MANCHESTER, England (AP) — A spectacular double from Robin van Persie helped Manchester United begin their Premier League title defence with a 4-1 win at Swansea, but the alarm bells are ringing at his former club Arsenal with just one game into the new season.

David Moyes’ first league match in charge of United couldn’t have gone any better, with Van Persie matching Danny Welbeck’s brace with two brilliant goals of his own to signal his intent on finishing top scorer in England for a third straight season.

There is already an air of discontent at Arsenal, however, after a 3-1 home loss to Aston Villa, which ended with fans booing the team off and voicing their anger at manager Arsene Wenger’s failure to strengthen his threadbare squad in the close season.

Christian Benteke scored twice for Villa, with Laurent Koscielny’s second-half sending-off after two yellow cards compounding Arsenal’s misery.

Liverpool relied on Daniel Sturridge’s first-half goal and a late penalty save by debutant Simon Mignolet to clinch a 1-0 victory against Stoke, while West Ham, Southampton and Fulham also opened an eagerly anticipated campaign with wins. Norwich drew 2-2 with Everton.

The Netherlands striker Van Persie was the main reason why United were able to reclaim the league title from Manchester City last season and he has picked up where he left off, putting United ahead with an acrobatic volley in the 34th minute and then virtually sealing victory in the 72nd by smashing a 20-yarder into the top corner.

With Welbeck also weighing in with two goals — the second a deft chip in injury time — it justified Moyes’ decision to leave unsettled striker Wayne Rooney on the bench until the 61st minute. Rooney, who has been pushing for a move away from United, received a generous welcome by the travelling support when he entered and set up Welbeck’s second goal in a sharp cameo.

Wilfried Bony’s debut goal for Swansea made it 3-1 but Swansea faded after a bright start, with their defence unable to cope with the movement of Van Persie and Welbeck.

Olivier Giroud gave Arsenal the lead in the sixth minute, but Benteke, who put in and then withdrew a transfer request over the summer, equalised in the 22nd when he headed home a rebound after his penalty was saved by goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny.

The Belgium striker then converted a 66th-minute penalty following Koscielny’s clumsy foul on Gabriel Agbonlahor, earning the defender a first yellow card, and debutant Antonio Luna sealed the points in the 85th for Villa by racing clear on the break to score in the bottom corner.

It was a much more positive start to the campaign by Liverpool, who dominated against Stoke but only had Sturridge’s 25-yard strike to show for their efforts.

That profligacy almost cost them when Daniel Agger handballed in the area in the 88th minute, but Mignolet ended a nervy debut by clawing away Jon Walters’ spot kick and then denying Kenwyne Jones’ effort on the rebound.

The scorer of England’s winner over Scotland on Wednesday on his international debut, Rickie Lambert completed the perfect week by converting a last-minute penalty for Southampton in a 1-0 victory at West Bromwich Albion.

Goals either side of the break by Joe Cole and Kevin Nolan were enough for West Ham in a 2-0 home win over promoted Cardiff, and Pajtim Kasami grabbed a 52nd-minute winner for Fulham in a 1-0 victory at Paolo Di Canio’s Sunderland.

Norwich went ahead at Carrow Road through Steven Whittaker before goals by Ross Barkley and Seamus Coleman in a five-minute span gave Everton the lead by the 65th minute. Van Wolfswinkel levelled in the 71st.