The opening weekend of the 2024-25 Premier League season is nearly upon us.
Manchester United and Fulham kick off the campaign on Friday evening as Matchday 1 finishes with Tottenham’s visit to Leicester next Monday night.
The first weekend of the season is always unpredictable as teams search to find rhythm in a competitive setting after their pre-season tours.
As such, it provides the perfect environment for some Premier League classics – and NetBet has picked out five of the very best.
Arsenal 3-4 Liverpool (2016-17)
We start with an absolute corker from the Emirates.
The chaos started after Philippe Coutinho cancelled out Theo Walcott’s first-half opener with a stunning free-kick, a moment that kickstarted a Liverpool onslaught.
After the half-time break, the Reds surged into a 4-1 lead in North London when Coutinho bagged his brace and Adam Lallana was joined on the scoresheet by Sadio Mane.
Arsenal fought back as Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain reduced the deficit a minute after Mane’s strike and Calum Chambers rippled the back of the net 15 minutes from time.
But the Gunners’ efforts proved to be all in vain as Liverpool picked up three crucial points to kickstart their season.
Arsenal 4-3 Leicester (2017-18)
A year after the defeat to Liverpool, Arsenal were involved in another seven-goal thriller on the Premier League’s opening weekend.
But this time around, they emerged victorious thanks to a late second-half header from Olivier Giroud, which crashed in off the underside of the crossbar.
Alexandre Lacazette scored just two minutes into his Premier League debut before strikes from Shinji Okazaki and Jamie Vardy put the visitors ahead.
Danny Welbeck equalised in first-half stoppage time but Vardy was on hand to put Leicester 3-2 ahead after the break.
However, Arsenal completed a dramatic late comeback as an 83rd minute effort from Aaron Ramsey was followed by Giroud’s aforementioned header two minutes later. What a game!
Liverpool 4-3 Leeds (2020-21)
The 4-3 scoreline is a popular feature on this list, in case you had not noticed!
Despite the fact this match was played behind closed doors due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Liverpool and Leeds still put on a Premier League classic at Anfield.
Marcelo Bielsa’s newly-promoted Leeds gave a fantastic account of themselves and the scores were locked at 3-3 heading towards injury time.
But with just two minutes of the regulation 90 remaining, a striker’s tackle from Rodrigo flattened Fabinho and presented Mohamed Salah with the chance to win it from the penalty spot, which he took to complete an opening weekend hat-trick.
Virgil van Dijk was Liverpool’s other scorer on the day, while Jack Harrison, Patrick Bamford and Mateusz Klich netted for Leeds in the memorable clash.
Middlesbrough 3-3 Liverpool (1996-97)
Liverpool love an opening weekend thriller.
This classic fixture is best remembered for one of the greatest Premier League debuts of all time. Step forward, Fabrizio Ravanelli.
The grey-haired Italian icon famously netted a hat-trick for Middlesbrough to salvage a priceless point.
Ravanelli’s first goal saw him beat David James from the penalty spot and he scored again from open play shortly after to cancel out a strike from John Barnes and make it 2-2 on the day.
Robbie Fowler restored Liverpool’s lead in the second half but Ravanelli was on hand to make it 3-3 towards the end with a typically cool finish.
Coventry City 3-2 Chelsea (1997-98)
Another opening weekend classic which featured a stunning hat-trick.
Dion Dublin was the man to notch a treble in this one to complete a memorable turnaround victory for Coventry on home soil.
Dublin’s first goal came in between efforts from Frank Sinclair and Tore Andre Flo as Chelsea closed in on a 2-1 away victory.
Coventry’s star striker had other ideas, though.
With 20 minutes remaining, Dublin scored twice – a thumping header and a cracking finish with his feet – to secure a 3-2 win and send the home crowd wild.
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