Blackpool Rock

16 of the 20 sides competing in this season's Premier League have now got their campaign underway, and none will be feeling happier with their day's work than Blackpool.

An emphatic 4-0 win against relatively local rivals Wigan, at the egotistically named and constantly half empty DW Stadium, is far more than they could ever have hoped for from their first ever foray into the Premier League. The fact that Wigan will in all likelihood be strugglers themselves, and defended in a manner that was crying out for a Benny Hill backing track, is irrelevant. Blackpool got the job done and the place will be rocking tonight, just think of the illegitimate babies that will arrive in nine months time.

The first game of the season will have had the Sky marketing men beaming - Spurs v Man City nowadays is a glamorous fixture in it's own right, but given the new faces it was a great way to get things going. The first half was absolutely electrifying stuff, played at a break-neck pace with tackles flying in and chances coming thick and fast. It was interesting to note that David Silva and Yaya Toure in particular looked somewhat shellshocked after about twenty minutes - whether you agree with the Sky spiel that it's the best league in the world or not, it is undeniably the most frenetic and high tempo this side of the A League.

Spurs failed to find a breakthrough during a sustained spell of pressure in the first half, and the game tailed off eventually as Spurs tired and City were happy to claim the point. The fact that Spurs did not score was credit in no small part to the heroics of Joe Hart - form like that will have him between the England sticks for many years to come. The fact that Shay Given was confined to the bench should have Arsenal in particular on red alert.

Another notable result from the day was the ominous click into stride of the champions, Chelsea. They hammered a defensively weak West Brom side, who showed enough when in posession to suggest that they will cause problems, but Chelsea were just irresistible in attack. Of course it doesn't help when your defensive wall puts up about as much resistance as Paul Gascoigne when offered a pint - but in the second half the Blues threatened with every attack. 6-0 is the record win on the opening day for any team, and following the goalfest with which Chelsea closed out the championship in May, is precisely the start they would have wanted.

The should-have-stayed-in-bed award goes to Stephen Carr of Birmingham City, conceding a penalty and scoring an own goal, smooth moves, dickhead. Time to pack it in? At least Birmingham scrambled a late equaliser to ensure Carr had someone to sit next to on the bus home. Arguably the only person who had a worse day was Kenwyne Jones, Stoke's new £8m striker - after a bright and dangerous looking start, he suffered a serious looking injury which is likely to rule him out for some time. Get well soon, Ken.

Goal of the day* goes to David Jones of Wolves, scoring a Matt Le Tissier-esque free kick by flicking the ball up himself and then volleying it in via the underside of the bar. Classy, intelligent and perfectly executed. Matty's was better though.

Attention now turns to the huge clash at Anfield between Liverpool and Arsenal, but it does certainly feel that the world is back in order again, the Premier League is back. Sleep tight.

*EDIT - I typed this before Gary Lineker or The Thunder Stealer as I call him got into my mind and not only used the exact phrase 'goal of the day' but then also drops a Le Tissier highlight to prove my point. Honest guv, I'm not copying. I might sue.

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Aussie news: The Heart have picked up their first point!! A 1-1 draw away at Newcastle Jets, saved thanks to an hilarious 22 yard lob the keeper own goal ten minutes from time gives the Heart their historic first point.

Technically they still have yet to score for themselves, but we won't worry about picky little details like that - we're off and running now, just you watch...