Liverpool held, Spurs and Chelsea win in Premier League openers

MANCHESTER, England : Title contenders Liverpool could only manage a draw at Fulham on the opening Saturday of the Premier League season while Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur made winning starts to the new campaign.

Liverpool had to come from behind twice to cancel out goals from Fulham's Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic with new signing Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah on target in the 2-2 draw for Juergen Klopp's side.

Spurs also went behind, at home to Southampton, but then Antonio Conte's side cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Saints.

A penalty on the stroke of halftime from Jorginho was enough to give Chelsea a hard-fought 1-0 win at former favourite Frank Lampard's Everton.

Champions Manchester City start their title defence at West Ham United on Sunday while Dutch manager Erik ten Hag takes charge of Manchester United for the first time against Brighton & Hove Albion at Old Trafford.

Mitrovic scored 43 goals in 44 games as Fulham won promotion from the second-tier Championship last season and continued that form as he put the London side ahead in the 32nd minute.

Kenny Tete's cross from the right was just what the tall centre forward relishes and he out-muscled Trent Alexander-Arnold at the far post to head home.

Runners-up last term, Liverpool struggled to get a foothold in the game but introduction of Nunez in the second half had the desired impact.

The Uruguayan, bought from Benfica for an initial fee of 75 million euros ($76.36 million) brought the visitors level with a clever flicked finish just after the hour mark.

Despite having barely threatened after the break, Fulham were soon back in front as Mitrovic was ruled to have been tripped in the box by Virgil van Dijk, and the Serb stepped up to stroke home the spot