Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney vies with Reading’s Michael Duberry in Manchester on Sunday. (Reuters)

London: Champions Manchester United were held 0-0 at home by 10-man Reading while rivals Chelsea earned a record-breaking 3-2 win over Birmingham City as their Premier League seasons got underway on Sunday.

United had all the possession but failed to make it count against a Reading side who had substitute striker Dave Kitson red-carded in the 72nd minute, less than a minute after coming on, for a reckless tackle on Patrice Evra.

Chelsea, looking to wrest the title back from United this season, took the points at Stamford Bridge with a second-half strike from Ghana midfielder Michael Essien.

Victory was made even sweeter by Chelsea setting an unbeaten home record in the top flight of 64 games. The run dates back to February 2004 and eclipses the previous mark set by Liverpool from February 1978 to January 1981.

In the day’s first match, Arsenal snatched a late 2-1 victory at home to Fulham. Dutch striker Robin van Persie equalised with an 83rd minute penalty and Belarus midfielder Alexander Hleb struck a 90th minute winner.

The day’s action left United as the only one of England’s big four without a winning start. Liverpool beat Aston Villa 2-1 on Saturday with a fine late strike by captain Steven Gerrard.

Along with the dropped points, United also lost England striker Wayne Rooney to injury for the second half.

There was no shortage of goals, though, in west London, where Birmingham took a shock lead with a 15th minute header from Finnish, former Chelsea striker Mikael Forssell.

The hosts hit back with goals from league debutants Claudio Pizarro of Peru and Frenchman Florent Malouda, who was on target again after scoring in last Sunday’s Community Shield defeat by United.

City levelled with a left-footed, bullet strike from their new French signing Olivier Kapo, but Essien gave Chelsea a deserved victory with a curling first-time shot from Shaun Wright-Phillips’s cut-back.