The Italians needed the new season of domestic football to speedily appear on the horizon to help remove those pesky memories of a truly awful World Cup campaign by the national team, even worse than England and France, and the season started with a bang. Giandomenico Modesto put away a superb overhead kick to give Genoa a hard fought win at Udinese.
Winger Joaquin went some way to prove their is life after David Silva and David Villa’s departures, the Spanish international scoring twice to help his side past Malaga.
Andy Carroll continued his scoring streak with a header to hand the St James’ Park outfit a point they richly deserved from this temperamental Molineux encounter that saw no less than 12 players booked.
Roberto Martinez will have feel a weight lifted off this shoulders as his Latics pulled off a surprise win at White Hart Lane thanks to a Hugo Rodallega goal that only found the net after poor keeping from Carlo Cudicini.
The Gunners edged past Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park thanks to another goal from highly improving Theo Walcott and Andrei Arshavin. The win puts the Emirates side into second spot.
Carlo Ancelotti saw his Stamford Bridge side make it three from three with a workmanlike win over a determined Potters side. Frank Lampard missed a penalty early on but goals from Florent Malouda and a spot kick from Didier Drogba saw the Blues to victory.
Sir Alex Ferguson saw his Old Trafford side ease past a West Ham side who have started the season in alarmingly bad fashion, leaving Avram Grant wondering about his future at the Upton Park club. Goals from Wayne Rooney, Nani and Dimitar Berbatov saw the home team easily beat the Hammers.
Goals from Jose Antonio Reyes and Sergio Aguero saw Atletico past a lacklustre Inter Milan side to win the Super Cup at the Stade Louis II in Monaco. To compound matters, Diego Milito missed a penalty late on as Rafa Benitez presided over his first competitive fixture as Nerazzurri boss.
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