Title challengers Liverpool, Manchester City and Arsenal all made winning starts but in contrasting fashion on the first weekend of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
Defending champions Liverpool needed late drama to beat Bournemouth on an emotional night at Anfield, City cruised to a 4-0 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers, while Arsenal fought a rearguard action to hold on to a 1-0 victory at Manchester United.
A new-look Liverpool attack already looks an upgrade on the one that fired Arne Slot's men to the title with four games to spare last season, but an array of attacking weapons has come at a cost.
Hugo Ekitike scored and provided an assist for Cody Gakpo on his Premier League debut. But the Reds needed two late goals from Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah to see off the Cherries after blowing a 2-0 lead. United boss Ruben Amorim said the context of his side's 1-0 defeat to
Arsenal was "completely different" to the Red Devils torrid 2024/25 season, even if the scoreline told a familiar story.
United have invested £200m into transforming their forward line after scoring just 44 times in 38 league games last season. Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and substitute Benjamin Sesko made their debuts but failed to find a way past the Gunners' disciplined defence.
The game was decided by a tale of the two goalkeepers. United stand-in stopper Altay Bayindir was at fault for the only goal, scored by Riccardo Calafiori.
City are looking to bounce back from a campaign to forget that brought their run of four consecutive titles to an end. Pep Guardiola's squad has been refreshed after finishing a distant third last season. Their new recruits impressed at Molineux.
Meanwhile, newly promoted side Sunderland could hardly have asked for a more perfect day.
An incredible atmosphere inside the Stadium of Light seemed to super-charge the hosts, whose three goals – each from debutants – sparked pandemonium in the stands and, as is so often the case in the sunny days of August, triggered a wave of giddy optimism. Supporters have every right to feel that way. What their team did on Saturday is vanishingly rare.
