Petr Cech has made a Premier League debut to forget for
Arsenal as his errors helped West Ham United to record a 2-0 victory at the
Emirates Stadium, while Liverpool stole a late winner against Stoke.
Cech's arrival from Chelsea has been acclaimed as a signing
that could turn Arsenal into title contenders, but he was found wanting on
Sunday as Arsene Wenger's side opened their Premier League campaign with a home
defeat for the second time in three years.
Cech's rash charge allowed Cheikhou Kouyate to head West Ham
in front from debutant Dimitri Payet's 43rd-minute free-kick and the Czech
international's slowness to get down saw him beaten at his near post from 25
yards by Mauro Zarate shortly before the hour.
"We were not convincing offensively or defensively,"
said Wenger, whose side beat champions Chelsea 1-0 in the Community Shield last
weekend.
West Ham's win echoed Aston Villa's 3-1 success at the
Emirates on the first day of the 2013-14 campaign and enabled Slaven Bilic to
crown his first league game as manager with a famous victory.
"We are all very pleased and it is a great start for us
- not only for the three points, but points against a team that are title
contenders," said the Croatian, who is a former West Ham defender.
"If you add to that a London derby, it makes it an even
bigger win. This is very special. I am very proud of the second-half
performance."
Bilic named 16-year-old Reece Oxford in midfield and saw the
teenager turn in a commanding display as West Ham bounced back from their
Europa League elimination at the hands of Romanians Astra Giurgiu last
Thursday.
Wenger sent on Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez as Arsenal
sought to claw back their two-goal deficit, but the closest they came to
scoring was a deflected first-half shot by Aaron Ramsey that hit the bar.
Philippe Coutinho scored a stunning 30-yard winner in the
86th minute as Liverpool partially atoned for their 6-1 drubbing at Stoke City
on the final day of last season with a 1-0 win at the Britannia Stadium.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers gave starts to new
signings Nathaniel Clyne, Joe Gomez, James Milner and STG32.5 million ($A68.65
million) striker Christian Benteke, while Roberto Firmino came off the bench in
the second half.
But the game was drifting to a goalless draw until Brazilian
playmaker Coutinho picked the ball up in the inside-left channel, turned, and
arrowed a glorious, bending strike into the top-right corner.
Meanwhile, Dutch midfielder Giorginio Wijnaldum scored on
his competitive Newcastle United debut as former England head coach Steve
McClaren began his St James' Park tenure with a 2-2 draw at home to
Southampton.
After Graziano Pelle had put the visitors in front, goals
from Papiss Cisse and new recruit Wijnaldum put Newcastle in front, but
Southampton substitute Shane Long headed in a 79th-minute equaliser.
Chelsea opened their title defence with a 2-2 draw at home
to Swansea City on Saturday, with Manchester United edging Tottenham Hotspur
1-0.
Manchester City, runners-up last season, travel to West
Bromwich Albion on Monday.
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