2026/27 Premier League Roundup, Matchday 1
The first round of the Premier League has concluded, featuring exciting matches, remarkable individual performances, and unexpected outcomes. Here is the Premier League summary for this matchday.
Arsenal 3-0 Coventry
Arsenal kicked off the 2026/27 Premier League season with a confident 3-0 victory over newly-promoted Coventry City, who were back in the Premier League after 25 years. Many will view the outcome as an early sign that Frank Lampard’s fourth time managing a Premier League team is probably going to be just as difficult as his earlier three spells. However, Coventry supporters can find some reassurance in having already faced what is arguably the toughest match of the season. There is little reason to believe Arsenal won’t remain equally strong this season, and a confident debut from Tzolis only adds to their chances of achieving their first consecutive league titles since the mid-1930s.
Hull 2-0 Manchester United
Hull City celebrated their first Premier League game since 2017 with a 2-0 win over Manchester United, surprising many since the Tigers hadn’t beaten the Red Devils in league play since 1974. Sergej Jakirović’s team made a statement in the Premier League on the day he became the first Bosnian to manage in the league. Meanwhile, the result and the team’s performance will raise concerns for Carrick, as United lost their Premier League opener in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1973.
Nottingham 0-1 Leeds
Oliver Glasner started his time at Nottingham Forest on a disappointing note, with a late 1-0 loss to Leeds United. Unfortunately, this continues an unwanted trend, as the last seven new managers at the City Ground have all lost their first Premier League game. Glasner will be particularly frustrated, given that he won his opening match at four of his previous five clubs. However, he won’t have to wait long to try and turn things around, as the two teams are scheduled to face each other again in the EFL Cup on Tuesday.
Ipswich 2-1 Sunderland
Jack Clarke returned to trouble his former team Sunderland by scoring a last-minute goal for Ipswich Town, clinching a 2-1 win as they made their Premier League comeback. This marked Ipswich’s first-ever achievement of three consecutive league victories over the Black Cats. The win also prevented Ipswich from becoming only the fourth team in English top-flight history to suffer 10 straight home defeats, while Sunderland failed to secure three consecutive Premier League wins for the first time since 2014.
Everton 2-0 Crystal Palace
Everton began their 2026/27 Premier League season with a strong 2-0 win against Crystal Palace at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, ending a run of four consecutive opening-day losses. Moyes avoided an eight-game winless streak in the top division for the first time.
Brentford 3-0 Tottenham
Roberto De Zerbi’s summer overhaul at Tottenham Hotspur did not yield instant results, as they suffered a heavy 3-0 defeat to Brentford on the opening day. Brentford could hardly have hoped for a better start to the season, with the three points made even more special by it being their first-ever league victory against Spurs at home.
Manchester City 2-1 Bournemouth
Joško Gvardiol scored a winning goal in the 91st minute as Enzo Maresca began his tenure as Manchester City manager with a Premier League victory. The Cityzens defeated Bournemouth 2-1, marking their 10th consecutive league win against the Cherries at the Etihad Stadium. This dramatic late goal also ended the Cherries’ unbeaten league streak of 18 games (8 wins, 10 draws). For City, although the late comeback doesn’t hide a lackluster performance, it at least provides Maresca with a winning start to his league campaign.
Brighton 4-0 Aston Villa
Jack Hinshelwood and Maxim De Cuyper played key roles as Brighton & Hove Albion delivered an impressive start to their Premier League season by defeating Aston Villa 4-0. This marked Fabian Hürzeler’s first win against Aston Villa in five matches (one draw, three losses). Brighton remain unbeaten in their last six Premier League season openers (five wins, one draw), while Aston Villa have managed only two wins in eight top-flight season starts since their return to the Premier League in 2019/20 (one draw, five losses).
Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool
Dominik Szoboszlai scored a last-minute penalty to help Liverpool secure a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United in the Premier League. This marks the second consecutive season that Liverpool has dramatically changed the outcome in stoppage time at St James’ Park. Liverpool’s thrilling draw narrowly preserves their league record of 14 consecutive seasons without losing on the opening day, while Iraola continues to hold the longest unbeaten managerial run in the division (8 wins, 11 draws). For Newcastle, it marks 20 league matches in a row without a victory against Liverpool.
Fulham 2-3 Chelsea
Cole Palmer shone as Chelsea secured a 3-2 victory over Fulham in an exciting West London derby. In the match, Xabi Alonso outperformed his former teammate Álvaro Arbeloa and became only the third Chelsea manager in their last nine to win their first Premier League game. This win marked Chelsea’s first opening-day victory since 2022 and their seventh win in their last nine trips to Craven Cottage (with two losses).
