Premier League Game week 1 Round Up

Arsenal 3-0 Coventry: Cruise mode

Arsenal could hardly have asked for a better opening to their title defence, oh sorry, they will be the attacking champions this season as Arteta has already made that known! Kai Havertz and Bukayo Saka put them two up inside 23 minutes before Martin Ødegaard finished the job early in the second half. The champions controlled the game comfortably and had the luxury of taking off Ødegaard and Declan Rice while still looking completely in control.

For Coventry, the gap in Premier League experience was obvious. Frank Lampard's side had moments early on, but Arsenal's quality eventually overwhelmed them. There is little reason to draw major conclusions from a defeat against the champions, although Coventry will need to become much more composed in possession and inside their own box. Of course, they also have a few players to bring into their playing squad, so they will move on from this result quickly. 

Hull City 2-0 Manchester United: Shock!

Hull produced one of the weekend's biggest shocks and deserved it. Two set-piece goals from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy exposed United's defensive organisation, while the home side's aggression and intensity made Michael Carrick's team look strangely passive.

United had 72% possession but created very little with it. The midfield pairing of Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos struggled to influence the game as both were hacked off midway through the second half, while the attack lacked a genuine focal point. The defeat raises questions about whether Carrick's squad is ready for the four-competition campaign ahead.

Everton 2-0 Crystal Palace: Perfect Start

Everton made a controlled start under David Moyes, beating Palace 2-0. Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's excellent finish gave them the lead before Thierno Barry added a second after half-time, with Iliman Ndiaye also standing out creatively.

Palace actually created enough early chances to cause mayhem inside Hill Dickinson Stadium, but their finishing let them down. Pierre Sage's first Premier League match ended with questions about the same attacking problem that affected Palace under Oliver Glasner, while Chadi Riad's knee injury added another concern.

Ipswich Town 2-1 Sunderland: Good Platform to Build On

Ipswich's return to the Premier League could hardly have been scripted better. Emersonn put them ahead after Julio Enciso punished a Sunderland mistake, Nilson Angulo levelled with an excellent free kick, and former Sunderland winger Jack Clarke returned to haunt his old club with a 90th-minute winner.

The encouraging part for Gary O'Neil was the way Ipswich continued to press for the winner and not look to settle for a point. Sunderland had more possession but struggled to turn it into enough clear opportunities, and Regis Le Bris will know his side needs to become more clinical and cut out the mistakes Ipswich punished.

Nottingham Forest 0-1 Leeds United: Promising Leeds

Leeds left it extremely late but deserved credit for staying in the game and eventually taking all three points. Anton Stach's 88th-minute free kick caught Matz Sels out, while Forest were left frustrated after wasting opportunities through Igor Jesus and Chris Wood.

For Nottingham Forest, the result exposed some familiar concerns. They struggled to create enough and still looked vulnerable when they made mistakes at the back, while questions will already be asked about whether the squad has enough quality at centre forward.

Brentford 3-0 Tottenham: Everyone’s Surprise Package Didn’t Surprise Anyone

Brentford were excellent, and Spurs were nowhere near the required level. Keane Lewis-Potter and Vitaly Janelt gave the Bees a deserved two-goal lead before Michael Kayode added a third shortly after half-time. Brentford's aggressive pressing and movement repeatedly pulled Tottenham apart.

The concern for Roberto De Zerbi is how little Spurs offered in attack. They failed to register a shot on target in the first half and looked disconnected despite spending heavily in the summer, and yes, this point will keep propping up after every bad result. There were isolated positives, particularly from Mikey Moore, but the overall performance suggested this new Spurs side still has a lot of work to do.

Brighton 4-0 Aston Villa: Villa - What a Mess!

Brighton absolutely destroyed Villa inside the opening half hour. Victor Lindelöf's own goal was followed by strikes from Maxim De Cuyper and a Jack Hinshelwood brace, leaving Villa four goals down after just 31 minutes. João Gomes then completed a disastrous debut by being sent off before half-time.

For Brighton, the performance was a statement of intent. Fabian Hurzeler's side attacked with intensity, won the majority of the important duels, and repeatedly punished Villa's disorganisation. Villa, meanwhile, looked short of attacking options and badly affected by the departures and absences that have complicated their summer.

Manchester City 2-1 Bournemouth: City - Just About Got it Right

Bournemouth looked set to pull off a major result after Marcus Tavernier gave them a first-half lead at the Etihad. City dominated territory and created chances but lacked the sharpness to turn pressure into goals for most of the afternoon.

Then came the late turnaround with the help of the mercurial Cherki. Marc Guéhi equalised in the 84th minute before Josko Gvardiol completed City's winning debut in stoppage time, with substitute Rayan Cherki involved in creating both goals. The result was valuable, although City's performance remained more disjointed than the scoreline suggests.

Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool: Mixed Feelings for Both Clubs

This was probably the weekend's MOST chaotic game. Newcastle twice took the lead through Anthony Elanga and Joe Willock, Liverpool twice responded through Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai, with the Hungarian finally rescuing a point from the penalty spot nine minutes into stoppage time.

Both new managers got encouraging signs alongside obvious problems. Matthias Jaissle's Newcastle looked aggressive and dangerous in transition, while Andoni Iraola's Liverpool showed attacking intent but left too much space in midfield and struggled to control the game. Florian Wirtz also struggled to impose himself, while Liverpool's squad depth remains a concern as the transfer window closes.

Fulham 2-3 Chelsea: Chelsea: A Potential Title-Contender?

Chelsea ended Gameweek 1 with an entertaining win at Craven Cottage and gave supporters plenty to like from Xabi Alonso's first competitive game. João Pedro scored after just 31 seconds, Morgan Rogers marked his debut with a goal, and Cole Palmer added the third as Chelsea's new attacking trio immediately showed its potential.

There are still obvious concerns. Robert Sánchez's mistakes contributed to both Fulham goals and Chelsea's midfield struggled to control the game at times, but the attacking quality was difficult to ignore. If Alonso can tighten the defence while keeping that front three functioning at this level, Chelsea could genuinely become a problem for Arsenal.

For Fulham, there was enough in the defeat to suggest Álvaro Arbeloa's side won't simply be passive under their new manager. Josh King equalised after Sánchez's error, and Gonzalo García pulled the score back to 3-2, with Fulham creating enough late pressure to make Chelsea uncomfortable. The concern is that they conceded three goals at home and allowed Chelsea's attacking players too much freedom. Still, considering this was Arbeloa's first Premier League match, and Chelsea were the opposition, Fulham showed enough attacking quality to suggest there is something to build on.