Premier League Table: 2017 EPL Week 1 Standings and Sunday Results
Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku notched a brace against West Ham United on Sunday to mark a dream debut as the Red Devils opened their campaign with a 4-0 win to move to the top of the Premier League table.
Anthony Martial came off the bench late to contribute before setting up Paul Pogba for a 90th-minute strike, giving United a goal-laden start to the new term that will have fans salivating at this season's prospects.
Last term's runners-up, Tottenham Hotspur, got their season up and running with three points at St. James' Park after Jonjo Shelvey's silly sending off for stepping on Dele Alli's leg led to a Newcastle United defeat.
The two teams were at a stalemate until his dismissal, but the one-man advantage eventually saw Alli and Ben Davies snatch Spurs' first goals of the new campaign to seal a 2-0 victory.
Read on for a roundup of Sunday's Premier League results, complete with a recap and a look at the top-flight standings after Week 1 came to a close.
Premier League Standings (Goal Difference)
1. Manchester United - 3 (+4)
2. Huddersfield Town - 3 (+3)
3. Manchester City - 3 (+2)
4. Tottenham Hotspur - 3 (+2)
5. Arsenal - 3 (+1)
6. Burnley - 3 (+1)
7. Everton - 3 (+1)
8. West Bromwich Albion - 3 (+1)
9. Liverpool - 1 (0)
10. Watford - 1 (0)
11. Southampton - 1 (0)
12. Swansea City - 1 (0)
13. Leicester City - 0 (-1)
14. Chelsea - 0 (-1)
15. Bournemouth - 0 (-1)
16. Stoke City - 0 (-1)
17. Brighton & Hove Albion - 0 (-2)
18. Newcastle United - 0 (-2)
19. Crystal Palace - 0 (-3)
20. West Ham United - 0 (-4)
Visit the official Premier League website for the latest results and a look at the standings in full.
Lukaku Lights Up Electric United Win
Not since the days of Sir Alex Ferguson have United fans seen their side playing the same scintillating brand of Premier League football than the kind witnessed against a drab-looking West Ham on Sunday.
Four goals and a clean sheet point to a fine day's work from the Red Devils, and Squawka highlighted just how oppressive United were in their efforts to have a strong presence in front of goal:
Lukaku's breakthrough saw him dart in behind West Ham's defence to finish well from close range before a glancing header in the 52nd minute brought his second.
Despite failing to get on the scoresheet, new anchor Nemanja Matic won man-of-the-match honours for his display, and James Robson of the Manchester Evening News praised the input of manager Jose Mourinho's additions:
Martial's late contribution from the bench will have let Mourinho know he has a strong contender to challenge for a place on the left wing with Marcus Rashford, who was also among the top performers.
Pogba's beautifully angled goal from outside the box at the game's close summarised how this United team looks more determined to kill teams off this season, while West Ham were played off the ball in tough territory.
Spurs Sink 10-Man Newcastle United
Newcastle announced a nightmarish return to the English top flight on Sunday after Shelvey's red card put to shame a promising first half from the St. James' Park hosts, who managed to keep the game scoreless at the interval.
It was only three minutes after the restart that manager Rafa Benitez's captain made the foolish decision to trod on Alli's ankle as he lay on the floor, metres away from referee Andre Marriner. Injury analyst Ben Dinnery provided quotes from the Magpies boss, and even he couldn't excuse Shelvey's behaviour:
After already boasting almost two-thirds of the possession in the first half, per WhoScored.com, Spurs rumbled on from that point and found their opener through none other than Alli, who was assisted by Christian Eriksen.
Eriksen again demonstrated his creative ability by setting up left-back Davies to finish off a neat interchange on 70 minutes to settle the affair, although Sky Sports Statto highlighted right-back Kyle Walker-Peters as the star man:
Last season's Championship winners will be under pressure to make a quick response from this disappointment, while Shelvey will be left to rue what could have been a much more positive Premier League comeback.
Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino also won't be wholly content with the performance, however, with more to be expected of last season's runners-up ahead of next Sunday's clash against Chelsea at temporary home Wembley Stadium.
