Arsenal start season in style

English champions Arsenal FC began the defence of their Premiership title by outclassing Everton FC to win 4-1 at Goodison Park in their opening match of the new season.

Unbeaten run
Dennis Bergkamp, José Antonio Reyes, Fredrik Ljungberg and Robert Pires were all on target as Arsène Wenger's side stretched their unbeaten league run to 41 matches since May 2003. They will equal Nottingham Forest FC's record of 42 top-flight matches without defeat as long as Middlesbrough FC do not beat them at Highbury next Sunday.

Landmark goal
Without the injured Patrick Vieira and Sol Campbell, Arsenal took the lead in the 24th minute as Bergkamp – playing the 500th league match of his career – rounded off a typically swift counterattack with an angled drive.

Arsenal on top
Reyes doubled the lead with a 39th-minute header and Ljungberg secured the points when he prodded in a Thierry Henry cross from close range. Lee Carsley pulled one back after 64 minutes following a mix-up in the Arsenal defence but Everton, without the injured Wayne Rooney, rarely threatened to score and substitute Pires sealed the win seven minutes from time, converting a rebound after the ball bounced back off a post from an Ashley Cole effort.

Mourinho boost
Later on Sunday afternoon, José Mourinho enjoyed a winning introduction to the English league as his new Chelsea FC side defeated fellow UEFA Champions League contenders Manchester United FC 1-0 at Stamford Bridge.

Gudjohnsen goal
In a typically uncompromising encounter, the only goal of the game was scored by Icelandic international striker Eidur Gudjohnsen in the 15th minute. United defender Quinton Fortune allowed Geremi to escape in midfield after misjudging the bounce of the ball and the Cameroonian international found debutant Didier Drogba, whose header gave Gudjohnsen the opportunity to elude the challenge of United goalkeeper Tim Howard and scramble the ball in.

Crucial Cech
The visitors came back strongly and only a superb display by debutant Petr Cech in the Chelsea goal and some superb defending kept United out as Chelsea held on for three important points.