LONDON: Robert Snodgrass scored the winner as crisis club Hull City brought Premier League champions Leicester City crashing to earth with a shock 2-1 victory on Saturday’s opening day.
Three months on from their 5,000-1 fairytale title triumph, Leicester fell to Scottish winger Snodgrass’s 57th-minute strike after Riyad Mahrez had canceled out Adama Diomande’s opener.
Elsewhere, Erik Lamela equalized to earn Tottenham Hotspur — last season’s third-place team — a 1-1 draw at Everton after goalkeeper Hugo Lloris had been forced off by injury.
“I told my players this season will be harder than last season. Today was a normal match, maybe a draw was normal, but we lost it,” said Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri, whose side lost only three times last season.
“For this reason I told them we must be very strong together because last season we showed ourselves as a very good team and we need to repeat that.”
It was the first time the defending English champions had opened the campaign with a defeat since 1989, when Arsenal lost at Manchester United.
Leicester were starting life without N’Golo Kante, who has joined Chelsea, and were also without the suspended Robert Huth. New signings Luis Hernandez and Ahmed Musa both started.
They went behind in first-half stoppage time at the KCOM Stadium when Kasper Schmeichel parried Curtis Davies’s header and Diomande and Abel Hernandez launched themselves at the loose ball.
Both men attempted an overhead volley; Hernandez made contact first, but the ball flicked off Diomande’s foot and flashed into the net.
Mahrez equalized from the penalty spot in the 47th minute after Tom Huddlestone clipped Demarai Gray from behind, although replays showed the foul occurred outside the box.
But 10 minutes later Hull secured victory when Danny Simpson could only partially clear Ahmed Elmohamady’s cross and Snodgrass thrashed the loose ball home.
Hull are without a permanent manager following Steve Bruce’s resignation last month and had just 13 senior players in their match-day squad.
“It was great to see the team and staff all pull together and surprise so many people,” said caretaker manager Mike Phelan.
“The players have enjoyed themselves today.”
Tottenham were Leicester’s chief title rivals last season, but they had to make do with a point after Ronald Koeman began his tenure as Everton manager with a draw.
Ross Barkley gave Everton a fifth-minute lead at Goodison Park with a free-kick from wide on the left that eluded everyone and curled into the net.
France goalkeeper Lloris limped off with a hamstring injury in the 35th minute, with Michel Vorm replacing him.
But Lamela equalized in the 59th minute with a header from Kyle Walker’s cross.
Pep Guardiola begins his tenure as Manchester City manager in earnest later on Saturday, when Sunderland and their new manager David Moyes visit the Etihad Stadium.
Meanwhile, Swansea City won 1-0 at promoted Burnley courtesy of an 82nd-minute strike by Leroy Fer, who tapped in after debutant Fernando Llorente’s header was saved by Tom Heaton.
Salomon Rondon’s 74th-minute header earned West Bromwich Albion manager Tony Pulis a 1-0 victory at his former club Crystal Palace.
Southampton manager Claude Puel and his Watford counterpart Walter Mazzarri started life at their respective new clubs with a 1-1 draw at St. Mary’s.
Etienne Capoue put Watford ahead from Troy Deeney’s knock-down in the ninth minute, but Nathan Redmond volleyed home a 58th-minute leveller after a weak punch by Watford goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes.
Watford lost Ben Watson to a late red card for a last-man foul on Shane Long.
Promoted Middlesbrough were denied victory in their first top-flight game since 2009 as a 67th-minute free-kick by Xherdan Shaqiri earned Stoke City a 1-1 draw. Former Manchester City striker Alvaro Negredo had given Boro an 11th-minute lead.
Snodgrass nets winner as Hull City stuns champion Leicester
Snodgrass nets winner as Hull City stuns champion Leicester
