Premier Table Match Week 8 Results: Villans Beat Villains: Arsenal Draw Level; Carrick Hangs By A Thread; Chelsea Fans Sing The Blues; Reality Check For Brighton

Nicolas Jackson scored both goals for Aston Villa in the Villans 2-1 defeat of Manchester City. The Citizens heard the catcalls of Villa Park throughout as Manchester City will play the villains in each match away from the Etihad this season. As the club’s appeal hangs in the balance for the 114 violations of league rules, the on-pitch performance showed its first cracks as a seven-match run of perfection came crashing down at Villa. For Jackson, there was an element of sweet revenge as Manchester City Manager Enzo Maresca first demoted and then discarded Jackson when both were at Chelsea.

Arsenal took advantage of City’s slip by defeating Everton 2-0. It was a typical Arsenal performance with a dominant defense also contributing both goals via its center backs. Ezri Konsa and Gabriel Magalhaes produced the goals for Arsenal, which moved level on points with Manchester City with the Citizens still clinging to the top spot on goal differential.

Michael Carrick is barely clinging onto his job at Manchester United after the Red Devils were stomped by Bournemouth 3-0 in front of Old Trafford supporters on Sunday.

This team 😍 https://t.co/jedayChuTa

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) October 25, 2026

Carrick benched star and team captain Bruno Fernandes for his derogatory comments about the team during the week. His presence likely would not have mattered, so outplayed were the hosts by the visiting Cherries who have now won four consecutive matches, two in the league, across all competitions. It is a serious question as to whether Carrick will be in charge when his club, now just a point above the relegation line, visits Chelsea next week.

The Blues had their own problems over the weekend. Star Joao Pedro missed the match with Tottenham Hotspur due to a mysterious injury some attributed to a fall from a chair while having his hair done. Indiscipline sabotaged the Chelsea players who did participate, Cole Palmer picking up two yellows to put his side down to 10 men. The first yellow could well have been a red on its own as Palmer shoulder barged an opponent in an act of frustration and annoyance. Goalkeeper Mike Penders, meanwhile, punched a ball into his own net to make things even more difficult for Chelsea. Tottenham Hotspur’s 2-0 derby victory was a second consecutive league win for the north London side which won at Stamford Bridge for only the second time in the last 37 visits to the home of its rival. matches between the rivals.

Things were going just swimmingly for Brighton this season until the Seagulls alighted at Anfield and proceeded to be schooled by Liverpool 2-0 on Sunday. Brighton had not allowed a league goal since September 5th before being victimized by Liverpool goal scorers Pascal Gross and Alexander Isaak who both found the net during a five-minute span of the fist half. Brighton, the Premier League’s highest scoring team, could manage only a single shot on target. Liverpool supporters might be starting to warm up to new manager Andoni Iraola whose side moved up to fourth in the table with the win.

Newcastle manger Mathias Jaissle was the victor in a matchup of new managers at Selhurst Park where the Magpies were 2-0 winners over host Crystal Palace. The home loss to a struggling Newcastle side comes one week after Crystal Palace was blasted by its archrival Brighton. Some sage advice for Crustal Palace manager Pierre Sage may be to contact his agent as his time may be short in south London as the Eagles hover a single point above the drop line.

Fulham, another relegation contender, won a second consecutive match with the Cottagers 1-0 win over Coventry City, lessening some of the pressure on new man Alvaro Arbelow.

In other matches which decided nothing, Ipswich and Nottingham Forest tied at 1-1 to open the weekend on Friday, Hull and Brentford drew by the same score on Sunday and Sunderland and Leeds finished the league’s work with a goalless standoff in Sunday’s late game.

Premier Table: Match Week 8 Preview

Aston Villa is next up to try to derail the Manchester City express which seems unbothered by 114 counts of cheating. The Citizens have roared out of the break to add two more victories to their perfect record which now stands at seven wins in seven league outings. City holds a three-point lead over defending champion Arsenal at the top of the table as the defiant Citizens head to Villa Park. The Villans have been better in recent weeks since a deplorable start to the season. Plaudits need to be tempered, however, as the Villans’ two wins in their current three match unbeaten run came against struggling Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle. Manchester City will present a better barometer as to whether Aston Villa Manager Unai Emery has truly turned his club around.

This is Unai Emery's Aston Villa 😤 https://t.co/X5DpozYaTa

— Aston Villa (@AstonVilla) October 21, 2026

Arsenal, meanwhile, will host Everton in a match of two of the league’s stingiest defenses. The Gunners, however, can also find their opponent’s net, a skill often lacking for the Toffees.

A London derby at Stamford Bridge between Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur is just a bit more interesting after Spurs showed they can actually win a game, although last week’s groundbreaking win did come against a newly promoted side in Coventry City. Chelsea posted its first clean sheet last week and has looked impressive in two wins out of the international break.

The jury, meanwhile, remains out on Manager Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool team which hosts Brighton on Sunday. The Reds were steamrolled by Manchester City and then were able to edge by a 10-man Brentford side in their two outings since the international break. Brighton, meanwhile, has sailed into third place in the table, leading the Premier League with 23 goals scored. Both Brighton and their hosts will be managing personnel absences at Anfield. Among the missing Seagulls, Kaoru Mitoma and Yankuba Minteh are part of a lengthy injury list. Liverpool will be without a suspended Ryan Gravenberch and injured Dominik Szoboszlai.

While undefeated until last week’s shorthanded loss to Liverpool, where the Bees played more than a half down a man, Brentford has dropped multiple points this season in drawing four of their matches. The Bees are just a point above their Sunday opponent, newly promoted Hull City. The Tigers, after roaring to two consecutive victories to start the season, have struggled in losing two of their last three matches. Hull’s attack, which has found the net five fewer times than the visiting Bees, is heavily dependent on midfielder Mohamed Belloumi.

Ipswich Town is level on points with Hull as the league has two newly promoted sides in the top half of the table. The Tractor Boys have been on a rollercoaster of late, alternating wins and losses in successive weeks. Friday, they host a Nottingham Forest side which has dropped three consecutive matches and is sitting in the relegation zone where many thought Ipswich might be residing. Tricky Trees’ ownership expected more from new Manager Oliver Glasner and, as the former Crystal Palace manager’s seat grows warmer, he may soon rue his jilting the Eagles for the presumed greener pastures of Forest.

Glasner’s successor at Crystal Palace, Pierre Sage, might well beat him to the sack. A loss last week to archival Brighton was not unexpected but a 5-0 humiliation was unacceptable. Sage badly needs a win at Selhurst versus struggling Newcastle on Sunday to keep Palace supporters and ownership on side.

Manchester United Manager Michael Carrick suffered a humiliation mid-week when the Red Devils were embarrassed 4-1 at Como in Champions League action. Carrick also has just one Premier League win this season. Eddie Howe, Antonio Conte and Julian Naglesmann are among the interesting names reported to be on the radar as Carrick’s replacement though Carrick will reportedly hold onto the reins for this week’s match at Old Trafford versus Bournemouth. Bournemouth ironically damaged the job security of a former Manchester United manager on Thursday. The Cherries defeated Ruben Amorim, now managing AC Milan, in Europa League action. Amorim also failed to beat Bournemouth in two tries as Manchester United manager.

A key relegation battle shapes up at Coventry City on Saturday when the Sky Blues play host to Fulham. Coventry is just above the relegation line with one further point accumulated than currently relegation bound Fulham. The “six pointer” is a rare topflight meeting between two clubs who have not face each other in a top division clash since the 1967/68 season. Despite his club tripping up at Tottenham Hotspur, Coventry Manager Frank Lampard must feel good about the potential for a decent run of fixtures, having won the two matches before the Spurs loss and now facing two relegation stragglers, Fulham and Sunderland, in consecutive weeks.

The Black Cats have stumbled out of the gate after their impressive return to the Premier League last season. Almost unthinkably after leading Sunderland back to the Premier League and a European berth, Manager Regis Le Bris is under pressure with his Black Cats sitting at the bottom of the table after four consecutive losses. Leeds will visit the Stadium of Light on Saturday.

NOTE: Premier Table Now Takes Its Own International Break And Will Return On Tuesday, November 10.

Premier Table Match Week 7 Results: Manchester City Remains Top Banana; Brighton Destroys Rival Crystal Palace; Arsenal Gets Another Winner From Its Bench; Chelsea Registers First Clean Sheet In Win At Everton; Liverpool Defeats Undermanned Brentford; Fulham, Bournemouth And Spurs Bank First Wins; Pressure Stays On Carrick After Manchester United Draw At Leeds

Brighton has become a juggernaut. The south coast side obliterated its M23 rival, Crystal Palace, 5-0 on Sunday. The score was not even an anomaly as Brighton now has 23 goals for the season. That is four more goals than Manchester City and six more goals than Chelsea, the next two highest scoring clubs. After Chelsea, no club has scored more than 13 goals, 10 fewer than Brighton. The Seagulls have also conceded the joint fewest goals in the league, tied with Arsenal, for a staggering 18 goal differential. Manchester City is the only other club with a double-digit positive goal differential. Brighton right now can do no wrong as evidenced by Diego Gomez’s extraordinary and unlikely goal from the halfway line for the Seagulls’ second goal. The Seagulls’ destruction of rival Crystal Palace could spell doom for Eagles head man Pierre Sage who could do nothing but apologize to supporters after the match.

An unapologetic Manchester City remains at the top of the table after a 3-2 defeat of Ipswich Town at the Etihad. Erling Haaland led the way with his second brace of the league season, increasing his league leading goal to eight in his seven league matches. Manchester City remained perfect with a seventh consecutive victory in its first home match since being found guilty of violating financial reviews. Defiant Manchester City supporters waved inflatable bananas during the match, an odd throwback to a 1980’s club tradition.

Enzo 💬 (On the inflatable bananas in the away end at Anfield) Very nice. I didn't know the history behind the banana. I hope tomorrow I can see many bananas in the stadium. https://t.co/mrOBCI5BbY

— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 16, 2026

Arsenal remained three points back of the Citizens, two points ahead of the soaring Seagulls, when former Chelsea winger Noni Madueke scored the match’s only goal in the 80th minute of the Gunners’ visit to Nottingham Forest. The Tricky Trees had proved inhospitable hosts, turning the match into a defensive slog which saw neither side register a shot on target in the first half. In fact, the winner by second half substitute Madueke was the Gunner’s first shot on target. It was the second week in a row that Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta used his bench to provide the margin of victory, Bruno Guimaraes bagging the winner at Leeds.

Forest and its new manager Oliver Glasner, meanwhile, remained winless at home this season, having failed to score a goal in any of its four matches at the City Ground. Only Tottenham Hotspur has scored fewer goals than the now relegation zoned Tricky Trees and Glasner needs to figure things out as he is employed by one of the most impatient owners in the league in Evangelos Marinakis.

Chelsea’s Pedro Neto scored twice on Sunday and now has only two fewer goals than the entire Nottingham Forest team. Neto’s brace was more than enough to put away Everton 2-0 at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Blues crashed into the top four with their first clean sheet of the season.

Liverpool is just a point back of Chelsea as both the Reds and Blues leapfrogged over Brentford with Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over the Bees. Brentford played the entire second half with 10 men, relinquishing a halftime advantage and ultimately surrendering all three points to the visiting Reds on Alexander Isaak’s 70th minute goal. It was the first loss of the season for the Bees who went down to nine men in stoppage time after the verdict was already sealed.

Bournemouth, Liverpool Manager Andoni Iraola’s former club, accomplished a more positive first when the Cherries captured their first win of the season in a 2-0 defeat of Sunderland. The Black Cats labored with a reduced work force for an even greater period than Brentford. The Cherries were already enjoying an early lead when Sunderland’s Kevin Danso was red carded in the 17th minute. Bournemouth’s Evanilson nailed on the insurance goal against the short-staffed Cats in the 48th minute.

The pressure remains on Manchester United Manager Michael Carrick after his club failed to deliver a much-needed win at bitter rival Leeds in a 1-1 draw on Sunday. The Red Devils coughed up the lead in the 51st minute when Dominic Calvert Lewin scored for the seventh time in his last seven matches at Elland Road where the Whites remain unbeaten in their last eight outings. Manchester United is winless in its last six matches across all competitions and its lone Premier League win over Ipswich is the paltriest haul of victories by Manchester United from the first seven matches of a topflight season in 40 years. In Carrick’s defense, his club’s defense was relatively composed outside of Calvert Lewin’s set piece goal and Sunday’s draw proved the highlight of the week that included a Champions League loss to Atletico Madrid and center back Lisandro Martinez’s excoriation of Manchester United’s front office.

Fulham Manager Alvaro Arbeloa got three points he definitely needed in a 1-0 victory over Hull at Craven Cottage which gave the Spanish manager his first Premier League victory on his seventh try in command of the Cottagers. Alex Iwobi’s goal was sufficient to defeat a Hull side which is suffering the effects of a measly attack. The Tigers failed to put a single shot on target on Saturday.

Unlike Arbeloa, the seat of Newcastle Manager Matthias Jaissle grew hotter with Saturday’s 1-0 home loss to Aston Villa less than a week after the Magpies were embarrassed 4-1 at newly promoted Coventry City. Jaissle did not get the hoped-for response from his men who went down to defeat for the third time in their last four league matches. Aston Villa, meanwhile, delivered Manager Unai Emery’s 100th Premier League victory by virtue of Johan Manzambi’s 36th minute header and a defense which limited the Magpies to a single, unsuccessful shot on target.

Long suffering Tottenham Hotspur supporters finally had a good day on Monday. Spurs delighted their home supporters with their first Premier League win of the season, defeating Coventry City 3-1. While the win would have been cause enough for celebration, there was even more hope for optimism as James Maddison started a Premier League game for the first time since April 2025 and scored Spurs’ opening goal while Dejan Kulusevski made his first appearance since May 2025. Serious knee injuries sustained by the two stars were not coincidental to the tailspin the club has experienced.

Premier Table Match Week 7 Preview

A somewhat lackluster fixtures schedule has many watchers focused on Elland Road where Michael Carrick desperately needs a win by visiting Manchester United to relieve the pressure on the besieged manager. Things have turned quickly for Carrick, who was riding high off a third-place finish last season but now, with a well-earned contract in hand, cannot seem to do anything right. The Red Devils have but one Premier League victory in six tries, managed to only draw versus relegation zone resident Spurs last weekend and lost 2-0 to Atletico Madrid in the Champions Legue mid-week for good measure. Leeds lost for the first time last weekend when the Whites squandered an early lead in a 2-1 loss to defending champion Arsenal. The Whites will be looking for a strong rebound in front of the home supporters on Sunday.

Arsenal moves on to Nottingham Forest this week. Tricky Trees Manager Oliver Glasner is smarting from taking a beating at his former club Crystal Palace this past week and the defending champions are not welcome visitors as Glasner tries to gain traction with City Ground supporters.

Manchester City returns to the friendly confines of the Etihad after hearing nothing but vitriol from Liverpool supporters at Anfield last weekend. Despite the sticks and stones, City powered by the homestanding Reds and can be expected to provide a rude welcome to visiting Ipswich.

The little understood rivalry between Brighton and Crystal Place rekindles with another M23 derby on Sunday. The enmity between the clubs dates to a long-ago manager feud and not geographic proximity between two clubs separated by over 40 miles. Despite its odd origination, the rivalry continues with a passionate dislike between the supporter groups.

Brentford is only three points behind Brighton as both are unusual occupants of top four positions in the table. The Bees are home Saturday to a club which is usually found in those places but this year not so much. Liverpool is still adapting to the new Andoni Iraola era and suffered an embarrassing 3-0 Anfield whitewashing last week versus Man City. Brentford has crept into the top four despite winning just twice, identical 3-0 scorelines over Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur, while drawing the rest of its matches.

Spurs is still looking for a first win as Manager Roberto De Zerbi’s club are home to Coventry on Monday. The Sky Blues are suddenly on a two-match winning run as they look to extend Spurs’ misery. Coventry pummeled Newcastle last week, raising questions about new Magpie manager Matthias Jaissle, whose side has been beaten 4-1 in two of its last three matches. Aston Villa visits St. James Park Saturday.

Chelsea seemed rejuvenated by the international break when the Blues rolled to an easy 5-1 win over Bournemouth. A tougher test awaits at Everton this weekend with David Moyes working wonders with his Toffee squad to date. Everton has not lost yet this season despite ownership having shortchanged the club in the recent transfer window and the club now being openly proclaimed for sale by The Friedkin Group. The Toffees are currently fifth in the table, well beyond where anyone would expect them to be right now. Lacking in attacking flair, Moyes has his thin squad playing disciplined football as no one has conceded fewer goals than the Toffees this season.

Bournemouth will try to pick up the pieces when they return home to Vitality Stadium after being non-competitive away at Stamford Bridge last week. Sunderland will be in town trying to snap a three-match losing run which has landed the Black Cats just a point above currently relegation bound opponent Bournemouth. Sunderland’s poor streak is just a bit misleading, of course, as the losses came against the top three teams in the table. Bournemouth presents a much tastier opportunity for the Cats.

A good start to the season has placed newly promoted Hull six points above the relegation line as the Tigers travel to London to face Fulham on Saturday. The Cottagers are reeling at the bottom of the table with Manager Alvaro Arbeloa feeling the heat. A loss to Hull and then Coventry the following week would almost assuredly put a premature end to the Spaniard’s debut Premier League season.

Premier Table Match Week 6 Results: Unfazed Manchester City Flexes Versus Liverpool; Arsenal Shakes Off Rust, Defeats Leeds; Crystal Palace Wins Glasner Derby; Carrick’s Seat Grows Hotter With Spurs Draw; Chelsea Feasts On Cherries; Coventry Thrashes Newcastle

Unfazed by guilty verdicts and rumored penalties, Manchester City seemed gleeful to return to the pitch and hang a home loss on the club which has greatest reason to despise the Manchester City juggernaut. Liverpool supporters at Anfield were understandably vocal in reminding the visitors of their now official status as “cheaters.” Manchester City calmly dealt with the vitriol and toxic atmosphere as Liverpool failed to capitalize on the emotion of their supporters. The homestanding Reds then went down to 10 men in the 62nd minute on a Ryan Gravenrberch foul and it was all over. Erling Haaland opened the gates with his sixth goal of the season just three minutes after Gravenberch’s exit. Manchester City then laid on two more goals to remain atop the Premier League table.

Arsenal, meanwhile, stayed three points back with a comeback 2-1 win over Leeds. Arsenal’s depth was on full display when former Newcastle star Bruno Guimaraes came on as a substitute and won the game for Arsenal with his 70th minute strike.

ARSENAL TURN IT AROUND 😳 Bruno Guimarães first goal at Emirates 🔥 🔴 Arsenal: 2 🟡 Leeds United: 1 ⏱️ 70’ https://t.co/5KQw4eD19M

— USA Sports (@usasports) October 10, 2026

Chelsea exploded from the gate after the international pause to batter Bournemouth 5-1 at Stamford Bridge4. Has Xabi Alonso finally got through to his charges and is Chelsea’s massive financial investment ready to show a return? Or is Bournemouth just dreadful? There is certainly an element of the latter as the ancient one, Jordan Hendersen had two goals and an assist for the Blues. That cannot be expected to happen again when the Blues face stouter competition than the winless Cherries. Joao Pedro also scored twice against the hapless visitors.

Brighton, meanwhile, has been consistently good, the Seagulls remaining third in the Premier League table after a 2-0 win at Sunderland. Brighton’s goal output versus the Black Cats was even a touch below their lofty standard. The Seagulls continue to lead the league with 18 goals in their six matches, an eye popping three goals per game average. That high flying attack is complemented by a defense which is tied for the league best in fewest goals conceded. Sunderland, however, was by no means cowed and threatened to derail the Brighton parade when the Seagulls went down to 10 men in the 53rd minute while protecting a one goal advantage. The Brighton defense held and the undermanned Seagulls extended the lead in stoppage time as left back Jaouen Hadjam scored his first goal for the club. A more veteran Seagull also made the scoresheet on Saturday when veteran Pascal Gross assisted the Seagulls’ first goal and became the oldest Premier League player since Ryan Giggs to register an assist in three consecutive matches.

Giggs’s former club, Mancheter United, is currently laboring under the managerial reins of Giggs’ former teammate Micheal Carrick. After a remarkable third place finish last season which put the Red Devils back in the Champions League and secured Carrick a permanent contract, United has struggled this season. Woeful Tottenham Hotspur should have been an easy mark at Old Trafford. That was not the case as Spurs dominated much of the play and emerged with a point when Dominic Solanke netted an equalizer in stoppage time for the visiting north Londoners who were down a man from the 78th minute onward. Boos rained down upon Manchester United at the end of each half as the mood has fully turned from the optimism which Carrick inspired last season. Manchester United, its only win coming over newly promoted Ipswich, has made its worst start to a Premier League season since 1986.

Another manager seemed poised to have as ugly a day as Carrick when Crystal Palace Manager Pierre Sage saw his Eagles go down a goal to Nottingham Forest in the early going at Selhurst Park. Standing on the opposite touchline was Oliver Glasner, the man who brought European football and an FA Cup trophy to south London before bolting the Eagles for the Tricky Trees after last season. A win by Glasner in his return would have been poor optics for the new Eagles gaffer whose side had been largely unimpressive in the initial stages of the post Glasner era. Palace responded in a big way, however, by scoring three consecutive goals to chop down the Trees. Glasner limped out of Selhurst with a result that saw his new side fall below his former side in the table.

The very bottom of that table now has no promoted side inhabiting the dreaded three relegation spots. Hull has lost but once this season and remains in the top half of the table after a 2-2 draw with visiting Everton. Mohamed Belloumi scored the 73rd minute equalizer which kept Hull undefeated at home this season.

Ipswich Town won for a second time this season and cranked up the heat on Fulham Manager Alvaro Arbeloa with the Tractor Boys 2-1 defeat of the Cottagers at Portman Road. Winless Fulham sits at the bottom of the Premier League table with but two points from its six matches. On Saturday, the Cottagers seemed headed for that elusive first victory until Ipswich scored twice after the 87th minute of play to take all three points.

Newly promoted Coventry City emerged from the relegation zone with a second consecutive victory. After edging Nottingham Forest 1-0 before the break, the Sky Blues exploded for four goals Monday in a raucous home win over Newcastle. It marked the first Premier League home win for Coventry in 25 years. There may be hope after all for a Coventry side which had seemed doomed after failing to score a goal in losing its first four matches.

Aston Villa scored a single goal in its first four matches but has scored five in its last two outings after drawing 2-2 with Brentford at Villa Park. Unfortunately for Manager Unai Emery’s side, the Villans squandered two leads to a Brentford side which stayed in the top four with Saturday’s away point.

Premier Table Match Week 6 Preview: The Premier League Returns

The Premier League returns to action after a lengthy international break. The time away tends to cloud exactly where things stand.

Manchester City is undefeated with five wins in five outings to date. The Citizens were also the focus of news stories of a less pleasant nature in the intervening weeks. The independent commission, which seems like it has been investigating Manchester City for decades (it has been years), has finally made some decisions and found Manchester City guilty of 114 out of 115 charges for violating financial fair play guidelines across a tile laden nine-year span. Punishment is expected to be determined within weeks, but Manchester City will be appealing as the club’s ownership continues to maintain its innocence. Somewhat comically, one of the defenses is that the United Arab Emirates government and not the principal owner Sheik Mansour was channeling money to the club through bogus sponsorship fronts. In any event, Manchester City will take to the pitch on Saturday with many of its players waiting for the next shoe to drop. The Citizens will be at Anfield where Liverpool players and supporters will likely both be angered by having twice lost the Premier League title by a single point to a cheating Manchester City.

Back to it 🫡 https://t.co/j8ic5R2vv5

— Manchester City (@ManCity) October 8, 2026

 

Arsenal, meanwhile, will be rooting for the Reds to take a measure of revenge on their visiting rivals as the Gunners will be more than happy to take advantage of any slip by front running Manchester City. The Gunners are three points back from the table lead and will be anxious to put their demoralizing pre-break defeat to Brighton behind them. Arsenal will be hosting Leeds at the Emirates.

Brighton are just two points back of the Gunners after their 3-0 win over the defending champions three weeks ago. The Seagulls will be at the Stadium of Light to face a Sunderland side which is struggling after a promising promotion season which saw them qualify for Europe. The Black Cats have now stumbled out of gate to lose three of their five league matches before adjourning for the break.

Brentford, on the other hand, is a surprise top four club after five matches. The Bees travel to underperforming Aston Villa on Saturday. The Villans got their first win of the season in their last match but that was over a deplorable Tottenham Hotspur side.

Spurs manger Roberto De Zerbi would normally be feeling the heat with a winless side which has scored only two goals after some heavy offseason investment. The club, however, lured him with a lucrative deal to save them from relegation last season. They would surely pause before triggering a massive termination package. Things would instantly look brighter for Spurs if the bedraggled side could steal a win at Old Trafford on Sunday against a Manchester United side which has also underperformed, winning just once.

Disappointment hovered over Stamford Bridge during the break as well after Chelsea captured just a single point from its last three matches before getting the merciful international breather. The Blues will host Bournemouth which is trying to overcome the loss of beloved Manager Andoni Iraola who left for the greener patches of Anfield. New man Marco Rose has big shoes to fill, and it is not going great with the former RB Leipzig manager still seeking his first Premier League win.

Former Crystal Palace Manager Oliver Glasner returns to Selhurst Park where he delivered unrivaled success before walking out on Crystal Palace and taking a surprise posting at Nottingham Forest. The Tricky Trees visit Selhurst with both sides looking similar and swimming hard to stay above the relegation fray. Will Palace supporters hail their former hero or deride Glasner as an unloyal zero whose new pastures are not all that much greener?

Smoke meets mirrors at Hull City when the Tigers host Everton. Neither roster is impressive, particularly in attack. Hull was just promoted and Everton is for sale. But somehow the Tigers and Toffees both sit in the top half of the table. Kudos to Hull Manager Sergej Jakirovic, a newcomer to the Premier League, and Everton sage David Moyes who is celebrating 20 years in the league.

Newly promoted Ipswich Town sits just outside the top half after scoring two victories in the early stages of its promotion season, rocking Sunderland on opening day and later going into Selhurst Park to take three points from Crystal Palace. Next up for the Tractor Boys is a visit form Fulham where new Manager Alvaro Arbeloa has seen a response from his side in posting draws with bigger clubs Liverpool and Manchester United after starting his tenure in London with three straight losses.

Frank Lampard finally saw a sign of life from his Coventry squad when the Sky Blues defeated Nottingham Forest 1-0 before the break, ending a run of four losses. Lampard still faces a challenging year, however, with the goal against Nottingham Forest being the only time his side has found the net in five matches. Coventry hosts Newcastle on Monday to close out the Premier League weekend.

Premier Table Match Week 5: Seagulls Defeat Arsenal; Manchester City Fires Five Past Sunderland; Brentford Dispenses With Chelsea; Everton Run Continues; Iraola Wins In Return To Bournemouth; Pressure Mounts On Michael Carrick

Hopes for a battle at the top of the Premier League table increased last weekend as Brighton inflicted the first loss of the season upon defending champion Arsenal 3-0 in the weekend’s headline. The Gunners vaunted defense seemed to take the day off against the high voltage Brighton attack which has now scored a league leading 16 goals this season. Arsenal seemed unprepared for the attacking mindset of high scoring Brighton as shots went unchallenged and normally composed Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya quickly seemed rattled by the ensuing shooting gallery. The defeat marked the first non-winning effort in 10 Premier League matches dating to last season for the Gunners.

Manchester City, meanwhile, moved three points ahead of Arsenal at the top of the table with a 5-3 victory in a goal fest at Sunderland. Antonio Semenyo’s brace led the scoring outburst for Manchester City which overcame a hat trick by Sunderland’s Bryan Brobbey. And, of course, Erling Haaland scored once again for the Citizens as he found the net for the fifth time this season.

Brighton moved into third place with its victory over Arsenal, followed by a group of four clubs which all trail the Seagulls by a point. Brentford is fourth on goal differential after a convincing 3-0 west London derby victory over Chelsea. Star striker Igor Thiago found the net for the first time this season as the undefeated Bees exploited a Chelsea side which seemingly has questions across the midfield and its back line. The Blues have conceded more goals than any other Premier League side. Half of those, including Thiago’s opener on Friday, have come on set pieces, a failure which must count as an indictment against new manager Xabi Alonso and his staff. Brentford supporters are more than happy with Manager Keith Andrews, who has only improved on the solid foundation left by longtime Brentford manager Thomas Frank.

Igor Thiago scored his first goal of the season against Chelsea. 🔴⚪️🇧🇷 pic.twitter.com/9m1Xdiuapu

— Kalshi FC (@KalshiFC) September 18, 2026

Everton Manager David Moyes was left little in the way of a solid foundation when his ownership stripped his roster down to the bone this past transfer window. Ownership’s selling spree left Moyes with just a single player at no less than three different positions, including striker. Moyes, however, has made do with his patchwork squad to keep the Toffees undefeated in five matches after Saturday’s 1-0 victory over Ipswich. The scrappy way Everon has managed to score this season was highlighted by a winner which saw a hopeful long distance shot by James Tarkowski deflect off teammate Thierno Barry and into the Ipswich goal for a 1-0 Everton win at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The Toffees kept a clean sheet for a third time in five matches.

Liverpool, meanwhile, notched a third consecutive league clean sheet in Andoni Iraola’s triumphant return to Bournemouth where only last season he qualified the Cherries for Europe. Standing now on the visitor’s touchline, Iraola watched Alexander Isaak claim victory for Liverpool with his 57th minute goal in the Reds’ 1-0 victory.

Like Iraola, Oliver Glasner jumped ship to a perceived better career stop when he bolted Crystal Palace after a Conference League winning season. The Austrian manager took up the reins at Nottingham Forest, and the transition has been a bit bumpier than that of Iraola with Glasner’s only victory to date coming at beleaguered Aston Villa. On Saturday, the Tricky Trees became the first side to lose to newly promoted Coventry when Glasner and his new charges fell 1-0 to the Sky Blues in front of the faithful at the City Gound. It was the first league goal for Coventry this season.

Things have not been great for Glasner’s former side either. New manager Pierre Sage has not impressed at Crystal Palace though the Eagles were able to hold Leeds from scoring in a goalless outcome at Elland Road on Sunday. Undefeated Leeds has conceded the joint (Everton) fewest goals in the league, but Manager Daniel Farke will lament not being able to penetrate a Crystal Palace defense which has shipped 11 goals this season, just one less than the league’s most porous defense in Chelsea.

Newcastle returned from a far more unfortunate visit to Elland Road last week to show its resiliency under new manager Matthias Jaissle. The Magpies were pummeled 4-1 by Leeds last week but responded with a 2-1 win over previously undefeated Hull at St. James’s Park on Saturday.

Tottenham Hotspur got no lift from the home crowd as the league’s bottom side turned in a poor performance in a 3-2 loss to Aston Villa, another struggling side. The final score was misleading as Spurs scored two goals after the 85th minute once Aston Villa began prematurely celebrating a walkover win.

No one had reason to celebrate the goalless draw at Craven Cottage between Fulham and Manchester United. Manchester United was dreadful as early pressure is mounting on Manager Michael Carrick after just one win in five tries so far. Fulham, meanwhile, threw away the chance for new manager Alvaro Arbeloa’s first win by conceding an 89th minute goal to the Red Devils’ Matheus Cunha. The Premier League now goes on extended international break with no matches until October 10th.

Premier Table: Match Week 5 Preview

Arsenal faces its second major test of the young season this coming Saturday. Two weeks ago, the undefeated and untied Gunners edged Chelsea in front of home supporters at the Emirates. This week, the Gunners must travel to Brighton and face a Seagulls squad which not only leads the league in goals scored but by a wide three goal margin over the second most prolific side in Chelsea. Brighton have found the net 13 times in their four matches. Only Leeds has held Brighton to fewer than three goals over the first four league matches for the Seagulls. Defending Premier League champion Arsenal, meanwhile, has allowed only one league goal all season.

Fresh off its controversial, referee enabled, Manchester derby win over cross-town rival Manchester United, Manchester City returns to the Etihad to host Sunderland, 2-0 losers to Arsenal last week. In one of the more classless exercises of the new season, Arsenal Manager Mikel Arteta refuses to just take last week’s win and focus on Brighton. The fiery manager is driving his club to protest a referee decision which went against the poor Gunners early in their 2-0 defeat of the Black Cats.

Manchester United heads down to London to face Fulham, which grabbed an unexpected point at Liverpool last week. Liverpool Manager Andoni Iraola, meanwhile, takes his club on the road this week to a venue well known to him. The Reds visit Vitality Stadium to face Iraola’s former club, Bournemouth, on Sunday. The Cherries are yet to win a Premier League match since their former manager left for Merseyside.

The other club in Merseyside remains undefeated and in the top half of the table despite gaping holes in the squad. Everton Manager David Moyes will try to get more blood from his stone of a team when the Toffees host Ipswich Town on Saturday. Unlike Everton, whose ownership held tight to the purse strings this past transfer window, Ipswich invested heavily to try to ensure promotion season survival. So far, so good as the Tractor Boys are level on points with Everton following a win over Crystal Palace last week.

Things should be even more difficult for Crystal Palace this week when the Eagles take on an energized Leeds side at Elland Road. The Whites sit third in the table after firing four goals past Newcastle on Monday.

🤩 The cross. The goal. The crowd. The celebrations. The noise. Everything. pic.twitter.com/V475926gxk

— Leeds United (@LUFC) September 16, 2026

Newcastle returns home this week to face another surprising top four side in the newly promoted and undefeated Hull Tigers. The Tigers conceded their first goals of the season in a draw at Chelsea last week and have yet to lose in their return to the Premier League. It remains to be seen, however, how well and how long the squad depth of this promoted side can hold up.

Another promoted side already seems doomed to relegation and a quick U-turn back to the second tier. Coventry City has conceded 10 goals in losing all four of their matches this season. The Sky Blues travel to the City Ground on Saturday where new Nottingham Forest Manager Oliver Glasner will be looking for his first home win of the young season.

Tottenham Hotspur, home to Aston Villa this weekend, is the only other club besides Coventry not to have found the net this season. Villa, meanwhile, has only scored once in four matches and has earned only a solitary point, one less than dreadful Spurs. This match at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium could be hard on the eyes.

Match Week 5 begins on Friday with a west London derby between Brentford and Chelsea. The Blues travel to Brentford hoping to change their current trajectory where they were held to a draw at home versus Hull one week after losing at Arsenal. It’s been almost five years, however, since Chelsea last won a Premier League match at Gtech Community Stadium.

Premier Table Match Week 4 Results: Haaland Goal Gives City Victory At Old Trafford; Arsenal Wins At Sunderland; Leeds Climbs Table With Dominant Win Over Magpies; Hull leaves Stamford Bridge With Another Point; Liverpool Attack Fizzles In Goalless Draw With Fulham; Spurs And Coventry Still Chasing A First Goal

Manchester City played 70 minutes with ten men but came away with all three points in a 1-0 Manchester derby at Old Trafford. Phil Foden fell victim the dark arts of Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and got himself kicked out of the game in the 23rd minute. Fernandes surreptitiously kicked a prone Foden. The referees saw Foden’s retaliatory kick and City were down a man. Manchester United, however, couldn’t capitalize on their advantage and fell victim to Haaland’s fourth goal of the season. The 60th minute winner was controversial as Enzo Fernandez influenced the game winning play while in an offside position. The referee’s association issued an apology hours later for blowing the call, and the two VAR officials have been removed from their upcoming weekend assignments, but that obviously does Michael Carrick and his Red Devils little good. Carrick’s men, however, did not do themselves much good with a catatonic attack which could be the greater issue moving forward.

The Citizens, meanwhile, stayed level on points with Arsenal, which had its own referee issue in a 2-0 win at Sunderland. Mikel Arteta was livid after the match at the Stadium of Light over a penalty call which could have put Sunderland in the lead in the 55th minute of a scoreless struggle. Fortunately, Gunner goalkeeper David Raya saved the penalty try and Bruno Guimaraes put Arsenal ahead three minutes later for his first league goal as part of Arteta’s squad. Bukayo Saka’s 96th minute goal was icing on the cake.

Total commitment from David Raya 🤯 pic.twitter.com/RsdtMCQ1ZM

— Premier League (@premierleague) September 15, 2026

Right behind the two top clubs are two surprises. Leeds poured in four goals against Newcastle on Monday after scoring just five in its three earlier matches. The 4-1 victory, Leeds’s second of the season, launched the West Yorkshire side into third position in the table. Manager Daniel Farke is working under an expiring contract and must feel good at the moment regarding his negotiating leverage.

Newly promoted Hull, meanwhile, went into Stamford Bridge and emerged with a point to stay in the top four. Hull conceded its first two goals of the season, but Mohamed Belloumi scored twice for the Tigers. Chelsea flirted with a more painful home until Joao Pedro scored the equalizer in the 66th minute.

While Hull has made itself right at home in the Premier League, former Chelsea player and Manager Frank Lampard is going through hell with his newly promoted side. Coventry was blasted at home 5-0 by Brighton to become only the second club in Premier League history to lose their first four matches without scoring a goal. The first club to do so, in 2017/18, was Crystal Palace which has a different problem this season.

The Eagles are the only club to have conceded more goals than Coventry City this season after a dispiriting 3-2 loss at Selhurst Park against newly promoted Ipswich Town. Ziann Flemming scored the 90th minute winner for Ipswich Town against a Palace side whose defensive struggles were compounded by Axel Disasi’s 34th minute red card. The Eagles have now conceded two or more goals in every game this season.

The sole Crystal Palace win this season was against a struggling Fulham side last week, so it was a bit surprising to see the Cottagers, who conceded three to the Eagles, hold Liverpool to a scoreless draw at Anfield on Saturday. Things had seemed to be coming together for a reconstituted Liverpool attack before Saturday proved much, much more work is needed.

Liverpool’s issues, however, pale in comparison to goal starved Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa. Spurs have now gone over 400 minutes without a goal in their winless season to date after a scoreless home draw versus Everton Saturday. Aston Villa’s first goal of the season was wasted in a 2-1 home defeat to Nottingham Forest. Everton, with its own problems in attack, will happily take Saturday’s away point which keeps them undefeated on the season, albeit with just a single win.

Nottingham Forest Manager Oliver Glasner has his first win in charge of the Tricky Trees after Igor Jesus deposited the winner in the 88th minute to keep Villa winless on the season.

Brentford and Bournemouth, meanwhile, remain two of the four teams to have drawn three out of their four league matches after the Bees and Cherries played to a 2-2 deadlock at Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium. Kevin Schade equalized matters for the visiting Bees with his second goal of the game in the 56th minute.

Premier Table: Match Week 4 Preview

The Manchester Derby on Sunday highlights the weekend Premier League schedule. Manchester United performances have been all over the board this season, ranging from dominant to sad in three matches which has produced four points from nine on the table. Manchester City, meanwhile, seems primed for another title race despite the departure of Manager Pep Guardiola. New man Enzo Maresca has started with three league wins.

Newly promoted Hull City is undefeated as the Tigers visit Stamford Bridge on Saturday for a match of irresistible force versus immovable object. Chelsea has found the net eight times this season, to share league high honors with Brighton. The Tigers are yet to concede a goal this season.

Tottenham Hotspur is one of only two clubs, along with Aston Villa, which hasn’t scored a goal this season. Once again, the “top six” north London side is in the relegation end of the table despite major spending in the offseason. Everton, Spurs opponent on Saturday, has appeared to rely on smoke and mirrors to capture its five points early into the season. The club’s ownership has left David Moyes with a threadbare roster. Rumor has it that the club is once again up for sale with the Friedkin Group looking to make a quick profit by selling the club it acquired less than two years ago.

The other goalless team, Aston Villa, will host Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Winless Forest has found the net twice under former Crystal Palace Manager Oliver Glasner. Glasner’s replacement in south London, Pierre Sage, has already notched his first Premier League win, the Eagles winning a London derby with Fulham last weekend. Sage will be looking for a second win when newly promoted Ipswich visits Selhurst Park on Saturday.

Here we are ❤️💙 🦅@CPFC South London and Proud pic.twitter.com/achCMRsxSc

— Pierre Sage (@Pierre__Sage) June 16, 2026

Fulham Manager Alvaro Arbeloa is already feeling the pressure as his winless Cottagers prepare to play Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday. Only twice before have the Cottagers lost the first four matches of a topflight season and both times, they were relegated.

Sunderland knocked off the Cottagers to open the season and will be trying to make it three consecutive home wins against London clubs on Saturday. The only problem is that it is defending champion, and currently unbeaten and untied, Arsenal that is visiting the Stadium of Light. The Black Cats have won only one of their last 29 league meetings with the Gunners.

While winning but once, both Leeds and Newcastle remain unbeaten as they face off at Elland Road on Monday. Newcastle have lost just once in their last eight visits to the historic venue where the Whites have played for more than 100 years. Newcastle has been remarkably efficient this season, scoring six goals from just eight shots on target.

Other Week 4 matches will see Frank Lampard and Coventry City try to get their first win of the season as they host the high-flying attack of the Seagulls visiting from Brighton while Brentford will try to remain undefeated when the Bees visit winless Bournemouth .

Premier Table: Match Week 3 Results

Arsenal made it three for three with a 3-2 victory in their London derby with Chelsea. The Gunners won their third straight outing with a comeback win featuring goals by former Chelsea man Kai Havertz and Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard who swept in the winner in the 54th minute. Morgan Rogers woke up the Emirates crowd with a fifth-minute goal which gave Chelsea the lead in the 5th minute. Arsenal’s response to this early wakeup call against a quality opponent demonstrated the tenacity of the defending Premier League champions who have their eyes set on a second league title under Manager Mikel Arteta.

ARSENAL TAKE THE LEAD! MARTIN ØDEGAARD 🔥

An absolute beauty of a goal, set up perfectly by Christos Tzolis 🎯

🔴 Arsenal: 2
🔵 Chelsea: 1
⏱️ 50' pic.twitter.com/WH2W8OV3El

— USA Sports (@usasports) September 6, 2026

Manchester City also won a close match at home, but against a far more surprising opponent. Newly promoted and winless Coventry City gave the Citizens all they could handle but fell victim to Erling Haaland’s third goal of the season in a 1-0 final at the Etihad.

Another newly promoted side is undefeated after Hull played to a goalless draw at Aston Villa. The Tigers don’t pack much of a wallop, but their defense has so far stood the test to make them an interesting story to date in their promotion season.

The weekend’s other goalless draw occurred at the City Ground where host Nottingham Forest kept Tottenham Hotspur ”0 for the season,” no goals and no wins. Nottingham Forest hasn’t been much better under new manager Oliver Glasner. The Tricky Trees have scored only twice in managing two draws and a loss in their three contests.

A high-flying Brighton attack, meanwhile, was mostly grounded versus Leeds. The Seagulls still lead the league (along with Chelsea) in goals scored but were held to a 1-1 draw on Saturday by visiting Leeds which remains one of seven remaining undefeated clubs after three matches. Only Arsenal and Hull have now conceded less than the two goals allowed by the stingy Whites after three matches.

Liverpool showed a little more defensive stability, although the competition must be considered in a 2-0 win over Ipswich Town, the Reds’ first victory of the season. Liverpool has scored two goals in all three of its matches but this time, the opposing side didn’t score two as well, the Tractor Boys clearly lacking the cutting edge to threaten Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool side. The former Bournemouth manager will be rubbing his hands though over an attack which appears to be coming together in the wake of several departures up top, including longtime star Mohamed Salah. Alexander Isaak scored both goals in his first double since his rampaging day at Newcastle. Both Isaak’s goals were assisted by Cody Gakpo who was expected to be gone this transfer window but is seeming quite at home. Bradly Barcola, another attacker snatched up in the recent transfer window from PSG, made a late debut in the match and adds further threat to Andoni’s rejuvenated front line.

Isaak’s former mates in the northeast are playing better than expected after the departure of longtime manager Eddie Howe and stars such as Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali. New Magpie manager Matthias Jaissle is getting improved production from some of the club’s returnees. Anthony Malaga and Yoane Wissa have suddenly looked dangerous after being largely ineffective last season. On Saturday it was Harvey Barnes and Jacob Ramsey who provided the goals in a 2-2 draw with Bournemouth which kept Newcastle undefeated. Even more impressive is that the Magpies clawed back from a two-goal deficit with Barnes finding the net in the 88th minute to salvage the point versus the visiting Cherries.

Brentford remains undefeated but there are warning signs as the Bees conceded a late goal for a second consecutive week in a 1-1 draw with Sunderland. That’s four points left on the table after only three matches for Brentford.

Everton, meanwhile, came back to capture a point for a second straight week when unlikely hero Ainsley Maitland-Niles stunned Manchester United in the 96th minute of play at Hill Dickinson Stadium. The former Arsenal fullback joined Everton on transfer deadline day from Lyon and paid immediate dividends for the Toffees with his first Premier League goal since 2019. The excitement that accompanied a 5-2 pasting of Ipswich Town is now in the past for Manchester United supporters who must consider the fact that the Red Devil defense has conceded two goals in each of the first three matches with none of those matches having been played against goalscoring powerhouses.

What a way to introduce yourself to your new fans 🤩

Ainsley Maitland-Niles 👏 pic.twitter.com/ZPC04c25xj

— Premier League (@premierleague) September 6, 2026

Crystal Palace fans, meanwhile, are breathing a sigh of relief after the Eagles made the quick trip across town to Fulham and came away with their first victory of the season, a 3-2 win at Craven Cottage. Ben Chillwell had the 77th minute winner for Palace, just days after his Tuesday free transfer from Strasbourg. Chilwell had come into the game just three minutes earlier in relief of wing back Tyrick Mitchell who scored the first two Eagle goals. As new Crystal Palace Manager Pierre Sage celebrated his first Premier League win, former Real Madrid Manager Alvaro Arbeloa may already be on the hot seat with Fulham. The Cottagers are one of two clubs to have lost all three of their Premier League matches this season, conceding seven goals in the process. Only Saturday’s opponent Crystal Palace and newly promoted Ipswich Town have conceded more. Not only are supporters growing anxious, but an unhappy locker room is showing early signs of the player discontent which tainted Arbeloa’s short stint at Real Madrid. 

Premier Table: Match Week 3 Preview

Arsenal faces its stiffest test of the young season when high rolling Chelsea pays a visit to the Emirates on Sunday. After swatting Coventry in the league’s opener two weeks ago, Arsenal was businesslike, if less than impressive, against an Aston Villa side reeling from transfer window departures. Now undefeated Chelsea under new manager Xabi Alonso arrives for a London derby against the Gunners.

Chelsea has been living dangerously, bagging two wins despite allowing five goals over the first two matches. Only Ipswich Town and Crystal Palace have conceded more goals than Chelsea. Meanwhile, there is still some question as to whether Arsenal has enough firepower to successfully defend its title after winning the Premier League last season on the strength of its defense and set piece proficiency. Deals for Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior and Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez failed to reach the finish line. Leonardo Trossard, Gabriel Jesus and Ethan Nwaneri left the club while Christos Tzolis, formerly of Belgian side Brugge is the only addition of note. Chelsea midfielder Morgan Rogers was another player that Arsenal was rumored to covet but the attacking midfielder instead departed Aston Villa for the Blues. Rogers and best mate Cole Palmer will need to be at their best to deliver a first win for Chelsea over Arsenal in twelve meetings.

Preparing for Sunday's challenge. ✊ pic.twitter.com/vLj9mFY0fM

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) September 4, 2026

While Arsenal and Chelsea have both won their two matches to date so far, Liverpool is yet to edge into the win column, drawing both league matches under new manager Andoni Iraola. The former Bournemouth manager should have a good chance at that elusive first league win when his Reds visit Ipswich Town to begin the Premier League match weekend schedule on Friday.

Frank Lampard is also looking for his first win this season but is far less likely to find it when Coventry City, which was hammered by Arsenal in the league opener and then tripped up by fellow newcomer Hull last week, must now travel to the Etihad to face Manchester City and its galaxy of stars led by striker Erling Haaland.

Unbeaten and untied Hull, meanwhile, will try to keep the party going in front of its home fans versus Aston Villa on Saturday. A high scoring match should not be expected. Hull has yet to allow a goal this season. Aston Villa is yet to land a shot on target.

Nottingham Forest Manager Oliver Glasner gets a second chance to deliver a first win in front of the Tricky Trees home supporters when Forest welcomes Tottenham Hotspur. Like Coventry and Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur is yet to put a ball past an opposing goalkeeper this season, noteworthy in that Spurs had never before failed to score in the opening two matches of a Premier League season. This weekend Spurs could make more history as the north London club has never before lost the first three matches of a Premier League campaign.

Fulham and Crystal Palace are two other struggling London sides. The good news is that one of them is guaranteed their first point of the season when the two clash on Saturday.

No club, meanwhile, has been involved in matches with more aggregate scoring than the twelve goals recorded during Brighton’s first two matches. Interestingly, the Seagulls now host Leeds on Saturday with the Whites having scored just twice while conceding just once in their two prior outings.

Everton, despite a seemingly thin squad, are unbeaten after two weeks. The collapse of the deal to bring USMNT and Monaco striker Folarin Balogun to Merseyside leaves the Toffees seriously short of attacking quality. Everton was one of only three clubs last season to have a leading goal scorer with fewer than ten goals. That leading scorer for the Toffees, Beto, is now playing for Serie A side Fiorentina while Balogun was supposed to be the medicine for the Toffees’ ailing attack. Everton has failed to score in five of its last eight matches versus Manchester United which visits Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday.

Other Premier League matches this weekend include Newcastle United trying to snap an eight-match winless run in Premier League matches versus Bournemouth while their northeast neighbor Sunderland heads to Brentford where the Black Cats have failed to win in their last four visits to Gtech Community Stadium.

Premier Table Match Week 2 Results: What the Hull Is Going On ?; Manchester United Roars Back From Opening Week Setback; High Scoring Chelsea Survives Another Goal Fest And Says Goodbye To High Priced Star; Spurs Suffer Another Goalless Defeat; Manchester City Rolls Over Crystal Palace

Hull sits in the top four after a perfect two weeks for the Tigers. The newly promoted side won 1-0 at Coventry over the weekend after shocking Manchester United in Week 1. The feisty newcomers to the league join Arsenal as the only clubs yet to concede a goal. Visiting Hull supporters were in a euphoric state in the Coventry stands, chanting “We’re going to win the league,” as the Tigers clawed to another victory.

🤯 pic.twitter.com/q80GInf1WH

— Hull City (@HullCity) August 30, 2026

The Tigers’ stinginess stands in stark contrast to Chelsea which is playing little defense but also has two wins now after scoring a combined seven goals in its two matches. The Blues sprinted to a 3-0 advantage on Sunday but were then forced to sweat out the three points as Brighton came roaring back in a 4-3 pinballing contest. Cole Palmer scored an insurance goal in the 74th minute to restore Chelsea’s margin to two goals, good enough to withstand a late injury time score by the Seagulls. New Chelsea goalkeeper Emi Martinez must be feeling shellshocked. The new man between the sticks made several key stops to help salvage the win despite Chelsea’s leaky defense. Chelsea scored another win when it scored a record fee for dishing disgruntled midfielder Enzo Fernandez to Manchester City at the transfer deadline on Tuesday.

The Brighton comeback at Stamford Bridge was not all that surprising as the Seagulls are level with Manchester City for the most goals scored after two matches. The Citizens sit atop the table, ahead of Arsenal due to their goals scored advantage over the Gunners. Erling Haaland scored a brace in Manchester City’s 4-1 humiliation of Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park and now add Chelsea’s Fernandez to their constellation of stars. The winless Eagles, meanwhile, are in a bad way after saying goodbye to their top-notch manager Oliver Glasner over the offseason and suffering a transfer window so dismal that Ben Chillwell, of all people, was a headline deadline day addition.

Aston Villa also suffered a rough transfer window but looked better in a 1-0 defeat to Arsenal. The Villans, however, still haven’t put a shot on target after two matches.

All is well again for Manchester United supporters after the club put an embarrassing opening week loss to Hull behind it and ran amok at Old Trafford versus the plodding Tractor Boys of Ipswich Town. Last year’s Premier League Player of the Season, Bruno Fenrandes, scored a hat trick in the 5 -2 win over the visitors.

Tottenham Hotspur, meanwhile, laid an egg for a second consecutive week in a 2-0 home loss to Newcastle. The north London side still looks a bottom of the table club despite heavy offseason investment. Manager Roberto De Zerbi is yet to see his club find the net after two matches. Things are so dismal in north London that the club has rolled the dice on Chelsea bust Mykhailo Mudryk in a loan deal.

The jury remains out on Liverpool after a second consecutive 2-2 draw under new Manager Andoni Iraola. A 99th minute penalty was required to salvage the point in Sunday’s match at Newcastle.

Everton also required a stoppage time goal in a 1-1 draw at Bournemouth. James Tarkowski delivered the point saving header from amidst a forest of ineffective Bournemouth defenders. Goals could be scarce this season for the Toffees as a deal for USMNT striker Folarin Balogun fell through at the last minute on Tuesday. Everton said goodbye to Beto and now look even worse up front than last season when no player scored in double digits for David Moyes’ side.

A 79th minute goal by Dominic Calvert Lewin gave Leeds a point in a 1-1 draw with Brentford at Elland Road.

Sunderland, meanwhile, notched its first win of the season in a 1-0 victory at the Stadium of Light over Fulham. New Fulham manager Alvaro Arbeloa is showing the stress of two opening league losses as he exploded in post-match comments about “the attitude of my team.” The Cottagers failed to put a shot on target against the Black Cats and Alvaro deplored his side’s lack of effort.

Premier Table: Match Week 2 Preview

As if Aston Villa doesn’t have enough problems, Villa Park will be invaded on Monday by marauding Premier League champion Arsenal which slapped around poor Coventry City in its 3-0 opening win. The Villans, meanwhile, were frightful in a 4-0 loss to Brighton. Now comes the news that goalkeeper Emi Martinez is the next to fly the coop at Villa, the Argentine heading to Chelsea where he will reunite with Morgan Rogers, yet another Villa refugee.

🔵🇦🇷 All documents have been signed by Chelsea and Aston Villa for Emiliano Martínez deal.

£7.5m fee to Aston Villa. pic.twitter.com/33TqdNwerx

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) August 28, 2026

Chelsea edged past Fulham 3-2 on Monday, but both Cottager goals were preventable, and Xabi Alonso apparently means business as he brings in Argentina’s starting keeper to make the Blues a bit stingier. Alonso and the boys host Brighton on Sunday in a matchup of winners from Week 1.

Former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca also notched a victory in his first appearance on the touchline for Manchester City last week. On Friday the Citizens head to Selhurst Park to face a Crystal Palace side trying to find its footing under its own new manager, Pierre Sage. Erling Haaland will be trying to net his first goal since his recent haircut.

Former Palace Manager Oliver Glasner was unsuccessful in his debut last week for his new employers at Nottingham Forest. The Trees now uproot this week for a tilt at Anfield where Liverpool is trying to find a winning formula under new manager Andoni Iraola, one of nine new managers in the Premier League this season. Iraola’s teams usually take some time to adjust to his style of play, but Reds supporters may not be patient should things take too long. Arne Slot after all got the sack just one season after winning the Prem for the Reds.

Coventry City Manager Frank Lampard is trying to establish his cred as a Premier League manager after false starts in earlier stints on the touchline for Chelsea, where Lampard starred as a player, and Everton. Things started poorly last week for the Sky Blues in a shellacking by Arsenal, but Coventry returns home to face Hull on Saturday for the first Premier League match in Coventry in 25 years.

While that match will take place at the Sky Blues’ less than excitingly named venue Coventry Building Society Arena, Ipswich Town heads to a more famous venue this week when the Tractor Boys visit Old Trafford for a match with Manchester United, surprising losers to Hull last week. Ipswich won their opening match after an offseason where they invested heavily. The Red Devils, meanwhile, stumbled in their opener and supporters are anxious about a lack of spending by their historic club to support Michael Carrick in his first season as “permanent” manager.

Like Carrick, Roberto De Zerbi entered the season in the high regard of supporters after saving Spurs from relegation. Those same supporters were somewhat shocked when De Zerbi’s crew laid an egg in a 3-0 opening loss to Brentford. Spurs will try to get back in the saddle this weekend when facing Newcastle at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

Brentford will try to build on the momentum of last week’s dominant win when the Bees travel to Leeds. Brentford is winless in its last eight visits to Elland Road.

Sunderland will be relying on its Stadium of Light supporters to help the club shake off its opening week’s defeat to Ipswich Town. Bournemouth will likewise be trying to avoid a second defeat when the Cherries welcome Everton to Vitality Stadium on Saturday. Everton have won just once in their last nine trips to Bournemouth.

Premier Table Match Week 1: Arsenal Is Dominant; New Managers Score Wins For Chelsea And Manchester City; Liverpool Lucky To Steal A Point; Two Newcomers Win; Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur Flop On Opening Weekend

Arsenal kicked off the Premier League season with a clear message that it will not be easy to knock the Gunners off their title perch. The champions were dominant in a 3-0 spanking of Coventry City. Newly promoted Coventry, meanwhile, was so outclassed that one must wonder if Manager Frank Lampard is in store for a brutal season in his return to the league. The Sky Blues managed only a single shot on target versus the Gunners and could be facing a short stay in the league.

SETTING THE STANDARD. pic.twitter.com/bmwO0aMzjO

— Arsenal (@Arsenal) August 21, 2026

Manchester United seemed to be on the right track with an impressive third place finish under interim manager Michael Carrick last season. Red Devil supporters are now scratching their heads after a confusing 2-0 failure at Hull, one of two promoted teams to win this weekend. United fell victim to a promoted club on opening day for the first time in 13 such matchups in its club history. New signings Youri Tielemans and Andry Santos, and the return of Marcus Rashford had no positive impact for a club which looked unready under Manager Carrick.

A similar disaster was experienced by Tottenham Hotspur Manager Roberto De Zerbi. The manager was a hero when he saved the club from an embarrassing relegation in the final weeks of the 25/26 season. Momentum was expected to continue after offseason player additions like Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali. Didn’t happen. Spurs still looked like a bottom of the table club and were no match for Brentford in a 3-0 loss where De Zerbi’s team looked unprepared and even disinterested in contrast to a well-organized and energized Bees club managed by Keith Andrews.

Opening day done right at the Gtech 🌟

Inside Brentford X @CynergyBank pic.twitter.com/FvRt6us4Vb

— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) August 25, 2026

Unlike Spurs supporters, bad things were already feared entering this season by fans of Aston Villa which suffered a massive talent drain during this transfer window even as striker Ollie Watkins awaits his own ticket out of Birmingham. Villa was spanked 4-0 at Brighton, a shocking result even for pessimistic supporters.

One of the Aston Villa escapees, star midfielder Morgan Rogers, made the scoresheet in his Chelsea debut, a 3-2 Blues victory at Craven Cottage over Fulham. Rogers, Palmer and Joao Pedro scored for a Chelsea attack which looked worlds better under new Manager Xavi Alonso. Palmer and Pedro never clicked last season, but each assisted on the other’s goal on Monday.

The man who began last season as Chelsea’s manager has a massive challenge ahead of him as Enzo Maresca attempts to maintain the winning culture which predecessor Pep Guardiola established at Manchester City. Maresca is off to a good start after a comeback 2-1 victory over Bournemouth and its own new manager, Marco Rose. Rayan Cherki assisted on each of the Manchester City goals, both of which were scored after the 80th minute to erase the Bournemouth lead. There must be worries, however, after Erling Haaland failed to score shortly after shearing his flowing locks, raising concerns of a “Samson” effect.

As was the case at the Etihad, there were new managers on both touchlines as Newcastle and Liverpool battled to a 2-2 draw at St. James’s Park. The draw should be a moral victory for the Magpies who lost not just a manager but many of their key players this offseason. Satisfaction has to be muted, however, after new manager Matthias Jaissle saw his club concede a penalty in the ninth minute of stoppage time to squander what would have been an additional two points on opening night. Liverpool Manager Andoni Iraola escaped with a point in his debut for the Reds but can’t be impressed with what was a generally rocky performance masked by the late game gift.

Crystal Palace and Manager Oliver Glasner parted ways after the Eagles scored a European title in the Conference League last season. Eyebrows were raised when Glasner took the helm a Nottingham Forest, not a clear step up in class and a dangerous partnership with an equally volatile personality in Nottingham Forest Owner Evangelos Marinakis. Forest and Palace were both losers on opening weekend, Crystal Palace falling 2-0 at Everton while Glasner and Forest were 1-0 losers at home to Leeds.

A late goal by substitute Jack Clark made Ipswich Town one of two promoted sides to grab three points on Saturday. The Tractor Boys, who were relegated two seasons ago, announced their return with a thrilling 2-1 win over last season’s Premier League darling Sunderland when Clark scored in the final minute of regulation time. With Hull and Ipswich Town both winning, could we possibly see a second season in which two promoted sides secure a second season? 

Premier League Returns!

The world’s strongest and deepest domestic league begins play on Friday when the English Premier League commences its 35th season. A relatively quiet transfer window has done little to identify major changes of fortune for those clubs hoping to wrest the title from Arsenal. The defending champions strengthened by adding midfielder Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle, a skillful player who will help to unlock the type of packed in defenses which the Gunners will surely face this season. Arsenal opens the season at home on Friday against newly promoted Coventry City and its familiar manager, Frank Lampard.

Manchester City meanwhile will have a new manager for the fist time in a decade as Enzo Maresca takes the reins from legend Pep Guardiola when City plays Bournemouth Sunday at the Etihad. The Citizens, who finished seven points behind Arsenal last season, have also said goodbye to Rodri and Bernardo Silva, while being rebuffed so far in attempts to bolster the roster. The club received a stern no from Crystal Palace this week for Adam Wharton. Expectations, however, are that Maresca will have some new weapons before the window closes on September 1st.

Former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola will be on the touchline for Liverpool when the Reds play at Newcastle on Sunday. Iraola’s high pressing style may remind supporters of the Jurgen Klopp days, but this is a lesser squad that Iraola inherits. Mohamed Salah is gone. Hugo Ekitike is still recovering from a devastating injury, and Iraola will hope to resurrect the failing fortunes of last season’s transfer bust Florian Wirtz. A return to form by striker Alexander Isak after a lost 2025/26 season would also help Iraola make hay with a roster lacking in star power.

Isak will face former club Newcastle on Saturday though he may not recognize many familiar faces. The Magpies are no longer managed by Eddie Howe. Anthony Gordon is off to Barcelona, Sandro Tonali is at Tottenham Hotspur and Bruno Guimaraes is now an Arsenal player. Kieran Trippier, Matt Targett and Aaron Ramsdale have also left as part of Newcastle’s massive housecleaning.

Things are more stable at Manchester United where Michael Carrick returns as manager after the club’s former player led the Red Devils to a surprising third place finish as an interim manager. Carrick will be without the departed Casemiro, but Youri Tielemans has come abord in a somewhat pleasant surprise. The real story, however, could focus on the return of Marcus Rashford from his loan to Barcelona and assuming he stays in Manchester for this season. At his best, Rashford provides an exciting attacking option for the Red Devils who begin their season at newly promoted Hull on Saturday.

Aston Villa has had a tough transfer window. In addition to Tielemans, Villa lost perhaps its best player in attacking midfielder Morgan Rogers to Chelsea. Little has been done to date to repair the bereft Villa midfield as the team prepares to travel to Brighton for a Sunday match.

Chelsea, which plays a London derby at Fulham on Monday, will hope Rogers can build a connection with Cole Palmer who was largely ineffective last season after a breakout 24/25 season. A young and undisciplined Chelsea side has added not just Rogers but also graybeard veterans Jordan Hendersen and Danny Welbeck as new manager Xavi Alonso hopes to bring order to chaotic Chelsea. Alonso will have plenty of time to work with his squad as the Blues play no European football this season as a result of last season’s misadventures.

Crystal Palace, which is a reining European champion after capturing the Conference League title, are under new management after Oliver Glasner walked out to take the job at Nottingham Forest in a seemingly strange career move for the fiery Austrian. Glasner’s temperament and past clashes with the ownership of his clubs is an odd pairing with Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis who has had his own battles with managers in the past. Palace is at Everton while Glasner and Nottingham Forest will host Leeds on Saturday.

Tottenham Hotspur, chastened by two consecutive relegation fights, will hope to battle with the likes of Palace and Forest in the middle of the table this season. Perhaps a modest objective for Spurs but Manager Roberto De Zerbi has his hands full to establish a winning culture after he narrowly rescued the club from demotion last season. Towards that end, headlines this week have reported Spurs to be hotly pursuing Manchester City players Savinho and Omar Marmoush. De Zerbi and his charges visit Brentford on Saturday. The Bees created buzz during the window with the signing of Mamadou Sangare, a versatile midfielder who helped French club RC Lens secure Champions League football.

Ipswich Town returns to the Premier League and can only hope to experience the success that Saturday’s opponent Sunderland enjoyed last season. The Black Cats, however, will now need to balance a European slate in addition to domestic challenges after Manager Regis Le Bris led promoted side Sunderland last season to their first European qualification since the 1970”s. Which team will surprise us this season?

Arsenal Loses and Slot is Sacked

Champions League Final

Arsenal tested defending champion PSG but ultimately lost in penalty kicks after regulation and extra time left the two sides deadlocked at a goal apiece. Arsenal was determined to play its own pragmatic, defensive, even what some might characterize as ugly style against the more attack minded Parisians. The Gunners commitment to shortening the match and making life difficult for PSG increased when they were practically “handed” the early lead in the championship match.

An errant pass by PSG defender PSG Marquinos ricocheted off the arm of Arsenal’s Leonardo Trossard and fell kindly to the feet of Arsenal striker Kai Havertz who broke down the left flank ahead of PSG defenders who were unable to reverse their forward momentum quickly enough. Havertz, who scored the winner for Chelsea in the 2022 Champions League final, beat PSG goaltender Matvey Safonov by lofting the ball into the upper far corner of the net over a helpless Safonov who was protecting against an anticipated lower trajectory shot to the near side of the goal. Advantage Arsenal after six minutes of play.

Kai Havertz goal in PSG vs Arsenal UCL Final game. pic.twitter.com/54JV7D1U3o

— Daily Foot Vibes (@dailyfootvibes) May 30, 2026

The next fifty-nine minutes saw wave after wave of PSG attacks repulsed by the elite Arsenal defense led by center backs Gabriel and William Saliba. The match turned, however, when Arsenal fullback Cristhian Mosquera was late on a challenge to stop PSG’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia as he bore in on Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya. Ousmane Dembele put the ensuing penalty kick past Raya to equalize the match in the 65th minute at 1-1.

That score remained until the clubs went to penalty kicks after an extra period failed to decide the match. PSG would miss one of their allotted kicks but unfortunately for Gunner fans, the English side missed on two of their attempts. First, it was a miss by Eberechi Eze and then Gabriel missed the climactic fifth and final kick for the Gunners. Gabriel was taking his first penalty kick for Arsenal in the most pressurized of moments.

Manager Mikel Arteta will live with questions as to the wisdom and fairness in Gabriel taking that fifth Arsenal kick. There were others who could have taken the final chance at Safonov including Noni Madueke, a more technical striker of the ball who once infamously fought with Chelsea teammate Cole Palmer over a far less important penalty kick. As it was, Gabriel skied the kick and PSG were UCL champions for a second consecutive season.

Liverpool Sacks Arne Slot

Liverpool sacked Manager Arne Slot after a season in which the Reds lost 19 matches across all competitions just a year after Slot led Liverpool to a Premier League championship in his first season with the club. The title winning side was often thought to have been a parting gift from predecessor Jurgen Klopp with few changes made to the squad Slot inherited. Conversely, this season’s disappointment is all Slot’s.

Head coach Arne Slot has been sacked by Liverpool after two seasons in charge. pic.twitter.com/JiOrFYuJqj

— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) May 30, 2026

Problems for Liverpool began during a turbulent offseason which saw the off-pitch death of Liverpool player Diogo Jota, a cloud over the season which never parted, and extensive retooling of the squad by Slot and Liverpool ownership and administration. The biggest summer outlay, Alexander Isaak, was unfit all season and contributed nothing while Hugo Ekitike, a rare bright spot this season ultimately ruptured an Achilles tendon. Fair or not, failed additions based on their performances to date such as Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez are clearly identified with Slot.

There also seemed a marked change to a slower pace with which Slot had his team play, a far cry from the heavy metal style of his predecessor. Meanwhile, a schism developed between Slot and underperforming Liverpool legend Mo Salah which the Egyptian superstar was all too happy to take public. Salah condemned Liverpool’s slower style and other tactical adjustments made by Slot as the now also departed Salah’s production fell off a cliff during the 2025/26 season with his goal involvements falling from 47 to 14.

Other veterans such as center back Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate also regressed in Slot’s second season which started poorly from the outset for the Reds. Liverpool seemed to be sleepwalking while losing nine of 12 matches across all competitions from September through November. Despite some mid-season improvement, results slid once again toward season’s end with Liverpool securing only two of its last 12 points in the critical Premier League run-in which saw the Reds just barely hold onto the Champions League berth available this season to the league’s fifth place finisher.

Beyond league play, a trophyless season began with a Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace, another loss to the Eagles in the EFL Cup, an embarrassing 4-0 thumping by Manchester City in the FA Cup and a rather predictable loss to PSG in Champions League where the Reds failed to score a goal across two legs against the ultimate UCL winner. The club’s play in both league and cup competitions was criticized not just by Salah but by supporters and pundits as well as being too slow.

Slot, who never connected even in a small way with Liverpool supporters accustomed to Klopp’s more gregarious style, unhelpfully tried to deflect criticism to opponents’ use of a low block (unsportsmanlike ?) against the Reds and uncharitable officiating. In the end, Liverpool decided Slot was not the man to turn things around next season.

The challenge will be enormous as supporters will look for instant improvement from a club which lost 20 times this past season, allowing the most goals ever by a Liverpool team in the Premier League and scoring the fewest goals in more than a decade. An interesting summer needs to begin with a new face on the touchline. The betting seems to be on Andoni Iraola as Slot’s successor. Iraola left Bournemouth at season’s end after a successful three season run where he put the Cherries into Europe for the first time.