Premiership starts well with imports
By Vic Mills
LONDON (JP): The foreign imports have already brought much to the English game, and at the weekend it appeared they had a hand in the weather too as the start of the new Premiership season was accompanied by cloudless skies and Mediterranean temperatures.
With the hustle and hype left on the training ground, the season proper began with victories for new boys Bolton and Crystal Palace, the humbling of financial giants Chelsea and Aston Villa, and an ominous performance from Manchester United.
The reigning champions took the whole of the first half to find its rhythm at White Hart Lane, but, once they did, they battered Spurs into submission with a riot of unanswered attacks.
Tottenham lacked penetration in attack and creativity in midfield. They were kept in the game by an imperious performance from center back Sol Campbell. Yet even he was powerless to prevent United taking an 82nd minute lead through Paul Scholes. A minute later Ramon Vega netted an own goal and United's season was under way.
As if a distant reminder of the Kevin Keegan era, Newcastle United scored the fastest goal of the new season with Faustino Asprilla firing home after just 98 seconds of its home game against Sheffield Wednesday.
So fluent was Newcastle's passing, so integrated its five newcomers that the recent trauma of Ferdinand's transfer and Shearer's injury were soon forgotten. Not even an outrageous bicycle kick equalizer from Benito Carbone in the 8th minute could deny Newcastle.
Had Kevin Pressman in the Wednesday goal not come with a number of sprawling saves, the 2-1 margin of victory would have been much greater. As it was the Newcastle faithful had to wait until the 72nd minute for Asprilla to score his second with the help of Tomasson, the Dane.
It was a tale of two strikers at Elland Road where old adversaries Leeds United and Arsenal fought Ian Wright to give Arsenal a 35th minute lead. Eight minutes later a fine goal from the exotically named Jimmy Floyd Hasselbank ensured that the points would be shared.
Hot reception
There was hot reception for Liverpool in every sense of the word at Selhurt Park as the temperature at pitch level reached 42 degrees Celsius. Vinny Jones kept the game simmering with a first-half booking after a reckless head-high challenge on the new Liverpool captain, Paul Ince.
Standing in for the injured Robbie Fowler, the pace and mazy dribbling of 17-year-old Michael Owen was a constant threat to the home defense. As indeed was the control and subtle running of new signing Karl Heinz Riedle.
Wimbledon took the lead, against the run of play, in the 55th minute when Babb fouled Ardley on the edge of the penalty area and Gayle curled a fine left-foot free kick over the wall and in off the underside of the crossbar.
Having missed several chances, Owen leveled the score in the 71st minute with a calmly taken penalty after Riedle had been brought down by a clumsy challenge from Jones.
For all its riches in midfield and attack, it was Chelsea's defense -- highlighted by an inability to defend crosses -- that was found wanting in its 3-2 defeat at Coventry. Dion Dublin was the principal beneficiary with the first hat-trick of the season.
Chelsea twice led through goals from Sinclair and Flo and all but played Coventry into the middle of next season. The advantage was short-lived, however, as Dublin twice rose unchallenged to head Coventry level. There was no way back for Chelsea in the 88th minute when another piece of poor positioning by Leboeuf allowed Dublin to hit the winner.
Surprise
There was a surprise, too, at Filbert Street where Leicester City beat near-neighbors Aston Villa with a 37th minute goal from Ian Marshall. The much vaunted three-man Villa attack of Collymore, Yorke and Milosevic was marked out of the game by the tireless efforts of Kaamark, Elliot, Prior and Walsh.
The architect of Leicester's win was Emile Heskey. The 19-year-old international prospect caused Villa endless problems with his strength and direct running from midfield.
The unhappiest folk at the game between Blackburn Rovers and Derby County were those wearing brand new Rovers shirts with "Le Saux" on the back. The player in question having been sold to Chelsea 36 hours earlier for US$8 million.
With an Englishman having departed, the game became a contest between a Swiss, an Australian, a Frenchman and, later, two Swedes lining up against an Estonian, a Croat, a Dutchman, an Italian and later a Jamaican. A Scotsman, Kevin Gallacher, scored the Blackburn winner in the 20th minute.
Of the newly promoted sides, Bolton proved worthy winners at Southampton with Crystal Palace following suit with a 2-1 away win at Everton. Attilo Lombardo made an early repayment on his transfer fee by hitting the first and being at the center of a penalty award which Dyer converted.
Having taken a hundred years to reach the top flight, Barnsley must wait a little longer for its first win. Neil Redfearn headed the Yorkshire club into a 9th minute lead, only for West Ham United to come back strongly in the second-half and take the points with goals from John Hartson and Frank Lampard Jr.