EPL round-up: Leicester go top as Everton deny Watford win

Newcomers Norwich City and Bournemouth lose.

Riyad Mahrez of Leicester City celebrates scoring his team's second goal against Sunderland. Getty Images

Agencies

LEICESTER 4-2 SUNDERLAND

A first-half blitz from Leicester blew away Sunderland to hand new boss Claudio Ranieri a dream start and top spot in the league.

Riyad Mahrez’s double and Jamie Vardy’s opener earned the Foxes an easy 4-2 win over the visitors.

England striker Vardy’s header and Mahrez’s brace, one coming from the penalty spot, put Leicester in complete control after just 25 minutes.

Jermain Defoe pulled one back but Marc Albrighton ended the contest with the Foxes’ fourth, even though Steven Fletcher made it 4-2.

The win gave Ranieri, who replaced Nigel Pearson in the summer, his first win in charge in his first Premier League game in 11 years.

EVERTON 2-2 WATFORD

Watford earned a point on their Premier League return as they held Everton to an opening-day 2-2 draw at Goodison Park.

The newly-promoted Hornets, playing their first top-flight game since 2006-07, took a surprise lead in the 14th minute when Miguel Layun fired in.

The visitors’ resilience in defending that advantage was finally broken in the 76th minute as Ross Barkley struck a sweet equaliser, but Watford were back ahead in the 83rd through a clever effort from substitute Odion Ighalo.

Everton substitute Arouna Kone then ensured his team salvaged something with a far-post finish with four minutes of normal time remaining.

NORWICH 1-3 CRYSTAL PALACE

Crystal Palace beat new boys Norwich 3-1 at Carrow Road, where referee Simon Hooper had controversially ruled out a second-half equaliser for Cameron Jermone.

After a positive start by last season’s Sky Bet Championship play-off winners, when striker Lewis Grabban missed a great early chance, Palace went ahead with a well-taken finish from Wilfried Zaha on 39 minutes.

The Eagles doubled their lead at the start of the second half through captain Damien Delaney.

Substitute Nathan Redmond gave the Canaries hope with a 25-yard strike on 69 minutes before Jerome thought he had hooked in an equaliser - only for the goal to be ruled out for dangerous play.

Palace scored a third deep into stoppage time through Yohan Cabaye.

BOURNEMOUTH 0-1 ASTON VILLA

Rudy Gestede scored 13 minutes into his Aston Villa debut to secure a 1-0 victory at newly-promoted Bournemouth.

The 6ft 4ins striker, a £6million summer arrival from Blackburn, thumped home a header from an Ashley Westwood corner after coming on as a second-half substitute.