Blackpool's 4-0 annihilation of Wigan Athletic not only resulted in the Seasiders topping the Premier League for a short period on Saturday evening, but also saw them avoid an ominous opening day defeat. Ian Holloway's side can take great heart from the fact that only once in the previous eight Premier League seasons has a team who have triumphed in their first match gone on to be relegated come May. All three of last season's demoted sides got off to the worst possible start and none of the trio were ever able to turn things around. With the exception of Middlesbrough's 2-1 home win over Tottenham Hotspur in August 2008, prior to that you have to go back to 2001 when Derby County defeated Blackburn Rovers 2-1 to find a later-relegated side that managed to win their opening fixture. Both Boro and Derby lost their second league matches, a 2-1 loss to Liverpool at Anfield and 3-1 defeat at Ipswich Town respectively. Blackpool will be expected to face a similar fate in their second match as they travel to the Emirates Stadium in London for a tough test with Arsenal. Blackpool also became the first newly-promoted side since Phil Brown's Hull City in 2008 to begin their Premier League campaign with three points. Brown's team, having beaten Fulham 2-1 on the opening day, picked up another point in their second match against Blackburn. But their form soon faltered and they were forced to fight hard for the entire season, only scraping survival on the final day, much to the delight of Brown. If Blackpool stay up, their fans will be praying Holloway opts not to emulate the former Hull coach by serenading his supporters with an impromptu on-pitch karaoke version of Sloop John B. gmeenaghan@thenational.ae Arsenal v Blackpool, 6pm Saturday on ADMC Sports 5, to order: 800-2388 or www.admcsport.com
Tottenham Hotspur, following their 3-2 Champions League play-off defeat to Young Boys of Berne in Switzerland on Tuesday night, must quickly turn their attention back to domestic football when they travel to Stoke City on Saturday. Last weekend, courtesy of a fantastic goalkeeping display by Joe Hart, the Manchester City stopper, Spurs' impressive first-half attacking display at White Hart Lane failed to produce a goal. The game ended 0-0, but Harry Redknapp's side will feel it was two points lost and will be desperate to leave the Britannia Stadium with all three this weekend. Historically, Spurs have struggled to start seasons strongly and it has always affected their final position in the league table. Redknapp, however, has turned the club's early season fortunes around since taking the reins in October 2008, with Spurs winning five of their first seven games last year. The end result was a fourth-place finish - their highest ever in the Premier League - and Redknapp being named Manager of the Year. He will be acutely aware that he must achieve similar early success if they are to repeat the kind of Champions League nights White Hart Lane will host on Wednesday when Young Boys travel for the second leg.
Didier Drogba's display for Chelsea last weekend against West Bromwich Albion saw him join an elite group of seven players who have netted hat-tricks on the opening day of the Premier League season. He also became the first player since Thierry Henry in 2004 to score three goals in successive matches for his club as well as over-taking Jimmy Greaves in Chelsea's all-time leading goalscorers list. He will hope to continue his rich vein of form against Wigan Athletic on Saturday as he needs 16 more goals to catch Peter Osgood, the London side's fifth highest scorer. Opening day hat-tricks M Quinn (v Arsenal, 1993) M Le Tissier (v N Forest, 1995) F Ravanelli (v Liverpool, 1996) K Campbell (v Coventry, 1996) D Dublin (v Chelsea, 1997) G Agbonlahor (v Man City, 2008) D Drogba (v WBA, 2010)
When Ryan Giggs, English football's most decorated player, struck a sweet left-footed volley past Newcastle United's Steve Harper on Monday, the goal ensured the Welshman continues his record of having scored in every season since the inception of the Premier League in 1992: 19 consecutive seasons.
With David James, the 40-year-old goalkeeper who has appeared in more Premier League matches than anyone else, having joined Bristol City in the summer, Giggs, 36, now has a chance to overtake him.
Premier League appearances
David James 573
Ryan Giggs 549
Gary Speed 535
Sol Campbell 496
Expect to see more rash tackles and red cards this season as two of the league's most ill-disciplined players return. Patrick Vieira will compete in his first full season since joining Manchester City from Inter Milan in January, while Alan Smith also returns to the top flight with Newcastle. Between them they have seen red 14 times. Lee Cattermole, the Sunderland captain, has already been dismissed four times in the Premier League, including last week's sending off against Birmingham City. Player and Red Cards Patrick Vieira 8 Richard Dunne 8 Duncan Ferguson 8 Roy Keane 7 Martin Keown 6 Alan Smith 6
