Hull’s Robert Snodgrass got a 57th-minute victor as Claudio Ranieri’s Leicester lacked the intensity of their last campaign while City got away with their lethargic display as Sunderland debutant Paddy McNair scored an 87th-minute own goal.
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Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri reiterated the aim for this season is for the Premier League champions to avoid relegation.
Musa, who played all 90 minutes at the KC Stadium, was one of the stand-out performers in the season-opener but his effort was unable to save Leicester from going down to an opening day defeat as Hull City claimed a 2-1 victory. Leicester were awarded a penalty in the 47th minute and Algerian Riyad Mahrez fired it straight down the middle of the goal to equalise, reports Efe.
“Sometimes you are a little lucky”, City’s new manager told reporters.
“When I said we want to get to 40 points and a lot of people are laughing, but it is true”. ‘After the game, when we all get in a huddle, it’s letting out a bit of frustration and the fact that we’ve come through it and got a victory’.
England midfielder Barkley provided Koeman with a ideal start to the season after floating in a fifth-minute free kick which evaded everyone in the penalty area and beat Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris at the far post.
Tottenham dominated after the break and got a deserved equaliser on the hour mark when Lamela turned in Kyle Walker’s cross.
The visitors could have snatched a late victor but Everton keeper Maarten Stekelenburg denied new signing Vincent Janssen.
Fernandinho (left) and Lamine Kone during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Sunderland on Saturday.
Leicester’s Jamie Vardy missed a series of chances in the first half.
A second-half strike from Robert Snodgrass proved the difference, the Scotland worldwide driving home from inside the area after Kasper Schmeichel had carelessly giving away possession.
With $200 million spent on new players and Guardiola arriving from Bayern Munich to manage an already impressive lineup, City is the hot favourite to win the league this season.
Without getting too far ahead of ourselves, we know Pep needs time to implement the kind of football he wants to play but with so much competition in the Premier League this season, he will need to make sure he doesn’t give up easy points early on when there are far bigger challenges that lay ahead. It was the first time that the holders have lost their opening-day fixture in Premier League history.
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Manchester United travel to Bournemouth and Liverpool head to the Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal on Sunday (Monday NZT), while West Ham and Chelsea open their seasons at Stamford Bridge on Monday (Tuesday NZT).
