Man United, Tottenham suffer dismal Premier League starts

Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur endured disappointing starts to the new Premier League season yesterday (22 August), with both sides suffering heavy defeats and raising early questions about their preseason optimism.

United, under new permanent manager Michael Carrick, were beaten 2-0 by newly promoted Hull City, while Tottenham, one of Europe's biggest spenders this summer, suffered a 3-0 defeat away to Brentford.

United stunned by Hull

Hull marked its return to the Premier League after a nine-year absence with a memorable victory, while United struggled to make an impact throughout the match.

Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy scored first-half goals from set pieces to give Hull a deserved win over the 20-time English champions.

Carrick, who guided United to third place last season and helped secure Champions League qualification before receiving a permanent contract, admitted his side had plenty to improve.

"It was never going to be perfect," Carrick said, while insisting that one defeat would not alter the club's overall direction.

New midfielders Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos failed to make a major impact, while Marcus Rashford, returning from a loan spell at Barcelona, came on as a second-half substitute.

The result highlighted the gap between United and their former level of dominance, with the club last winning the Premier League title in 2013.

Tottenham overwhelmed by Brentford

Tottenham also endured a difficult opening day despite spending around $300 million on new players during the summer.

Brentford dominated the visitors and moved 2-0 ahead by the 33rd minute through close-range goals from Keane Lewis-Potter and Vitaly Janelt.

Michael Kayode added a third shortly after halftime, while Brentford striker Igor Thiago hit the post from the penalty spot as Tottenham struggled to cope with the hosts.

Italy midfielder Sandro Tonali, who joined Tottenham from Newcastle for a club-record fee of about $133 million, was among the new signings unable to prevent the defeat.

Everton began their campaign with a 2-0 home victory over Crystal Palace, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry scoring for the hosts.

British Prime Minister Andy Burnham, a lifelong Everton supporter, watched the match at the stadium.

Promoted Ipswich Town also secured a victory, beating Sunderland 2-1 with Jack Clarke scoring in the 90th minute against his former club.

Leeds United claimed a 1-0 win over Nottingham Forest through Anton Stach's 88th-minute free kick.

Arsenal, meanwhile, opened their title defence with a 3-0 victory over second-tier champions Coventry City on Friday.

Manchester City will face Bournemouth today, while Liverpool travel to Newcastle as the opening weekend continues.