Source: Eurosport
Drogba boosts Chelsea, City clinch winning Premier League start
LONDON (AFP) - Didier Drogba scored twice, including a stoppage-time winner, as Chelsea marked Carlo Ancelotti's first match in the Premier League with a 2-1 opening day win over Hull on Saturday.
Drogba sealed all three points for the English title contenders when, in the second minute of added-on time, his cross-shot floated over Hull keeper Boaz Myhill to the delight of home fans at Stamford Bridge.
In the day's other Premier League matches, cash-rich Manchester City beat Blackburn 2-0 while Stoke defeated new boys Burnley by the same scoreline.
Fulham added to Portsmouth's problems with a 1-0 win, Sunderland also grabbed a 1-0 win at Bolton while West Ham beat last season's Championship winners Wolves 2-0, the same scoreline that gave Wigan victory at Aston Villa.
Everton face Arsenal in Saturday's late game.
Drogba admitted his was a lucky winner, telling Sky Sports: "It was a cross but the intention was always good.
"The belief is strong as always. I think today we showed it, we fight until the end of the game."
Stephen Hunt marked his Hull debut by giving the Tigers a shock lead before Drogba equalised.
Chelsea, who finished third last season, squandered numerous second-half chances, much to the frustration of their Italian boss, before finally taking all three points.
They should have gone ahead when Drogba shot wide from just six yards out and the Blues were made to pay for that miss when Hunt gave the visitors a 28th-minute lead after the ball broke in the box to the Republic of Ireland midfielder.
Less than 10 minutes later Drogba equalised with a curling free-kick from 28 yards after John-Obi Mikel had been fouled.
Manchester City who, thanks to their Abu-Dhabi based owners, spent nearly 100 million pounds on players during the close season, saw one of their new signings give them the lead at Ewood Park when Emmanuel Adebayor, the former Arsenal striker, fired
home from Shaun Wright Phillips's third minute cross.
Stephen Ireland added the second goal in the last minute.
Portsmouth, beset by uncertainty surrounding the proposed takeover of the club by Arab businessman Sulaiman Al-Fahim, were undone at Fratton Park when Clint Dempsey's 13th-minute shot deflected off Bobby Zamora and past the despairing dive of David James.
Wigan, in Roberto Martinez's first match as a Premier League manager, stunned Aston Villa when Hugo Rodallega let fly from long range with a dipping shot that beat Brad Friedel.
Jason Koumas made it 2-0 with a well-taken goal in the 56th minute.
Former Tottenham striker Darren Bent secured Sunderland's victory at the Reebok Stadium against Bolton with a fifth-minute header from Steed Malbranque's cross.
Mark Noble put West Ham in front at Molineux with a superb curling first-half shot from the edge of the box before Matthew Upson's header from a corner doubled the Hammers' lead in the 69th minute.
Stoke were 2-0 up inside 34 minutes against Burnley, playing their first top-flight match in 33 years.
Ryan Shawcross headed in Liam Lawrence's cross back across goal before Burnley's Stephen Jordan nodded into his own net.
Champions Manchester United begin their quest for a record fourth successive English title at home to Birmingham on Sunday when arch-rivals Liverpool welcome Tottenham Hotspur to Anfield.
