The 2026/27 Premier League season has finally kicked off, and Sunday delivered exactly the kind of drama English football fans look forward to every August. Two matches wrapped up with contrasting stories, one a one-sided demolition, the other a nervy escape act, while a third, a genuine heavyweight clash between Newcastle United and Liverpool, was still unfolding at St James’ Park as this report was filed. Here’s a full round-up of today’s EPL scores, how the opening weekend has gone so far, and where the table stands heading into Monday’s late kick-off.
Man City 2-1 Bournemouth: Guéhi and Gvardiol Save Maresca’s Bow
It wasn’t the start Enzo Maresca would have scripted for his first Premier League game in charge at the Etihad, but he’ll take it. Bournemouth punished a sluggish City start when Marcus Tavernier found the net in the 26th minute, and for long stretches afterward the visitors looked the more composed side, with Đorđe Petrović called into action to deny Erling Haaland on more than one occasion.
City huffed and puffed without a breakthrough until substitute Rayan Cherki changed the picture. His corner in the 84th minute picked out Marc Guéhi, who rose above the Bournemouth defence to head home the equaliser. Two minutes into stoppage time, Cherki turned provider again, threading a pass for Josko Gvardiol to bundle in from close range. The goal was checked at length by VAR for a tight offside call before being awarded, sparking wild scenes at the Etihad as Maresca celebrated a 2-1 win on his home debut as City boss, the man who replaced Pep Guardiola after a glittering decade in charge.
Brighton 4-0 Aston Villa: Nightmare Start for Unai Emery
Down on the south coast, it was one-way traffic. Brighton were ruthless from early on, brushing aside an Aston Villa side that never got going, and the 4-0 scoreline flattered nobody, if anything, it undersold Brighton’s dominance. For Unai Emery, it’s about as bad an opening-day result as a manager can suffer, and questions about Villa’s away form will follow the club into next weekend.
Newcastle vs Liverpool: New-Era Clash Still Live
The pick of the day’s fixtures on paper pitted two clubs under fresh management against each other. Matthias Jaissle took his first competitive bow as Newcastle boss following Eddie Howe’s departure, while Andoni Iraola began life as Liverpool manager after taking over from Arne Slot. Both squads arrive with plenty of turnover, Newcastle without departed midfield engine room duo Bruno Guimarães and Sandro Tonali, Liverpool adjusting to life without Mohamed Salah as their nailed-on starter. Kick-off at St James’ Park was 3:30pm, and the match was still being played as this article went live, so check back for the final score and match report.
Saturday’s Results: Promoted Sides Make Their Mark
The weekend’s opening rounds, played out on Friday and Saturday, threw up some eye-catching results of their own, chief among them, a strong showing from the three clubs promoted from the Championship.
Hull City, back in the top flight for the first time in years, stunned Manchester United 2-0, a result that will sting Old Trafford far more than any pre-season prediction suggested it should. Ipswich Town, another of last season’s promoted trio, edged past Sunderland 2-1 in a tight, feisty affair. Everton made home advantage count with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace, and Leeds United nicked a 1-0 win at Nottingham Forest to open their season with three points on the road.
Elsewhere, Brentford put on a statement performance against Tottenham Hotspur, winning 3-0 in a result that will have alarm bells ringing under Spurs boss Thomas Frank, while Friday night’s curtain-raiser saw defending champions Arsenal ease past newly promoted Coventry City 3-0 at the Emirates — a routine, professional start to their title defence.
Still to Come: Fulham vs Chelsea
Matchday 1 doesn’t wrap up until Monday evening, when Fulham host Chelsea to close out the round. Enzo Maresca’s old club, now under new stewardship, will be keen to avoid an opening-day slip after watching several of their rivals pick up points already.
Provisional Premier League Table After Matchday 1
With Newcastle vs Liverpool still being played and Fulham vs Chelsea yet to kick off, the full picture won’t be settled until Monday night. Here’s how things stand based on the eight completed fixtures:
| Pos | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 3 |
| 2 | Arsenal | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 3 |
| 3 | Brentford | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 3 |
| 4 | Hull City | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 3 |
| 5 | Everton | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 3 |
| 6 | Manchester City | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 |
| 7 | Ipswich Town | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 3 |
| 8 | Leeds United | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 3 |
| 9 | Bournemouth | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| 10 | Sunderland | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | -1 | 0 |
| 11 | Nottingham Forest | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | -1 | 0 |
| 12 | Manchester United | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
| 13 | Crystal Palace | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | -2 | 0 |
| 14 | Coventry City | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
| 15 | Tottenham Hotspur | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | -3 | 0 |
| 16 | Aston Villa | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | -4 | 0 |
| 17 | Newcastle United | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Liverpool | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Fulham | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 20 | Chelsea | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Table will update once Newcastle vs Liverpool and Fulham vs Chelsea conclude.
The Bigger Picture
This is a season of fresh faces at the top level. Manchester City are adjusting to life after Pep Guardiola, with Maresca inheriting a squad still shaped by the outgoing manager’s philosophy. Liverpool have handed the reins to Andoni Iraola, and Newcastle’s new man Matthias Jaissle takes charge of a squad that lost several of its most important players over the summer. Arsenal, on the other hand, look to be picking up where they left off as champions, with a clean opening-day win to show for it.
For Nigerian football fans following the action, most of today’s fixtures were broadcast live on SuperSport, with highlights and post-match reaction typically available on the DStv app shortly after full time.
Matchday 2 fixtures are expected to be confirmed in the coming days, with all 20 clubs back in action next weekend.
