Premier League Opening Weekend Delivers Shock Results, Big Wins and Late Drama as the New Season Gets Underway

The 2026/27 Premier League season began on Friday and has already produced plenty of talking points, with Arsenal making a winning start while Manchester United suffered a surprise defeat and Liverpool were forced to settle for a dramatic late draw. The opening round runs through Monday, when Chelsea visit Fulham.

Arsenal opened the campaign with a comfortable 3-0 victory over newly promoted Coventry, with Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard finding the net. It was an ideal beginning for the reigning champions as they started their title defence strongly.

Saturday brought one of the biggest surprises of the weekend as newly promoted Hull City defeated Manchester United 2-0. Ipswich also celebrated their return to the top flight with a 2-1 victory over Sunderland, while Leeds edged Nottingham Forest 1-0. Everton beat Crystal Palace 2-0 before Brentford produced another statement result by defeating Tottenham 3-0.

Sunday provided more drama. Manchester City began Enzo Maresca’s reign with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Bournemouth, secured by a late Josko Gvardiol goal. Brighton then stunned Aston Villa 4-0, scoring all four goals before half-time.

The most dramatic contest came at St James’ Park, where Liverpool drew 2-2 with Newcastle. Liverpool looked set for defeat before Dominik Szoboszlai converted a 99th-minute penalty to rescue a point for new manager Andoni Iraola.

The opening weekend has therefore already delivered 25 goals across the first nine completed matches, with promoted clubs making an immediate impact and several major sides dropping points. The first round concludes on Monday with Fulham hosting Chelsea, giving Xabi Alonso his first competitive match as Chelsea manager.