The games have begun

Remember to check out FootballMania's 2012/13 Season video in the post below!
Match Results/Reports
EPL, La Liga, Italian Serie A

English Premier League
Saturday, 19 August
Arsenal 0-0 Sunderland
Arsenal's first game without Robin van Persie ended in a goalless draw, even when they enjoyed plenty of the possession. The Black Cats were hungry and Stephane Sessegnon opened up the Gunners' defence through the counter attack, but they were unable to convert. New boy Sanit Cazorla from Malaga played impressively, but Olivier Giroud missed many chances. The Gunners have their ammunition, but their unable to successfully launch the cannon.
Fulham 5-0 Norwich
QPR 0-5 Swansea
Fulham and Swansea started their campaigns with shocking 5-0 wins. Even without Clint Dempsey, as Damien Duff opened the scoring and Mladen Petric made it two to put the Cottagers up 2-0 before HT. Petric got his second, Fulham's third in the 54th while Alexander Kacaniklic sealed the game in the 66th. Norwich's misery continued when Michael Turners's tackle on Hugo Rodallega, who had come on for Petric. Steve Sidwell put in the spot-kick, while the stunned Canaries look on.

Swansea can make it without Brendan Rodgers, who left the club to take the managerial position left by Kenny Dalglish at Anfield. Miguel Perez Cuesta, aka Michu, gave the visitors the opening goal at 8 mins. Only after HT did the floodgates really open. Michu scored the 2nd in the 53rd, while Nathan Dyer also netted twice. Scott Sinclair came off the bench to score the fifth.
Reading 1-1 Stoke City
Reading's late penalty salvaged them a point after Dean Whitehead was sent off for a second booking.
West Brom A. 3-0 Liverpool
West Brom crushed the Reds with goals from Zoltan Gera, Peter Odemwingie, and Romelu Lukaku to put Liverpool in the relegation zone. Liverpool were left with ten-men after Daniel Agger's foul on Shane Long in the penalty area. However, Pepe Reina saved the weak spot kick. Luis Suarez could have gotten a hat-trick but missed all 3 chances. Another penalty was awarded to WBA when Skrtel had tripped Long in the box. This time, Odemwingie stepped up to the spot and hammered past Reina. Lukaku came on and made it three.
West Ham Utd 1-0 Aston Villa
Kevin Nolan had initially been flagged offside by assistant referee Simon Long, but the linesman then changed his mind, while Nolan drilled home the game-winner. Referee Mike Dean confirmed the goal and no amount of protest by the Villa players could change his mind.
Newcastle Utd 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur
A late goal by Hatem Ben Arfa gave Magpies the three points when he got past Brad Friedel at the penalty spot. Rafael van de Vaart had brought him down and he paid the price. Jermain Defoe had levelled Demba Ba's opening goal.
Saturday, 19 August
Wigan 0-2 Chelsea
Manchester City 3-2 Southampton
The European champions started their chase for the title with a more convincing win than the English champions. David Silva missed a penalty in the 17th minute after Aguero was brought down who was subsequently stretchered off. Carlos Tevez drilled a low shot into the near post giving City the lead before HT. When the game resumed, City let in two sloppy goals, but Dzeko and Nasri gave them the come-from-behind win. Chelsea, on the other hand, started with a comfortable win, who, in the first seven minutes, led two goals to none thanks to a goal from Ivanovic and a penalty by Lampard. It was good to see that Wigan held strong and did not let the tragedy they experienced against the same team in the last game of 2010 repeat, when they were trashed 8-0. However, the home side lacked firepower in attack.
Monday, 20 August
Everton v Manchester Utd
La Liga (Spanish Primera Division)Saturday, 19 August
Celta Vigo 0-1 Malaga
Sevilla FC 2-1 Getafe
Mallorca 2-1 Espanyol
Saturday, 19 August
Athletic Bilbao 3-5 Real BetisReal Madrid 1-1 Valencia
Barcelona 5-1 Real Sociedad
Levante 1-1 Atletico Madrid
The rivalry between Real and Barca resumed with the Catalans having the last laugh this time, after their 5-1 thumping of Real Sociedad. Los Che earned themselves a well-deserved point against the Spanish champions. Just three days before the next El Clasico in the 2012 Supercopa de España, First Leg.
Italian Serie A
Saturday, 25 August
Fiorentina v Udinese
Juventus v Parma
Sunday, 26 August
AC Milan v Sampdoria
AS Roma v Catania
Atlanta v Lazio
Chievo Verona v Bologna
Genoa v Cagliari
Palermo v Napoli
Siena v Torino
VS Pescara v Inter Milan