The Premier League is back. The opening weekend had goals galore in victories for champions Liverpool as well as Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest, while promoted Sunderland could scarcely have dreamed of a better start than their thrashing of West Ham United.
Arsenal edged a narrow win over a much-improved Manchester United, but new FIFA Club World Cup champions Chelsea drew a blank against Crystal Palace in one of two goalless draws to launch the new campaign.
Matchweek 1 concluded on Monday when Leeds United edged past Everton 1-0 at Elland Road.
Here is a full rundown of the opening Matchweek.
Liverpool 4-2 AFC Bournemouth
Big changes at Anfield, but a familiar result on an emotional opening night of the season.
Liverpool became the first Premier League champions in the competition’s history to field as many as four debutants for their season opener, with Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike all starting after summer moves.
Ekitike looked like stealing the headlines with a goal and assist – only the second Liverpool player ever to manage both on his Premier League debut – setting up Cody Gakpo for the Reds' second goal.
Watch Ekitike's goal and assist v Bournemouth
Hugo Ekitike became the first @LFC debutant to score and assist since Darwin Nunez in 2022 💫 pic.twitter.com/z1g3mThWIE
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 16, 2025
But Antoine Semenyo then struck twice in the second half to set up a tense finish, before Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah secured victory for the hosts in the dying moments.
The Egyptian, who was visibly emotional when tributes were paid before kick-off to Diogo Jota, his team-mate who tragically lost his life in the summer, then was the last player to leave, in tears after the Kop sang Jota’s song to Salah.
Salah’s goal meant he became the first player ever to reach a career total of 10 goals on the opening weekend of Premier League action.
Liverpool’s unbeaten opening fixture run now stretches back 13 matches – only Chelsea have gone longer without losing in Matchweek 1 (18 games from 1999/00 to 2016/17).
Aston Villa 0-0 Newcastle
Last season, it took until the fourth Matchweek for a goalless draw; this time around it took place in the second game.
Playing without Alexander Isak, the visitors looked blunt in attack, extending their winless run in the Swede’s absence to six Premier League matches.
Indeed, they have failed to score in each of their last four without Isak, despite having 75 shots across those six matches.
Eddie Howe’s side even played with a numerical advantage for the final 24 minutes after Ezri Konsa was sent off for pulling back Anthony Gordon.
No player has received more dismissals than Konsa’s three in the Premier League since the start of 2021/22.
But Villa were similarly blunt even before the red card, failing to have a single shot in the first half of a league match for the first time since March 2022 against Arsenal.
Nonetheless, the draw extends their unbeaten home run in the Premier League to 19 matches – their longest streak in the competition.
Brighton 1-1 Fulham
Fulham left it late to secure a point at Brighton, with a familiar face rescuing a draw in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
Seven of Rodrigo Muniz’s last nine Premier League goals for Fulham have come as a substitute – a total not exceeded by any other player in the competition since the start of last season.
Watch Muniz's equaliser v Brighton
Rodrigo Muniz is clutch, pass it on 🙂↕️ pic.twitter.com/8hgpR7s9gu
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 16, 2025
It meant that Fulham have now earned 22 points from losing positions since the start of the 2024/25 campaign – only Liverpool and Brighton (both 23 points) have clawed back more.
While they were routinely adept at coming from behind last campaign, Brighton also made a habit of dropping points from winning positions, and they saw two more slip away here.
The hosts had taken the lead through a Matt O’Riley penalty 10 minutes after half-time. Only Liverpool, with nine, have won more Premier League penalties than Brighton’s eight since the start of last season.
Fabian Hurzeler’s side have scored every one.
Sunderland 3-0 West Ham
What a way to mark their Premier League return. Playing their first top-flight match for eight years, Sunderland thrashed West Ham in front of an ecstatic Stadium of Light crowd.
A huge 13 players from Regis Le Bris’ squad made their Premier League debut – the last team to field more in a single match were Reading against Middlesbrough in 2006.
Three of those debutants – Eliezer Mayenda, Dan Ballard and Wilson Isidor – got on the scoresheet.
It was the first time three Premier League new boys have scored since Dave Kitson, Steve Sidwell and Leroy Lita for Reading in that 2006 fixture against Middlesbrough.
The victory also ended a run of eight league matches for Sunderland against West Ham without a win, gaining their first victory since January 2013.
Things can only get better for the visitors, who became the fourth team to concede 900 away goals in the Premier League, after Everton (925), Spurs (922) and Newcastle (912), with West Ham doing so in the fewest number of matches (556).
Spurs 3-0 Burnley
Last season, Burnley went through an entire Championship campaign without conceding more than a single goal in any fixture; in their first match back in the Premier League, they conceded three.
Only once before have Spurs begun the season with victory by a three-goal margin, but they have never lost in all 10 of their Premier League home games against Burnley – their best record against any club.
Richarlison, selected up front by Thomas Frank over Dominic Solanke, played the starring role, scoring two goals – both assisted by debutant Mohammed Kudus – including a brilliant scissor kick.
Watch Richarlison's second goal v Burnley
Rich-AIR-lison 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/ePAJExojtH
— Premier League (@premierleague) August 16, 2025
The Brazilian scored just four times in an injury-blighted campaign last season, but now has 13 goals in his last 16 Premier League starts for Spurs. Brennan Johnson added the hosts’ third as Spurs began life under Frank in style, recording a first clean sheet in 13 matches.
Unwanted history was made in the fourth minute of the match, when Martin Dubravka became the first Premier League goalkeeper to be penalised for holding the ball longer than eight seconds, conceding a corner in the process.
Wolves 0-4 Man City
Stung by losing their grip on the Premier League title last season, Manchester City began their campaign to reclaim the trophy in utterly dominant fashion with an Erling Haaland-inspired win.
The Norwegian struck twice to take his personal tally to 10 Premier League goals against Wolves – the most he has scored against an opponent in the competition.
It continued his perfect record of scoring in City’s opening match of the season in all four campaigns he has played in, while he has managed two or more goals in 21 different Premier League games – nine more than any other player since his debut in August 2022.
If City fans are already well versed in Haaland’s capabilities, they will be delighted with new signing from AC Milan Tijjani Reijnders, who became just the second player to score and assist on their Premier League debut for City.
Fellow debutant Rayan Cherki came off the bench to add a fourth, ensuring City had two players score on their Premier League debut in the same match for the first time since August 2007, when Geovanni and Rolando Bianchi netted against West Ham.
Chelsea 0-0 Crystal Palace
You wait years for a goalless draw in the first Matchweek of the season and then two come along at once. A day after the blank at Villa Park, Chelsea were unable to find a route past Crystal Palace to leave an excited Stamford Bridge deflated.
Palace, in fact, came closest to scoring, with Eberechi Eze, who started despite reports he was close to a move to Spurs, only denied a brilliant free-kick goal inside the opening 10 minutes when his fierce strike was ruled out because Palace defender Marc Guehi was stood too close to Chelsea’s wall when the set-piece was taken.
Five players made their Premier League debut for Chelsea, including Willian Estevao, who became the third-youngest Brazilian ever to play in the competition (18 years, 115 days), behind Rafael (18y 39d) and Gabriel Martinelli (18y 54d).
The combined total of 31 shots was the most without producing a goal in a Matchweek 1 game since Burnley hosted Southampton in 2018/19.
In their last seven matches away from home in all competitions, Palace have faced Arsenal, Spurs, Liverpool twice, Man City and Chelsea and have not tasted defeat.
Yet, most of Oliver Glasner’s post-match words were focused on the futures of Eze and Guehi, who has also been linked with a move away.
Nottingham Forest 3-1 Brentford
Nottingham Forest won their opening match of a season for the first time in eight attempts, with a routine brushing aside of Brentford.
Chris Wood had his most prolific season in front of goal last season, with 20 goals, and he immediately picked up where he left off with two first-half strikes, becoming the third Forest player to score twice in a season opener.
He has now scored 30 non-penalty goals in the Premier League since Nuno Espirito Santo took charge in December 2023 – the joint-most of any player alongside Haaland.
Debutant Dan Ndoye also nodded home from Morgan Gibbs-White’s chipped ball.
It was Nottingham Forest captain Gibbs-White’s 27th Premier League assist, putting him top of the club’s all-time pile with Ian Woan. The midfielder was the star of the show in his first match since signing a new contract.
Three goals down at half-time, Brentford, playing their first match under new head coach Keith Andrews, managed nothing more than a late consolation penalty converted by Igor Thiago for his first goal for the club.
In Antoni Milambo (20), Michael Kayode (21) and Yehor Yarmoliuk (21), Brentford started three players aged 21 or younger in a Premier League match for the first time, contributing to their youngest ever average starting line-up in the competition (24y 98d).
Man Utd 0-1 Arsenal
Another Arsenal win at Old Trafford, but a much improved showing from Ruben Amorim’s side after last season’s travails.
There once was a time when Arsenal fans used to dread their trips to United, winning just once in 16 Premier League visits prior to the last three seasons. They are undefeated at Old Trafford since, winning two and drawing the other.
Forced to weather frequent United attacks throughout Sunday’s encounter, their goal came from a familiar outlet when Declan Rice’s corner was turned in by Riccardo Calafiori one yard out.
Arsenal have scored 31 goals from corners in the Premier League since the beginning of the 2023/24 campaign, 11 more than any other team. In the same period, United have conceded the most goals from corners (23) in the competition.
Arsenal were indebted to goalkeeper David Raya for keeping United out though, with the hosts recording 22 shots, their most in a Premier League match against Arsenal since they managed 25 in an 8-2 win against them in August 2011.
The defeat was Ruben Amorim’s 15th in his 28th Premier League match as United head coach. No manager has reached 15, without taking charge of a promoted team, since Paul Hart with Portsmouth in 2009.
Leeds United 1-0 Everton
A full house, a match-winning goal from a debutant and a clean sheet - Premier League returns don't get much better than this.
Monday night was the stuff of dreams for Leeds fans. Alright, it may not have been the type of swashbuckling attacking display that Daniel Farke's side produced on their way to winning the Championship title last season with 95 goals and 100 points, but it was just the sort of solid start they required.
When Leeds kicked off their Premier League campaign under Marcelo Bielsa in 2020, their ultra-attacking intentions cost them dearly as they lost 4-3 to Liverpool at Anfield on the opening day.
While sticking to their attacking principles that served them so well last season - they recorded 21 shots and an xG of 2.07 across the 90 minutes - there was a solidity and control about their performance that will have pleased Farke.
The manager's use of his substitutes also proved inspired with the cool penalty finish from one of these, Lukas Nmecha, securing the points four minutes from time.
That winning feeling - Nmecha's penalty winner
🤩 Off the mark in 25/26! pic.twitter.com/bUIDDZbmgk
— Leeds United (@LUFC) August 19, 2025