EPL: Everton, Leeds, Ipswich in opening day wins

With the English Premier League returning since Arsenal lifted the title last season, it was opening day win for Everton, Leeds and Ipswich, following in the footsteps of Arsenal and Hull City, who defeated Coventry City and Manchester United on Friday night and early afternoon of Saturday respectively.
Everton survived an early scare to beat Crystal Palace at the Hill Dickinson Stadium and win their opening game of the Premier League season for the first time in five years.
Goals from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry either side of half-time were enough to earn the Blues their earliest victory in a new campaign since Rafa Benitez guided them to a 3-1 win over Southampton in August 2021.
It was also the first time in eight Premier League matches that David Moyes’ side had tasted victory, following a bleak seven-match winless run at the end of last season.
Oliver Glasner’s reign at Nottingham Forest began with a late defeat at the hands of visiting Leeds United in their Premier League opener.
The Austrian became Forest’s fifth manager in less than a year after replacing Vitor Pereira, who was sacked last month despite steering the club away from relegation danger.
Glasner and Forest, however, suffered a late blow as Anton Stach struck the Leeds winner straight from a free-kick with two minutes left on the clock.
In another game played on Saturday, Ipswich secured a winning return to the Premier League as substitute Jack Clarke scored a 90th-minute winner against his former club Sunderland at Portman Road.
Last season’s Championship runners-up opened the scoring in the 24th minute when Julio Enciso intercepted a pass on the halfway line, dribbled to the edge of the box and squared the ball to fellow summer signing Emersonn who tapped in.
Sunderland levelled in style six minutes before half-time when Nilson Angulo’s curling free-kick went in off the crossbar.
The home side scored a late winner through former Black Cats winger Clarke, who curled the ball into the far bottom corner from just inside the box.