Manchester City bring Arsenal to their knees and the return to Craven Cottage: The Weekend in Pictures


REUTERS/Eddie Keogh

Whatever else you think about it, it's hard to deny that the Premier League is a spectacle.

England's top division kicked off today and, as always, the football was attended by a whole rigmarole of officials, broadcasters, journalists and fans who went to enjoy the inevitable drama.

And drama there was. From beginning to end, the weekend did not disappoint, offering narrative, theatrics and entertainment in Marcelo Bielsa-approved bucket loads.

Don't worry if you missed any of it. Here at RealSport, we have trawled through thousands of photographs to find the ones which best captured the excitement of the opening weekend. Enjoy!

Lights, camera, action...

Action Images via Reuters/Andrew BoyersKelly Cates and Gary Neville prepare to go live for Sky Sports at Old Trafford as Manchester United kick off the Premier League season by hosting Leicester City.

Heading into a new season

Action Images via Reuters/Matthew ChildsAshley Westwood clears the ball off the line at St Mary's as Burnley hold Southampton to a 0-0 draw on the South Coast.

Copycat

REUTERS/Andrew YatesLukasz Fabianski is left hands on knees as Sadio Mane goes through Salat in celebration of his goal as Liverpool romped home to a 4-0 win at Anfield.

Welcome to hell

Action Images via Reuters/Craig BroughWolverhampton Wanderers put on a show at Molineux for their return to the Premier League after a six-year exile.

Who saw that coming?

REUTERS/Sergio PerezWatched on by his teammates, Ousmane Dembele celebrates scoring the winner in the Spanish Super Cup as Barcelona come back from a goal down against Sevilla in Tangiers.

Brought to their knees

REUTERS/Eddie KeoghBernardo Silva wheels away after putting Manchester City two goals up, leaving Petr Cech on his knees as the Emirates crowd looks on.

Perfection

REUTERS/Eddie KeoghOne of the most iconic stadiums in England, Craven Cottage looked resplendent on Saturday morning before Fulham returned to take their place in the Premier League.

Mr Fantastic

REUTERS/Scott HeppellIn case anyone doubted the physical stresses of professional football, Christian Atsu literally wraps a leg around Mousa Dembele on Saturday at St James Park in a bid to tackle him. Tottenham went on to win the game 2-1. 

Bucket list

Action Images/Alan WalterMarcelo Bielsa takes a now-familiar seat on the famous blue bucket that has become his perch of choice during his time in England. The bucket was brought down from Elland Road for Leeds United's match against Frank Lampard's Derby County on Saturday.

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