The opening week of the 2026/27 Premier League season has delivered everything football fans could have asked for — shock results, big wins, dramatic comebacks and early warning signs for some of the league’s biggest clubs.
From Hull City stunning Manchester United to Brighton destroying Aston Villa, here are the biggest winners and losers of Premier League Week 1. (NBC Miami)
🟢 WINNERS
The defending champions could hardly have asked for a better start. Arsenal swept newly promoted Coventry City aside 3–0 at the Emirates, with goals from Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and captain Martin Ødegaard.
Mikel Arteta’s side immediately sent a message to their title rivals that they are ready to defend their crown. (Reuters)
Hull City
The biggest shock of the opening week came at the MKM Stadium, where newly promoted Hull City stunned Manchester United 2–0.
Goals from Nigerian defender Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy secured Hull’s first league victory over United in 52 years and gave their Premier League return a dream start. (Reuters)
Brighton
Brighton produced arguably the most emphatic performance of the weekend, hammering Aston Villa 4–0.
Jack Hinshelwood scored twice, while Brighton’s attacking display exposed serious problems in Villa’s defence. (Talksport)
Brentford were another major winner after dismantling Tottenham Hotspur 3–0.
Mamadou Sangaré impressed in midfield, while Keane Lewis-Potter, Vitaly Janelt and Michael Kayode got on the scoresheet as Spurs suffered a miserable start. (Reuters)
Xabi Alonso’s Premier League reign at Chelsea got off to a winning start as the Blues defeated Fulham 3–2 in an entertaining London derby.
João Pedro scored after just 31 seconds, Morgan Rogers added another and Cole Palmer completed the scoring for Chelsea. (Reuters)
Ipswich Town
Ipswich also celebrated their Premier League return with victory, beating Sunderland 2–1 thanks to a dramatic late winner from Jack Clarke. (Reuters)
🔴 LOSERS
Manchester United
United suffered perhaps the biggest embarrassment of the opening week.
Michael Carrick’s side were beaten 2–0 by newly promoted Hull City despite dominating possession. The result raises early questions about United’s attacking options and defensive organisation. (Reuters)
Aston Villa
Villa endured a nightmare afternoon as Brighton put four goals past them without reply.
The defeat will concern manager and supporters alike, particularly after Villa entered the season with ambitions of competing near the top end of the table. (The Guardian)
Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs’ £300 million summer investment counted for little as Brentford swept them aside 3–0.
It was a particularly disappointing opening for Tottenham, who will need a rapid response in Week 2. (Reuters)
Coventry City
Frank Lampard’s Premier League return as a manager began with a difficult assignment against the champions — and ended in a 3–0 defeat.
Coventry struggled to create opportunities and will need to improve quickly as they adjust to life back in the top flight. (Opta Analyst)
⚽ THE BIGGEST TALKING POINT
The opening week has already shown that promoted clubs are not here merely to make up the numbers.
Two of the three promoted sides — Hull City and Ipswich Town — began their campaigns with victories, while Coventry faced the champions and were beaten. It is only the fourth time in Premier League history that two newly promoted teams have won on the opening weekend. (Diario AS)
Manchester City also showed their resilience, coming from behind to beat Bournemouth 2–1, while Liverpool were held to an entertaining 2–2 draw by Newcastle United. (Talksport)
Premier League Week 1 has delivered an early reminder: there are no easy games in this league.
And if the opening weekend is anything to go by, the 2026/27 season could be one seriously entertaining campaign.
About the Author
