Hull City quickly forgot about their abysmal preseason Saturday when they stunned Premier League champions Leicester City 2-1 in the opening match of the new season.
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Riyad Mahrez’s second-half penalty cancelled out Adama Diomande’s acrobatic overhead kick for the hosts before Snodgrass slammed the ball home from inside the box.
The Foxes started the second half on fire as Gray earned a penalty within 15 seconds of the restart and Riyad Mahrez stepped up to convert easily.
Having levelled, Leicester began to discover some rhythm in their play, but they were again punished for their lack of sharpness as Robert Snodgrass put Hull in the lead again.
On an opening day which saw five managers take charge of their first competitive game at their new club, and there were contrasting starts for Pep Guardiola and David Moyes as pre-season title favourites Manchester City struck late to beat plucky Sunderland.
Vardy, who scored 24 league goals last season, mis-kicked horribly after new signing Ahmed Musa had darted down the left to roll the ball back to him 16 yards from goal.
Erik Lamela’s excellent second-half header rescued a 1-1 draw for Tottenham Hotspur at Everton.
The most glaring concern is that Leicester already look rattled under the pressure as defending champions and their best first team is still yet to truly emerge after a summer of signings.
“It was great to see the team and staff all pull together and surprise so many people”, said caretaker manager Mike Phelan.
They went behind in first-half stoppage time at the KCOM Stadium when Kasper Schmeichel parried Curtis Davies’s header and Diomande and Abel Hernandez launched themselves at the loose ball.
England midfielder Ross Barkley provided Koeman with a flawless start to the season at Goodison Park 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.
“We made a big effort but it was individual effort, not like a team”, said Ranieri.
Tottenham dominated after the break and got a deserved equaliser on the hour mark when Lamela turned in Kyle Walker’s cross. Hugo Lloris got injured and that had a big impact on us. “In the second half we played as we usually play”.
Leroy Fer scored a late victor as Swansea beat Burnley 1-0 at Turf Moor and a header from West Bromwich Albion’s Salomon Rondon gave the visitors a 1-0 victory at Crystal Palace.
Southampton were held to a 1-1 draw Watford as Nathan Redmond netted on his debut for the club.
Leroy Fer scored Swansea’s late victor against Burnley and a header from West Brom’s Salomon Rondon gave the visitors their victory at Crystal Palace.
Middlesbrough came away from their first game back in the top flight with a 1-1 draw against Stoke City.
Former Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo had given Boro an 11th-minute lead.
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Watford lost Ben Watson to a late red card for a last-man foul on Shane Long.
