Soldado penalty fires Spurs to victory
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, August 19, 2013
Spain striker Roberto Soldado's penalty on his English Premier League debut gave Tottenham Hotspur a 1-0 win at Crystal Palace in their opening match of the season in London yesterday.
Spurs, who were not awarded a single penalty last season, were given the spot kick early in the second half for an unfortunate handball by Palace defender Dean Moxey as he tried to block a dangerous Aaron Lennon cross.
Soldado then coolly slotted his effort inside Julian Speroni's right-hand post with the ‘keeper going the other way.
Argentine Speroni was the busier ‘keeper helping to keep Spurs at bay especially with a brilliant leap to tip over a shot from midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson in the first half at Selhurt Park.
Tottenham was guilty of a string of near misses that would have settled the match long before a nerve-wracking final few minutes in which it was indebted to ‘keeper Hugo Lloris for a double save from Kagisho Dikgacoi.
Nacer Chadli, another of Spurs' new signings, headed over the bar from close range in first-half added time and Sigurdsson's low shot in the 69th was out of the diving Speroni's reach but also just wide of the far post. Spurs substitute Jermain Defoe also shot wide of the same post in the 88th after a jinking run through the Palace defense.
Gareth Bale, strongly linked with a move to Real Madrid, was absent from the Spurs line-up with a foot injury.
Later, Jose Mourinho's eagerly-anticipated return to the Premier League gets under way as his Chelsea side hosts promoted Hull City.
Defending champion Manchester United moved to the top of the fledgling standings with a 4-1 win at Swansea City on Saturday's opening day, in what was David Moyes' first league game as manager.
It was United's first league game with a new manager in the dug-out since Alex Ferguson took his side to Oxford United on November 8, 1986, but a pair of braces from Robin van Persie and Danny Welbeck banished any first-day nerves in driving rain at Liberty Stadium.
"We are very happy," Van Persie told Sky Sports. "To play against Swansea away from home is tough.
"I love the way they play but it's hard to play against. Swansea were better than us for the first 20 minutes or so but the goal changed the game."
Meanwhile, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger apologized to the club's fans after a 1-3 loss at home to Aston Villa.
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