The Premier League’s opening weekend gave fans across the globe plenty to talk about with late drama for some title hopefuls, two newly-promoted teams notching wins and demoralizing losses for Manchester United and Tottenham.
Defending champion Arsenal picked up three points to open its campaign, while last season’s runner-up Manchester City notched a dramatic comeback win with goals in the 85th and 91st minutes to beat Bournemouth in Enzo Maresca’s managerial debut succeeding Pep Guardiola.
Brighton enjoyed a flying start with a 4-0 win against 10-man Aston Villa, a troubling result for the Champions League participants who were strip-mined of talent over the summer.
Here’s a look at some of the best and worst from the first days of the 10-month-long season that wraps up in May 2027:
Winners
Arsenal
Last season’s long-awaited title was absolutely torturous and the Gunners were widely condemned for their passive approach, but a 3-0 opening day win — plus a thrashing of City in the Community Shield — indicate that Mikel Arteta’s side may have lost the restrictor plates.
“They know how to do it, they look really connected, and they play with a lot of purpose, which I really like,” Arteta told reporters.
The promoted teams
For the fourth time in the 21st century (but second year in a row) two promoted teams won their first match of the season. Hull City’s 2-0 win over Manchester United was the weekend’s stunner, with the home side scoring two first-half set piece goals in the club’s return to the top flight after nine years. Record signing Nobel Mendy was one of Hull’s scorers, while fans gleefully chanted “you’re getting mauled by the Tigers” at the visitors.
“Probably before we all went to bed last night, we couldn’t have dreamt any better,” Hull captain Lewie Coyle told TNT Sports.
Meanwhile, Ipswich Town won 2-1 at home against Sunderland, bursting the bubble of last year’s promoted darling. Ipswich shelled out about $200 million on players this summer — sixth-most in the league — hoping to make this stay in the Premier League a longer one. The results were immediate with new forward Emersonn scoring in his debut with an assist from club record signing Julio Enciso.
Losers
Manchester United
Michael Carrick’s team took 39 points — second only to Arsenal — in its final 17 games last season, an incredible run that got United back into the Champions League with a third-place finish. Even with reinforcements surely coming before the transfer deadline, is this year’s Manchester United capable of hanging near the top of the table while also competing in Europe?
Tottenham
After narrowly avoiding relegation, Spurs went big in the summer, already committing $300 million to new additions — with even more high-priced signings likely before the window closes. Roberto De Zerbi’s starting lineup featured five of those new players to open the campaign at Brentford, suffering an ugly 3-0 defeat that really couldn’t have gone any worse.