The Wrap: What happened in Matchweek 2

Two matches into the new Premier League season and the only clubs who have matched Liverpool's perfect start are both in north London.

Tottenham Hotspur recorded a statement win over Manchester City, before their local rivals Arsenal moved above them on goal difference by sweeping aside Leeds United. Neither Spurs or Arsenal have conceded so far this campaign.

Liverpool also have six points following a thrilling 3-2 win at Newcastle United, but Arne Slot's side conceded two goals for a second consecutive match.

Chelsea brushed aside struggling West Ham United, who sit bottom of the table without a point. The only other team to join them on two defeats are Wolverhampton Wanderers, who lost to AFC Bournemouth.

There were also wins for Brentford, Burnley and Everton, while Manchester United and Aston Villa still seek their first victories.

Here is everything you need to know from Matchweek 2.

No Cole Palmer, no problem. Enzo Maresca’s plans for Friday night’s London derby at West Ham were thrown into disarray when Palmer was unable to get through the warm-up and was promptly withdrawn from the intended side.

In his absence, five different scorers propelled Chelsea to a thumping win. Most notable of all was Palmer’s replacement Estevao Willian, called in at late notice for his first Chelsea start since moving from Brazilian side Palmeiras.

The Brazilian gave the ball away for Lucas Paqueta to give West Ham an unlikely early lead, but was outstanding thereafter.

His run and pull-back for Enzo Fernandez’s goal – Chelsea’s third – made him the youngest Chelsea player ever to assist a Premier League goal at 18 years and 120 days.

Fernandez's goal v West Ham

Elsewhere, Joao Pedro took his tally to four goals and two assists in his first five competitive matches for the club, while Pedro Neto, Moises Caicedo and Trevoh Chalobah also scored.

So no need for Palmer then? Not quite, as Maresca was happy to admit: “The ones that say that we are just a Cole team, for sure, Cole is our best player, no doubt. For sure, when we have Cole, we are a much, much, much better team.”

What is it about Spurs for Pep Guardiola? Off the back of last season’s 4-0 rampage at the Etihad Stadium, goals from Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha secured successive away wins against City.

Are Spurs now Guardiola’s bogey team? Well, Johnson’s 35th-minute goal saw them become the first side ever to open the scoring in five consecutive Premier League away matches at the Etihad Stadium.

Palhinha’s strike – following a distribution error from City goalkeeper James Trafford – then meant it was only the sixth time under Guardiola that City had trailed a Premier League home match by 2+ goals at half-time.

Incredibly, Spurs are now responsible for half of those, including three of the last four.

The win also put former Brentford head coach Thomas Frank in rare territory, as he became only the third manager to beat Guardiola in an away league meeting with two different clubs, after Jose Mourinho (Real Madrid and Man Utd) and Antonio Conte (Chelsea and Spurs).

Just two teams are yet to pick up a point so far this season and Wolves are the only one of that pair without a goal to their name.

Vitor Pereira’s side followed their heavy opening-day defeat against Man City with this loss at Bournemouth, which left their manager admitting their need for reinforcements.

The club have already sold the likes of Nelson Semedo, Rayan Ait-Nouri and Matheus Cunha this summer and have ruled out striker Jorgen Strand Larsen departing.

Pereira said afterwards that he wants “three more players” before the transfer window closes this weekend.

The game’s only goal was unfortunate for the visitors, who saw Marcus Tavernier’s shot take a big deflection on its way into the net.

They were also not helped by Toti Gomes’ dismissal just four minutes into the second half for a push on Evanilson.

Straddling the summer, Wolves have picked up just one point in six Premier League matches since the start of May – the fewest points claimed among all ever-present sides.

There are going to be some busy clubs in the final week of the transfer window, and Unai Emery is hoping Villa will be one of them after this second defeat in as many games.

“We have enough players, but we need to clarify with some players if they are staying or not, and the possibility we can add some to help us,” said the Spaniard after the game.

He will be most concerned by his team’s attacking troubles. Villa had 76 per cent possession against Brentford, took 17 shots – their most without scoring in a Premier League match since October 2022 – but hit the target only twice.

They are still yet to score this season, after a goalless draw against Newcastle United to begin the campaign.

Victory came courtesy of Brentford’s club-record signing Dango Ouattara, who raced clear and scored at the second attempt after 12 minutes.

Ouattara's goal v Aston Villa

The hosts dug in as the match wore on, keeping their first clean sheet in a home league win since April 2024 against Sheffield United.

Burnley head coach Scott Parker knows their safety hopes will likely hinge on what happens at Turf Moor this season.

The Premier League new boys were comprehensively beaten at Spurs on the opening weekend, but struck what could prove a big blow in the relegation battle with this dogged win against fellow promoted side Sunderland.

Jaidon Anthony assisted Josh Cullen’s opener, while roles were then reversed for the second as Cullen provided Anthony with a goal.

The win means Burnley are now unbeaten in their last 24 home league matches – their longest run since December 1921.

“The main thing for our first home game, we needed to make these fans believe,” said Parker.

“They are going to be vitally important this year.

“As a football club, I can’t do this on my own. These 20, 30-odd players can’t do this on their own.

“It’s going to need the whole club to support, to get behind us, to buckle in at times for the bumpy road and the challenge we face.”

An afternoon of welcomes at Arsenal and a emphatic victory to end the weekend top of the table.

The hosts rose to greet new signing Eberechi Eze on the pitch before kick-off, although the returning Arsenal academy player was not involved in the match.

They then saw Max Dowman make quite the impression when he came off the bench to become only the third player to appear in a Premier League match before turning 16.

At 15 years and 235 days, Dowman is only older than team-mate Ethan Nwaneri (15y 181d) when he made his debut at Brentford in September 2022, while Leicester City’s Jeremy Monga was aged 15 years and 271 days when he made his first Premier League appearance.

Dowman won the penalty that was converted by Viktor Gyokeres for the Swedish striker’s second goal of the match; just what he needed after an underwhelming Premier League debut against Man Utd a week earlier.

Gyokeres' penalty v Leeds

There were also two goals and an assist for Jurrien Timber, who became only the second Arsenal defender to register 3+ goal involvements in a Premier League match, alongside Nacho Monreal.

Nuno Espirito Santo described suggestions he may quit his job as “absurd”, but the Nottingham Forest head coach offered no assurances that he will remain in the position beyond the end of the transfer window.

Both Nottingham Forest and Crystal Palace maintained their unbeaten start to the season with goals from Ismaila Sarr and Callum Hudson-Odoi.

It means Palace have not tasted defeat in 12 matches across all competitions – their longest run as a top-flight club since October 1990.

Of most concern to Forest fans is Nuno’s future after he expressed his unhappiness at transfer activity earlier in the week.

Asked if he is confident he will still be in charge beyond this weekend, he said: “I cannot answer that question, but what I know is that I’m working and trying to do my job the best that I can.

“Of course the situation has to be solved and we are responsible players, and we’re going to have a good conversation to try to create more than anything a good platform for what is more important, the team.”

He was particularly aided by new signing Dan Ndoye, who set up Hudson-Odoi to become the first Forest player to score or assist in both of his first two Premier League matches for the club since 1998.

Jack Grealish is back and Hill Dickinson Stadium has lift-off. Playing their first match at their new stadium, Everton treated their delirious supporters to victory over wasteful Brighton & Hove Albion, with Grealish the star of the show.

On loan from Man City as he seeks to reinvigorate his career, Grealish provided assists for Iliman Ndiaye and James Garner, departing to a standing ovation when substituted off in stoppage time.

It was as many assists as he had managed in his previous two seasons at City combined.

“Brilliant, brilliant day,” said Grealish, who played on the left wing. “Assisting is just as good as scoring, in my own opinion. Providing the assist for your team-mates is a special feeling.

“I felt really good. It was nice. I don’t want to get into saying I didn’t feel free before [at Man City].

“Out there I could drift, I could do what I want, more or less, and play with a bit of freedom, take more risks. I feel like I have done that.”

Brighton missed a host of chances, including a Danny Welbeck penalty, which Jordan Pickford saved.

Pickford saves Welbeck's penalty

Not since Man City’s Expected Goals (xG) figure of 2.92 in March 2022 had a team in the Premier League posted such a high xG as Brighton’s 2.46 without scoring away from home.

In their opening two Premier League matches, Man Utd have produced a combined 32 shots, with only an own goal from Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz to show from them.

“We are going to score goals because we are creating so many chances,” insisted Ruben Amorim after this draw at Fulham, where captain Bruno Fernandes missed a first-half penalty and Emile Smith Rowe grabbed an equaliser 94 seconds after coming on.

Last season, United scored only 44 league goals – their worst tally since suffering relegation in 1973/74.

So far, the addition of Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, who again started on the bench as he gets up to speed, has not had the desired impact.

The visitors were totally dominant in the opening 15 minutes, but failed to find the net and faded as the match wore on.

“In the second half, their best chances were set-pieces, nothing more,” said Marco Silva.

It means United have now failed to win either of their opening two matches of a Premier League season for just the second time in the last 11 campaigns.

Two goals up after 46 minutes and with a man advantage following Anthony Gordon's red card for a poor lunge on Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool were heading for a comfortable win against Newcastle.

But on a night of high drama, Eddie Howe's side hadn't read the script.

Roared on by a passionate St James' Park crowd, Newcastle clawed their way back to 2-2 with goals from Bruno Guimaraes and an 88th-minute leveller from substitute William Osula.

Newcastle utilised possession impressively when they did have the ball as Opta's statistics indicated that it was in play for only 40.8 per cent of the entire match - the lowest percentage in a Premier League fixture since February 2010.

However for all their effort, Howe's side were stunned by Liverpool's teenage substitute Rio Ngumoha, who wrote his own chapter in this dramatic tale, becoming the club's youngest-ever goalscorer with a sensational 110th-minute winner, aged just 16 years and 361 days.

Ngumoha's history-making winner

For Ngumoha, who was previously on Chelsea's books, it was the stuff of dreams.

For Newcastle, who have now lost their last two home matches in the Premier League, including a defeat to Everton in May, an away trip to promoted Leeds on Saturday could offer an opportunity to get their season up and running.