The opening weekend of the 2025-26 Premier League season was packed with drama, as big teams started strong, promoted clubs made an immediate impact and rivals clashed in an early-season showdown.
Liverpool 4-2 Bournemouth: The champions began their title defense with a dramatic win at Anfield. Liverpool looked to be in control with goals from new signing Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo. However, Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo put on a stunning individual performance, scoring two goals to level the match and silence the home crowd. Liverpool eventually sealed the win with a late goal from Federico Chiesa and a stoppage-time strike from Mohamed Salah.
Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle United: This was a cagey affair at Villa Park. Both teams had chances, but neither could find the breakthrough. The match was defined by solid defensive displays, with Villa coping well after a red card to Ezri Konsa.
Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 Fulham: Brighton seemed to be heading for a victory after a Matthew O’Riley penalty, which was awarded for a foul on Georginio Rutter. However, Fulham snatched a point at the death when Rodrigo Muniz scored deep into stoppage time, silencing the Amex Stadium crowd and denying Brighton a perfect start.
Sunderland 3-0 West Ham United: Promoted Sunderland made a sensational return to the Premier League with a dominant victory. After a tight first half, the Black Cats’ new signings came to the fore. Eliezer Mayenda opened the scoring, before Daniel Ballard and Wilson Isidor both got on the scoresheet to secure a memorable win for the home side and put them in the top four of the table.
Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 Burnley: New Spurs manager Thomas Frank started his tenure in style. Richarlison was the star of the show, scoring a brace, including an incredible bicycle-kick goal that is an early contender for Goal of the Season. New signing Mohammed Kudus was also brilliant, providing two assists and showing exactly why the club signed him.
Wolverhampton Wanderers 0-4 Manchester City: A devastating performance from the former champions. Erling Haaland scored twice, continuing his impressive record of scoring on every Premier League opening day. New signing Tijjani Reijnders also scored on his debut, capping off a comfortable win for Pep Guardiola’s side.
Chelsea 0-0 Crystal Palace: This was a frustrating start for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. While they controlled possession, they struggled to create clear-cut chances. Crystal Palace, meanwhile, were well-organised and a threat on the counter, with a goal from Eberechi Eze ruled out by VAR for an infringement in the wall.
Nottingham Forest 3-1 Brentford: Nottingham Forest got their season off to a flying start. Chris Wood scored two goals, continuing his strong form from the end of last season, while new signing Dan Ndoye also found the back of the net. Brentford managed to pull one back through a late Igor Thiago penalty, but it was too little, too late.
Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal: The biggest match of the weekend ended with a narrow victory for Arsenal. A goal from defender Riccardo Calafiori from a Declan Rice corner was all that separated the two sides. Arsenal’s defense held firm against a United side that, despite new attacking options, lacked the cutting edge to break through.
Leeds United 1-0 Everton: On their return to the Premier League, Leeds United secured a dramatic late victory at Elland Road. The match was a tightly contested affair with both sides struggling to create clear-cut chances. However, the decisive moment came in the 84th minute when Everton’s James Tarkowski was penalised for a handball inside the box. After a VAR review confirmed the decision, substitute Lukas Nmecha stepped up to calmly convert the penalty, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.
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