Manchester United began its bid for a record-breaking 19th English league title by cruising to a 3-0 victory over promoted Newcastle on Monday.
Dimitar Berbatov and Darren Fletcher hit first-half goals, but Wayne Rooney went a 13th match for United and England without scoring.
While United is trying to regain the Premier League trophy from Chelsea, Newcastle's priority is survival after bouncing straight back up following a season in the League Championship.
"The most important thing in the first game is to win and, even though we could have scored more, we'll take that," United midfielder Paul Scholes said. "When we scored we were a constant threat after that and moved them around quite a lot."
After a lacklustre World Cup, Rooney started equally forlornly in the Premier League -- curling wide of the target after meeting Nani's neat backheeled pass.
Berbatov put United in front in the 33rd minute.
Newcastle defender Jose Enrique inadvertently directed Scholes' through ball to Berbatov, who steadied himself and then dispatched the ball into the far corner past goalkeeper Steve Harper from an acute angle.
Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton could have equalized when Nani lost possession on the edge of the penalty area, but he went for goal rather than attempting to pick out better-placed teammates and goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar made a comfortable save.
It proved to be a costly misjudgment with United extending its lead in the 41st.
"We just had to tire them out as much as we could," Scholes said. "The second half especially, I really enjoyed that: creating chances, looking like we were going to score whenever we went forward."
But Rooney, who last scored against Bayern Munich in March, continued to look uneasy in front of goal and was replaced in the 63rd minute by new signing and Mexico forward Javier Hernandez.
Two United veterans combined for the third goal: Scholes picking out Giggs, whose first-time volley hit the ground before flying into the far right corner.
"It was a great goal to watch," Scholes said. "We kept the ball well and it was a fantastic goal to start off with."
United manager Sir Alex Ferguson hailed the enduring midfield influence of the 35-year-old Scholes.
"He showed at his age, you don't lose what he's got: passing, vision -- and he's still got a good appetite for the game," Ferguson said. "The game needs that. There's plenty of good players in our country. Sometimes we beat ourselves up about the standard, but there's plenty of good in it."