Champions Leicester City taking on an injury-ravaged, newly-promoted Hull City. It seemed inevitable that Claudio Ranieri would leave Humberside with three points on the opening day of the Premier League season.
But since when has football ever been predictable? Hull City marked their first match back in the top flight with a surprise 2-1 victory, despite only having 13 fully-fit senior players available.
Much more predictable than the game of football itself, are its fans. Within seconds of Mike Dean blowing the full-time whistle at the KCOM Stadium, virtually every single football supporter on planet earth was making the same comment about the Premier League champions.
https://twitter.com/adam_smith1990/status/764443625195438080
What's the odds on Leicester going down?
— Ricky Cox (@cox4040) August 13, 2016
https://twitter.com/ffsRooney/status/764451673230147584
Leicester city are going down this year I have called it
— Jude Mollart Flowers (@mollers_jude) August 13, 2016
Leicester are getting relegated, aren't they?
— Arjun Pradeep (@IndianRegista) August 13, 2016
leicester gonna get relegated just watch 👀
— narcis (@sprecojr) August 13, 2016
The defeat at Hull makes Leicester the first Premier League champions to lose on the opening day of the season, as pointed out by Gary Lineker.
Leicester become the first ever reigning @premierleague champions to lose their opening fixture of the following season. That's pants!
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) August 13, 2016
It was especially frustrating for Jamie Vardy, whose goals were a significant factor in Leicester’s title push last year. Cameras captured the moment that the England international appeared to punch himself in the face as his side went in search of a second equaliser that never came.
Leicester next couple of matches are at home to Arsenal and Swansea. Failure to win either of those, and the Foxes are almost certainly Championship-bound.
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