REVIEW: Most penalties awarded in PL opening matchround in 8 years

FOOTBALL - So far there have been seven penalties awarded in the PL in the opening round of fixtures this season. Since the PL was reduced to 20 teams, there was only more given in the opening weekend of 2003-2004 (9).

Wigan Athletic 0-2 Chelsea

> Chelsea extended their run to 14 opening PL fixtures without defeat, since they lost 2-1 at Coventry in 1998. They have now kept clean-sheets in their last three PL opening weekend matches.
> Frank Lampard’s penalty was his seventh goal in the opening PL matchround, only Alan Shearer (8) has scored more.

Manchester City 3-2 Southampton

> Manchester City are now unbeaten in their last four PL opening fixtures, and extend the record of PL winners to win their first game of the season as champions to all 21 seasons.

> Three different substitutes scored in this match, making it the first PL match since Middlesbrough’s 8-1 win over Man City in May 2008 to have three different scoring substitutes.