A Weekend of Upsets and Statement Wins
The 2026-27 Premier League season kicked off on Friday, Aug. 21, with defending champion Arsenal hosting newly-promoted Coventry City. Arsenal won that match 3-0 to start its title defense in style, according to Yardbarker. The same outlet noted that new winger Christos Tzolis looked like a good fit as a replacement for Leandro Trossard, a claim echoed by Sports Illustrated.
All 20 Premier League teams have now completed their first match of the season, and the opening weekend delivered several surprises.
Hull City, widely tipped for relegation, beat Manchester United 2-0 in their Premier League return. Sports Illustrated noted that the team "never looked pressed or overawed" and also praised the club's social media team for a recap that mocked United. Defender Nobel Mendy scored on his Premier League debut and finished with 12 clearances, according to the same source.
Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur both suffered heavy losses. Villa lost 4-0 to Brighton & Hove Albion, with Joao Gomes sent off, as reported by Yardbarker. Sports Illustrated noted that Villa were weakened by the absence of Emiliano Martinez and Ollie Watkins from the team sheet. Jack Hinshelwood scored a brace for Brighton, per Sports Illustrated, which also highlighted Maxim De Cuyper's performance: the Belgian international was named Fantasy Premier League Player of the Week with 17 points.
Tottenham lost 3-0 to Brentford. Yardbarker reported that new Tottenham coach Roberto De Zerbi, formerly of Marseille, acknowledged his team's struggles, saying, "I think we are not a team yet. We lost too many duels, we made too many mistakes in the timing when we wanted to push the pressure higher. We arrived second for the second ball, we didn't win one second ball, one duel, one tackle, and it's tough." Keane Lewis-Potter scored for Brentford, with Mamadou Sangaré, a club-record signing from Lens, assisting and impressing on debut, as reported by Sports Illustrated.
Chelsea Edge Fulham in West London Derby
The opening weekend concluded on Monday night as Chelsea's new-look attack beat Fulham 3-2 in the West London Derby, according to Sports Illustrated, which described the match as "not-so-fierce." Cole Palmer scored and assisted, while Joao Pedro found the net within 30 seconds, as noted by the same outlet. Yardbarker noted that new Chelsea coach Xabi Alonso, formerly of Real Madrid, oversaw the win. Sports Illustrated also mentioned that Chelsea's attacking trio is nicknamed "JP Morgan." Yardbarker added that Chelsea finished 10th last season despite having the league's highest wage bill, and that Enzo Fernandez's nine-year deal dates to 2023.
Other Opening Weekend Highlights
Liverpool beat Newcastle with a last-gasp penalty from Dominik Szoboszlai, as reported by both Yardbarker and Sports Illustrated. Sports Illustrated added that Yoane Wissa assisted Joe Willock's go-ahead goal for Newcastle. Yardbarker also noted that Liverpool is in its first season under coach Andoni Iraola.
Everton cruised to a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, with Jordan Pickford making a standout save to deny Eddie Nketiah, as reported by Sports Illustrated. The same source highlighted that only Newcastle's debutant Lukáš Horniček prevented more goals (1.0) than Pickford (0.9) on the opening weekend.
In other matches, Josko Gvardiol scored for Manchester City against Bournemouth, after being initially ruled offside but confirmed onside, according to Sports Illustrated. The source also noted that Arsenal played without Bruno Guimar Gronberg on opening night.