10 Best Premier League Opening Day Fixtures Of All Time (Ranked) | OneFootball

Highlights

The Premier League is back and teams across the top-flight have pretty much come to the end of their pre-season preparations and gearing up towards the opening weekend of the campaign.

The 2023/24 season will begin at Turf Moor next Friday evening when Premier League holders Manchester City travel to Vincent Kompany’s newly-promoted Burnley.

The first weekend of the campaign has thrown up some iconic encounters over the years, with memorable goals, dramatic comebacks and last-gasp winners never in short supply.

So, buckle up and join GIVEMESPORT as we delve through the Premier League’s 31-year history and rank the 10 greatest matches to take place on the opening weekend.

10 Wimbledon 0-3 Manchester United - 1996/97

It might have been a fairly straightforward victory for the Red Devils, but their opening day triumph over Wimbledon in 1996 was a memorable one for several reasons.

Club legends Eric Cantona and Dennis Irwin found the net in the first half, new signing Ronny Johnsen made his league debut, while fellow summer arrival Ole Gunnar Solskjaer watched from the stands.

All of those events, however, were a sideshow to the iconic Premier League moment that all in attendance at Selhurst Park would witness in second-half stoppage time.

Picking the ball up inside his own half, David Beckham spotted Neil Sullivan off his line, and produced a magnificent lob that nestled into the net.

That moment of brilliance sealed a comfortable win for United and was the catalyst for Beckham becoming one of the most famous footballing names on the planet.

9 Wigan Athletic 0-4 Blackpool - 2010/11

It’s always nice to see a newly-promoted side win their first match in the top flight, and that’s exactly what Ian Holloway’s Blackpool team did in 2010 with a thumping victory over Wigan Athletic.

The Seasiders were massive underdogs coming into their maiden season in the Premier League, but goals from Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Alex Baptiste and a brace from Marlon Harewood gave them an opening day to cherish.

While Chelsea would go onto thrash West Brom 6-0 later in the afternoon, Blackpool, for a couple of hours at least, were sitting proudly at the top of the Premier League standings.

8 Leicester City 4-2 Sunderland - 2015/16

The 2015/16 campaign was an unforgettable one for everyone associated with Leicester City as the Foxes went from relegation candidates to Premier League champions in the space of just 12 months.

Spearheaded by boss Claudio Ranieri, Leicester began their unlikely journey to success with a thrilling opening day victory over Sunderland at the King Power Stadium.

Talismanic duo Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez both found the net inside the opening 20 minutes, with the Algerian extending the hosts’ advantage from the spot.

Sunderland threatened a brief response when Jermaine Defoe struck on the hour-mark, but Marc Albrighton restored the Foxes’ three-goal lead to seal three points on a scorching day in the East Midlands.

7 Liverpool 1-2 Chelsea - 2003/04

Having met in the final fixture of the 2002/03 season in a contest dubbed at the time as “the £20 million match”, the rivalry between Liverpool and Chelsea was well underway.

The Blues won that day at Stamford Bridge, sealing Champions League qualification, and more importantly, prompting Roman Abramovich to invest his millions into the club.

As the two sides lined up against one another the following season, Chelsea were able to field five new signings, including Damien Duff, Wayne Bridge and Juan Sebastian Veron.

The match looked destined for a 1-1 draw with Michael Owen cancelling out Veron’s opener, but just when it seemed as though Chelsea’s new era would begin with a stalemate, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink popped up with a dramatic 87th minute winner.

6 Manchester City 4-0 Swansea City - 2011/12

Entering the 2011/12 campaign as FA Cup holders, the belief was growing on the blue side of Manchester as the Citizens looked to end a 44-year drought in the league.

To boost their hopes, Roberto Mancini brought in talented forward Sergio Aguero from Atletico Madrid over the summer transfer window for a club-record £38 million fee.

Facing newly-promoted Swansea City at home on the opening day of the campaign, Edin Dzeko started the scoring off for the hosts before Aguero came off the bench to net two debut goals and register a further assist for David Silva.

The Argentine continued his impressive form in front of goal that term, sealing a historic first title for the club by netting a last-gasp goal against Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the season.

5 Aston Villa 3-1 Manchester United - 1995/96

After a young Manchester United side were torn apart by Aston Villa on the opening weekend of the 1995/96 campaign, the result inspired one of the most iconic lines in the history of English football.

Phil Neville (18), Gary Neville (20), Nicky Butt (20), Paul Scholes (20) and Ryan Giggs (21) all started for Sir Alex Ferguson at Villa Park as the hosts ran out 3–1 winners, prompting pundit Alan Hansen to declare: “you can’t win anything with kids.”

The Red Devils’ new-look team would go on to prove Hansen wrong, overturning a 12-point deficit in January to beat Newcastle United to the Premier League crown.

4 Sheffield Wednesday 3-4 Tottenham Hotspur - 1994/95

Tottenham were taking no prisoners on the opening weekend back in 1994, fielding four defenders, one midfielder and then five attack-minded players as they travelled to Hillsborough looking for victory.

Ossie Ardiles, a manager renowned for his attacking approach, was rewarded for that bold team selection, with Spurs running out 4-3 winners thanks to late goals from Nick Barmby and Jurgen Klinsmann.

Afterwards, Wednesday boss Trevor Francis declared it was “the most adventurous line-up I’ve ever come across in management.”

Unfortunately for Ardiles, his attacking style of football didn’t last long in North London as he was sacked just a few months later, with Spurs failing to keep a clean sheet in their opening 12 league matches.

3 Arsenal 3-4 Liverpool - 2016/17

As Theo Walcott and Philippe Coutinho exchanged strikes in a tightly-contested first half at the Emirates Stadium, there was little suggestion of what was coming after the break.

However, the Reds emerged in the second half in blistering form, with Adam Lallana and Coutinho once again finding the net before Sadio Mane rounded off a remarkable seven-minute spell with a stunning solo goal on his debut.

To Arsenal’s credit, they responded immediately through Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Calum Chambers, but the Gunners couldn’t quite force home a late equaliser as Liverpool held on for a thrilling opening-day triumph.

2 Middlesbrough 3-3 Liverpool - 1996/97

Middlesbrough boss Bryan Robson described Fabrizio Ravanelli as “one of the best strikers in the world” after signing the Italian back in 1996, and Ravanelli certainly lived up to that billing with a superb hat-trick against Liverpool on his debut.

The visitors took the lead three times at the Riverside, first through Stig Inge Bjornebye, then through legendary duo John Barnes and Robbie Fowler.

However, each time, Ravanelli showed his predatory instincts and drew Middlesbrough level - the perfect way to endear yourself to a new set of supporters.

1 Arsenal 2-4 Norwich City - 1992/93

The inaugural Premier League weekend needed a blockbuster match to justify its considerable hype, and the excitement was saved for Highbury where Norwich City came from behind to stun George Graham’s Arsenal.

Considered as one of the favourites for the title, the Gunners raced into a two-goal lead over relegation candidates Norwich at half-time, with Steve Bould and Kevin Campbell finding the net.

Arsenal continued to cruise beyond the hour mark, but Mark Robins soon pulled a goal back for the Canaries before an uncharacteristic David Seaman mistake allowed David Phillips to equalise.

Ruel Fox completed Norwich’s most unlikely of turnarounds eight minutes from time, allowing Phillips to chip Seaman late on, sealing a shock result on the Premier League’s opening salvo.