE CITY 1

Bolton raced into a 3-0 halftime lead against promoted Stoke with a stunning cross-cum-shot from defender Gretar Steinsson and two goals in four minutes from Kevin Davies and the club’s record signing Johan Elmander.

The home team could afford to relax in the second half and Stoke scored their first goal in the top flight for 23 years with a late consolation from Ricardo Fuller.

- - - -

CHELSEA 4 PORTSMOUTH 0

Chelsea celebrated a fine win in their first league match under new coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, destroying the FA Cup holders with some excellent approach work.

Joe Cole opened the scoring in the 12th minute before Nicolas Anelka added the second with a 26th-minute header. Frank Lampard made it 3-0 from the penalty spot just before halftime and debutant Deco, who was outstanding, capped a great display with a stunning long-range effort a minute from the end.

- - - -

EVERTON 2 BLACKBURN ROVERS 3

Blackburn, playing their first league match under new boss Paul Ince, won a superb match at Goodison Park with Andre Ooijer grabbing the winner in the last minute.

Rovers took a deserved lead after 22 minutes with a long-range shot from David Dunn and, although they were largely outplayed, Everton equalised before halftime when Mikel Arteta deceived keeper Paul Robinson at the near post.

Yakubu Aiyegbeni headed Everton in front after 64 minutes before Roque Santa Cruz equalised two minutes later.

- - - -

HULL CITY 2 FULHAM 1

Hull won their first match in the top flight after goals from Geovanni and Caleb Folan cancelled out Seol Ki-hyeon’s early goal for Fulham.

Seol opened the scoring after eight minutes but Hull, playing in the top division for the first time in their 104-year history, battled back and were worth their victory.

- - - -

MANCHESTER UNITED 1 NEWCASTLE UNITED 1

Champions Manchester United were held to a draw by Newcastle who took the lead after 22 minutes when Obafemi Martins powered home a header from a corner.

It took United, who beat Newcastle 6-0 at Old Trafford in January, just two minutes to equalise through Darren Fletcher, but they could not find another goal and had to settle for one point from their opening match for the second successive season.

- - - -

MIDDLESBROUGH 2 TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 1

Middlesbrough had to wait until the 71st minute to make the breakthrough at the Riverside Stadium when David Wheater scored from close range after an effort from Afonso Alves came back off the bar.

Former Spurs striker Mido made it 2-0 against his old club four minutes from time before Robert Huth put the ball into his own net to give the visitors a late goal.

- - - -

SUNDERLAND 0 LIVERPOOL 1

Fernando Torres, who scored 33 goals for Liverpool last season, struck his first of the new campaign after 83 minutes to earn his side victory at the Stadium of Light.

He netted with a well-struck 20-metre shot after an incisive pass from Xabi Alonso just minutes after Alonso almost gave Liverpool the lead with an audacious shot from inside his own half that went narrowly wide.

- - - -

WEST HAM UNITED 2 WIGAN ATHLETIC 1

Dean Ashton scored twice in the opening 10 minutes much to the delight of watching England coach Fabio Capello.

Amr Zaki, at Wigan on a season-long loan from Zamalek in Egypt, scored on his league debut with a left-foot volley after 47 minutes.