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Premier League opening day highlights

Sports Mole picks out some of the highlights and talking points from the opening day of the new Premier League season.

The 2014-15 Premier League season kicked off yesterday, with 14 clubs in action across seven matches.

The games saw just one home win, three red cards and two missed penalties, as well as a couple of upsets and several players making their first appearances in the English top flight.

Here, Sports Mole picks out some of the highlights and memorable moments from the first day of the season.

Goal of the day

Eric Dier: The Tottenham Hotspur new signing secured all three points for the North London club on his debut for Mauricio Pochettino's side at White Hart Lane yesterday afternoon.

The England Under-21 international rounded the keeper deep into stoppage following a blistering run from midfield to give Spurs a 1-0 win in a 10-a-side clash with West Ham United.

Shock of the day

Manchester United 1-2 Swansea City: Manchester United have looked solid in pre-season since Louis van Gaal's arrival at Old Trafford, so many fans were expecting big things when Swansea City, who struggled last season, visited the Theatre of Dreams in yesterday's lunchtime kickoff.

However, a string of injuries forced the Dutch manager to name an inexperienced side for their opening tie of the season, allowing the Welsh side to clinch a surprise win.

Gylfi Sigurdsson of Swansea City celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester United and Swansea City at Old Trafford on August 16, 2014© Getty Images

Gylfi Sigurdsson scored the winner for Garry Monk's side after Wayne Rooney had cancelled out Ki Sung-Yueng's first-half effort.

Newcomer of the day

Eric Dier: While Dier's goal has stolen all of the headlines, the 20-year-old had been impressive throughout his competitive debut for Spurs.

The defender marked West Ham's Carlton Cole during set pieces, ensuring that he former England international had few sights of goal for the visitors.

Eric Dier of Spurs is congratulated by teammates after scoring the match winning goal during the Barclays Premier League match between West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur at Boleyn Ground on August 16, 2014© Getty Images

While solid at the back, Dier also proved a threat when heading forward, culminating in his match-winning strike during stoppage time.

Best result

Leicester City: While last season's Championship winners would have surely preferred a win on their return to the top flight, a 2-2 draw with Everton is certainly a good start to the campaign for Nigel Pearson's side.

The Toffees narrowly missed out on a place in the Champions League last season, and have added to their squad over the summer, so were expected to beat the Foxes, who have not played in the Premier League since the 2003-04 season.

However, Leicester showed plenty of resilience and character at the King Power Stadium, resulting in a late equaliser for Chris Wood to give them their first point of the season.

Chris Wood of Leicester City celebrates his goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Leicester City and Everton at the King Power Stadium on August 16, 2014© Getty Images

Worst result

Stoke City: Mark Hughes turned Stoke City into a formidable team at home last season, with the Potters losing just three matches at the Britannia Stadium during the 2013-14 season.

Having added a couple of highly-rated players during this summer's transfer window, it had been expected that Stoke would comfortably wrap up all three points against Aston Villa, who are still without striker Christian Benteke.

However, the home side struggled in midfield, creating few chances for their forwards, while a mistake from Asmir Begovic allowed Andreas Weimann to find the back of the net at the other end.

Andreas Weimann of Aston Villa scores the opening goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Stoke City and Aston Villa at Britannia Stadium on August 16, 2014© Getty Images

Stoke fans probably will not be too worried yet. The defeat was only by a single goal, and they will have Victor Moses available for their next match after the Chelsea forward joined the club on loan.

Gaffe of the day

Mark Noble's missed penalty: West Ham United proved something of a bogey team for Tottenham Hotspur last season, beating their London rivals twice in the league and knocking them out of the League Cup, so when they were awarded a first-half penalty at White Hart Lane yesterday, it looked as if it was going to be another fruitful afternoon for the Hammers.

West Ham fans would have been confident as Mark Noble stepped up to take the spot kick, as he had scored from his last 10 penalties, but the midfielder sliced his kick just wide of the left post.

The miss proved costly later in the match when Dier scored in stoppage time to condemn the visitors to a 1-0 defeat.

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 Andreas Weimann of Aston Villa celebrates scoring the opening goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Stoke City and Aston Villa at Britannia Stadium on August 16, 2014
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Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Arsenal35255585285780
2Manchester CityMan City34247382325079
3Liverpool35229477364175
4Aston Villa35207873522167
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs33186967521560
6Manchester UnitedMan Utd34166125251154
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle341651374551953
8West Ham UnitedWest Ham351310125665-949
9Chelsea33139116359448
10Bournemouth35139135260-848
11Wolverhampton WanderersWolves35137154855-746
12Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton341111125257-544
13Fulham35127165155-443
14Crystal Palace351010154557-1240
15Everton35128153748-1136
16Brentford3598185260-835
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3579194262-2026
18Luton TownLuton3567224877-2925
19Burnley3559213870-3224
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd3537253497-6316


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