Sturridge gives Liverpool opening win

Daniel Sturridge snaffled a 79th-minute winner as last season's
Premier League runners-up Liverpool opened the new campaign with a 2-1
victory at home to Southampton on Sunday.

Liverpool's English striker Daniel Sturridge (2nd R) scores his team's
second goal past Southampton's English goalkeeper Fraser Forster
during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and
Southampton at Anfield stadium in Liverpool, northwest England, on
August 17, 2014. Liverpool won the match 2-1.

Raheem Sterling put Liverpool ahead midway through the first half at a
sun-soaked Anfield, but Nathaniel Clyne lashed home an equaliser
shortly before the hour following a neat exchange with debutant Dusan
Tadic.

Brendan Rodgers's Liverpool looked destined to drop points in their
first competitive game since the sale of Luis Suarez to Barcelona, but
with 11 minutes to play, Sterling teed up Sturridge to flick home the
winning goal.

With debutants Javier Manquillo and Dejan Lovren — the former
Southampton defender — in their starting XI, Liverpool dominated
possession in the early stages and took the lead in the 23rd minute.

The goal owed much to the tenacity of Jordan Henderson, who helped
Manquillo dispossess Tadic, won a 50-50 with Morgan Schneiderlin, and
then freed Sterling to beat Fraser Forster with a first-time finish.

It was a turbulent close season for Southampton, who lost five key
players and appointed a new manager in Ronald Koeman, but they were
not cowed by Liverpool's opener and equalised in the 56th minute.

Clyne rolled a pass forward to Tadic and the Serbian held off his
marker before backheeling the ball into the path of his onrushing
team-mate, who thrashed a shot into the top-right corner.

Steven Davis could have completed the comeback, only to shoot meekly
at Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet from James Ward-Prowse's pass,
and it was a spurned opportunity that Koeman would come to rue.

Rodgers sent on Rickie Lambert, another who left Southampton in the
close season, in the 76th minute, but it was Sturridge who claimed the
winner.

After Henderson's cross was partially cleared by Victor Wanyama,
Sterling headed the ball on and his England team-mate nudged home from
a matter of yards.

There was time for one last scare for Liverpool, with Mignolet
touching a drive from Schneiderlin onto the bar and Southampton
debutant Shane Long — a late substitute — heading the rebound wide.

City open their title defence later on Sunday when they take on
Newcastle United at St James' Park.

Manchester United's campaign got off to a false start on Saturday when
they lost 2-1 at home to Swansea City in new manager Louis van Gaal's
first competitive game.

Arsenal, meanwhile, needed a stoppage-time goal from Aaron Ramsey to
overcome Crystal Palace 2-1.

AFP