Six seconds. That is all it took for Andy Carroll. Just over a month after leaving his side in the lurch by elbowing his way to an early shower at Burnley, Carroll risked doing it all over again six seconds into this game.
Referee Andre Marriner spared Carroll the same fate this time, but the striker was fortunate to escape a caution in the opening minute.
Poor old Marvin Zeegelaar, a 27-year-old Dutch defender making his Premier League bow, made acquaintance with Carroll's swinging elbow and the game took several minutes to restart. He returned to the field with cotton buds stuffed into his nose and will need to wait to see if it is broken.