ARSENAL 5 biggest Premier League upsets in the first week
The Premier League season 2021/22 is beginning, and we’ve already witnessed a major upset on the first day. Brentford returned to the top division of English football after 74 years with a 2-0 victory over Arsenal at the Brentford Community Stadium. Thomas Frank’s side took the lead in the 22nd minute through Sergi Canos, before Christian Norgaard increased the advantage with 17 minutes remaining. While the size, financial strength, and goals of the two teams involved made this a major ‘upset,’ where does it rank on the all-time list?
5. West Ham United 0-2 Arsenal (2015/16)
The Premier League season 2021/22 is beginning, and we’ve already witnessed a major upset on the first day. Brentford returned to the top division of English football after 74 years with a 2-0 victory over Arsenal at the Brentford Community Stadium. Thomas Frank’s side took the lead in the 22nd minute through Sergi Canos, before Christian Norgaard increased the advantage with 17 minutes remaining. While the size, financial strength, and goals of the two teams involved made this a major ‘upset,’ where does it rank on the all-time list?
West Ham United 0-2 Arsenal (2015/16)
Cheikhou Kouyate of West Ham beats Arsenal’s Petr Cech to the ball to put his team ahead 1-0. Let’s start with another Premier League loss for Arsenal on the first day of the season. Arsenal’s 2015/16 season began with a home defeat as West Ham United recorded their first Premier League win in their first game under new manager Slaven Bilic at the Emirates Stadium. Petr Cech, the Arsenal goalkeeper, misjudged Dimitri Payet’s free-kick, allowing Cheikhou Kouyate to head in West Ham’s first goal. Mauro Zarate scored from 20 yards out in the second half to complete a thrilling 2-0 victory. Arsenal had 62 percent possession of the ball, but only six of their 22 shots on aim were on target. The only time they came close to scoring was in the first half, when Aaron Ramsey’s shot hit the crossbar.
4. Manchester United drew 2-2 with Swansea City in the 2014/15 season.
Ki Sung-yueng scores the first goal for Swansea City. On the opening day of the 2014/15 season, new manager Louis van Gaal’s first competitive game as manager of Manchester United ended in a historic home defeat at Old Trafford. United had not lost at home on the first day of a new league season since 1972. Van Gaal made multiple recruits in the summer transfer window, but only Ander Herrera started the match, as fans struggled to forget about David Moyes and the club’s 7th-place finish the previous season. Due to injuries at the back, Jesse Lingard, who began at wing-back, and Tyler Blackett, who started in a three-man defence, were given their first starts. In the 28th minute, Ki Sung-yeung scored the Swans’ first goal. Wayne Rooney, United’s captain, equalised with an acrobatic effort just after the break. Gylfi Sigurdsson put Swansea ahead against the run of play with 18 minutes left on the clock.
3. Liverpool 3-0 West Bromwich Albion (2012/13)
After the second WBA goal, Steven Gerrard was dejected. Both West Bromwich Albion and Liverpool have new managers at the start of the 2012/13 season. The first game of the season was a nightmare for Reds manager Brendan Rodgers. Steve Clarke’s tenure as manager of the Baggies got off to a flying start with a 3-0 victory over the Reds at The Hawthorns. Just before half-time, Zoltan Gera scored a fantastic goal to put Albion ahead. After being pulled down inside the box by Liverpool defender Daniel Agger, who received a red card for his actions, striker Shane Long had the chance to double his team’s lead but missed his chance with a weak penalty. Long was fouled inside the box once more, this time by Martin Skrtel, Agger’s defensive partner. Peter Odemwingie stepped up and made no mistake to make the score 2-0. In the 77th minute, a youthful Romelu Lukaku, on loan from Chelsea, headed in from close range for West Brom.
2. Norwich City 2-4 Arsenal (1992/93)
Arsenal’s Steve Bould scores with a powerful header. Arsenal and Norwich City made a strong start to the Premier League’s inaugural season. Arsenal established a 2-0 lead in the first half thanks to goals from Steve Bould and Kevin Campbell, with cardboard supporters adorning several areas of the Highbury Stadium to mask maintenance work. Arsenal’s rock-solid defence of Bould, Tony Adams, Lee Dixon, and Nigel Winterburn turned to cardboard in the second half as Norwich staged a spectacular comeback and scored four goals against them. Norwich finished fourth in the rankings, while Arsenal placed tenth, sandwiched between Manchester City and Chelsea in the middle of the league.
1. Manchester United 3-1 Aston Villa (1995/96)
Manchester United lost the Premier League title to Blackburn Rovers by just one point the previous season, making it three years in a row that they had failed to win it. United manager Alex Ferguson had sold Mark Hughes, Paul Ince, and Andrei Kanchelskis prior to the 1995/96 season. Ferguson was without some of his best players for the season opener against Aston Villa at Villa Park, including Eric Cantona, Steve Bruce, Andy Cole, and Ryan Giggs. Ferguson was compelled to field a back five that included Gary and Phil Neville, as well as four full-backs. In the middle, Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes started, with a skilled David Beckham on the bench. Villa led 3-0 at halftime, as expected, with the United teenagers unable to deal with the demands of top-flight play. Beckham came off the bench in the 84th minute to score a consolation goal, but it was too little, too late. The setback inspired Alan Hansen, a former Liverpool defender and current football pundit, to utter the now-iconic phrase “you can’t win anything with kids.” United won the league by four points that season.