The Arsenal striker was dismissed after kicking out at Manchester United's Phil Neville as the Premiership champions took the traditional seasonal opener on penalties after the teams had drawn 1-1.

"Jeffers shame" trumpets the Daily Mail, which points out that the striker's red card is the 50th Arsenal have received during manager Arsene Wenger's reign.

The hero of the hour was United's new American keeper Tim Howard, who saved two penalties in the shoot out.

Under the headline "How's about that" the Daily Star says "United's Yankee Doodle Dandy" looks to have replaced Fabien Barthez as United's first-choice keeper.

In the Independent James Lawton believes that United will go away from the game much happier than their London rivals.

"There was a sense that this is a team that may have lost more their title last spring," he writes.

THE HEADLINES Daily Telegraph: Scholes keep United on top The Times: Wilkinson shuns celebrity life to keep his eye on the ball The Sun: Booted The Guardian: Football's back Daily Express: Red Fifty Daily Mirror: Hot head Daily Mail: Jeffers shame Daily Star: How's about that Independent on Sunday: United land first blow as Jeffers boils over

"Certainly their will to perform often seemed less forceful than United's, and if (Sir Alex) Ferguson played up the victory in his usual aggressive style, Wenger's face spoke of some concern"

On the hottest day in Britain's history it seems appropriate to give at least a little space to cricket, and the Daily Telegraph duly delivers.

The paper devotes a third of the front page of its sports supplement to a piece by ex-England player Geoff Boycott accusing England coach Duncan Fletcher of destroying county cricket by preventing Test players turning out.

He writes: "Fletcher is helping to destroy the counties by keeping the star players from playing much and telling them they should be resting more."

And finally back to football, and probably the best writer among the often monosyllabic professionals of today.

If anyone has ever read Crystal Palace midfielder Aki Riihilahti's website they will know that the Finn is a hugely entertaining scribe, and The Times has signed him up.

He gives us the football insider's view of Roman Abramovich's purchase of Chelsea and asks the important question: How long will his interest last?

Riihilahti draws the comparison between his own Champions Manager addiction, which waned once he had won the title, and questions whether Abramovich will feel the same.

"So does Mr Abramovich try then to swap Chelsea for a couple of cricket clubs and a rugby team? Or is he not a Play Station player at all?" he writes.

"Is his passion to football (sic) as big as any die-hard Chelsea supporter's?