A Tottenham Hotspur side including 2019/20 ePremier League champion Tom Leese suffered a surprise defeat in their opening match of the 2021/22 ePL Grand Finals as they were beaten 3-2 on aggregate by Norwich City.
See: LIVE: ePL Grand Finals - Watch all the Day 1 action
Spurs are one of the favourites for the EA SPORTS FIFA 22 tournament, in which all 20 Premier League clubs are competing with teams of Xbox and PlayStation 5 gamers. But Norwich's Damien Augustyniak beat HUGE GORILLA 3-1 in the first leg on Xbox. Leese pulled a goal back in the second match-up on PS5 but GoalPoacher_ held on for the overall win.
Elsewhere in Group D, Watford staged a wonderful comeback to beat Aston Villa in a seven-goal thriller. After 1mpactZ had won the opening leg 2-0 Tom Stokes put on a masterclass in the PS5 return leg for the Hornets. He rattled off four goals before a late penalty for Villa meant it finished 4-3.
Tekkz helps Liverpool to victory
Liverpool were made to work hard for their opening victory over Leicester City, with 2018/19 ePL champion Tekkz making the difference with a 1-0 first-leg win. Leicester's PCosmin6 held Diogo Mendes to a draw in the second leg but the Reds ran out 2-1 winners.
'That's classic @Tekkz' 🙌
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 26, 2022
That extra pass ensures Liverpool are among the early first-leg winners#ePremierLeague | @EASPORTSFIFA pic.twitter.com/fGv0a3Qhbw
In the other Group B encounter, it was all-square between Burnley and Everton, with all the goals coming in a 1-1 first-leg draw.
Chelsea edge London derby
There was drama in the Group A London derby between Chelsea and Arsenal, with the Blues scoring a last-minute winner to triumph 3-2. ActualEmperor14 was leading 2-1 for the Gunners in the second leg, only for Stingrayjnr to snatch a last-gasp winner through Cristiano Ronaldo.
😲 WHAT. A. FINISH. 🤩
— Premier League (@premierleague) March 26, 2022
Last-gasp drama in Chelsea's opening clash with Arsenal!#ePremierLeague | @EASPORTSFIFA pic.twitter.com/LuNJDQ9z9j
Brighton & Hove Albion also rallied from a two-goal deficit from the first leg to earn a 3-3 draw with West Ham United. RedLac had put the Hammers charge in the Xbox encounter but Marc Marley showed his class with a superb recovery. Although tomsmithh7 cancelled out an early strike, Marley scored twice more to secure a point for the Seagulls.
Winning starts for Saints and Leeds
There was a close-run finish as Southampton saw off Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-2 over the two legs. After a 1-1 draw in the Group C Xbox match-up, Michael-Fisher20 came up with the goods in the second leg.
It was more straightforward for Leeds United, who ran out 5-1 winners over Crystal Palace. Ollelito, the 2020/21 ePL runner-up, never looked back after capitalising on an early defensive error to give Leeds the lead in the first leg.
NikSNEB JR levelled with a smart finish but Olleitto scored three more for a 4-1 first-leg win. MhaywXrd won 1-0 in the second leg, with Palace’s defeat compounded by a last-minute penalty miss as EthxnH had a 'Panenka' saved.
Results
Group A: Chelsea 3-2 Arsenal | Brighton 3-3 West Ham
Group B: Liverpool 2-1 Leicester | Burnley 1-1 Everton
Group C: Southampton 3-2 Wolves | Leeds 5-1 Crystal Palace
Group D: Spurs 2-3 Norwich | Watford 4-3 Aston Villa
See: Watch ePL Grand Finals Day 1 live, plus results and tables
See: Your guide to the 2021/22 ePL Grand Finals
