The new Premier League season kicked off with plenty of talking points.
Mohamed Salah got stroppy, Pep Guardiola became angry, Tottenham began life without Harry Kane and Newcastle topped the embryonic table with a five-star show.
Here, the PA news agency takes a look at the key issues on the opening weekend.
Salah strop
After the battle for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia came the scrap for points between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
Honours were shared in a 1-1 draw that saw Liverpool forward Salah show his frustration after being substituted 13 minutes from time.
Salah ripped off his tapes bit by bit and threw them to the ground and did not even acknowledge boss Jurgen Klopp before making his way to his seat in the Liverpool dug out.
Mauricio Pochettino – in charge of Chelsea for the first time – and Klopp renewed a rivalry that began in 2015 and includes a Champions League final four years ago and now they will joust in the transfer market again to strengthen their respective midfields.
Life after Kane
Madders showing his magic 🪄
📊 @KumhoTyreUK pic.twitter.com/UMqIrlrTFN— Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) August 13, 2023
Tottenham fans saw a glimpse of their future without Harry Kane at Brentford – and it promises to be a roller-coaster ride under new boss Ange Postecoglou.
Record Spurs scorer Kane was already settling into life at Bayern Munich having made his debut for the German giants on Saturday night as Tottenham began their new era with a 2-2 draw.
How Spurs supporters would have relished Kane linking up with James Maddison, the stylish summer signing from Leicester who set up both Tottenham goals.
While Richarlison fills Kane’s number nine role, Postecoglou must tighten up a defence that was porous last season and again showed signs of susceptibility in west London.
A Pep talk, but same again from Haaland
Pep Guardiola showed a decent turn of foot to make his way across the Turf Moor pitch at half-time for an animated chat with star striker Erling Haaland.
The Manchester City manager was annoyed that Haaland was keen to run behind the Burnley defence and risk losing possession as the seconds ticked away to the interval with the defending champions leading 2-0.
While some observers complained Guardiola – brushing aside a cameraman determined to capture the conversation between player and manager – might have been better served making his point in the dressing room, it did little to concern the scoring sensation.
Haaland was back in the old routine with a clinical double inside 36 minutes and who would bet against the Norwegian eclipsing the 52 goals he scored last season as City won a Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble?
Dream debuts
Newcastle fans needed only six minutes to find out what all the fuss over Sandro Tonali was about.
The Italy international joined from AC Milan this summer for a reported £50million-plus fee (€57 million) and gave a commanding midfield display in the 5-1 demolition of Aston Villa.
Tonali made an instant impression by volleying home Anthony Gordon’s sixth-minute cross and dovetailed superbly with Brazilian pair Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton with his athleticism, passing and vision standing out.
Harvey Barnes came off the bench to also score on debut following his summer switch from Leicester, and it seems set to be another exciting campaign on Tyneside after last season’s fourth-placed finish.
Turnstiles, sanitation and delays
There has been loads of chat – and angst from some players and managers – over how long games are going to take this season with a directive for referees to add the exact time lost in goal celebrations, substitutions or injuries to the stoppage time.
But delayed kick-offs because of turnstiles and water supply issues? Hardly becoming of the so-called best league in the world.
Arsenal’s season kicked off in embarrassing fashion as a technical glitch prevented fans passing through the turnstiles, forcing a 30-minute delay for their home game against Nottingham Forest.
Just over 24 hours later, the Brentford-Tottenham game was delayed by six minutes as a problem with the water supply meant toilets could not be used at the stadium.
