Chelsea opened their campaign with a narrow win over Fulham, Arsenal made a convincing start against Coventry, while Manchester United endured a surprise defeat to newly promoted Hull City.
The opening round of Premier League action delivered plenty of drama, with several of the division’s biggest clubs immediately facing stern tests.
Chelsea showed attacking quality in their London derby, Arsenal looked composed against Coventry, and Liverpool were held to a thrilling draw at Newcastle. The biggest surprise, however, came at the MKM Stadium, where Hull City stunned Manchester United.
Here is a look at five of the standout fixtures from the opening round.
Fulham 2-3 Chelsea
Chelsea survived a competitive London derby to defeat Fulham 3-2 at Craven Cottage.
João Pedro gave the visitors an early advantage before Joshua King brought Fulham level. Morgan Rogers restored Chelsea’s lead before the interval, while Cole Palmer extended the Blues’ advantage shortly after the restart.
Gonzalo García pulled one back for Fulham, but Chelsea held firm to secure all three points.
The result highlighted Chelsea’s attacking potential, although their defensive organisation remains an area that will need attention as the season progresses.
Manchester City 2-1 Bournemouth
Manchester City were forced to come from behind before eventually securing a 2-1 victory over Bournemouth.
Marcus Tavernier put the visitors ahead in the 26th minute, leaving City with a difficult task at home.
The hosts responded during the final stages, with Marc Guéhi equalising before Joško Gvardiol struck in stoppage time to complete the comeback.
It was a hard-earned opening-day victory for City after Bournemouth had threatened to leave with all three points.
Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool
Newcastle and Liverpool produced one of the most entertaining matches of the opening round as the two sides shared four goals.
Anthony Elanga wasted no time putting Newcastle ahead, scoring inside the opening minute.
Liverpool eventually found an equaliser through Cody Gakpo in the second half, but Newcastle regained the advantage two minutes later when Joe Willock found the net.
Just when the hosts appeared destined for victory, Liverpool were awarded a late penalty after Lewis Hall was penalised inside the box.
Dominik Szoboszlai kept his composure from the spot in added time to rescue a point for the visitors.
Hull City 2-0 Manchester United
Newly promoted Hull City produced the biggest shock of the opening round by defeating Manchester United 2-0.
Hull played with confidence throughout the contest and punished United during a dominant first half.
Semi Ajayi opened the scoring before Nobel Mendy doubled the advantage, leaving the visitors with a mountain to climb.
Manchester United were unable to produce a response after the break, allowing Hull to celebrate a memorable return to the Premier League with all three points.
For United, it was a disappointing start that will immediately raise questions about their readiness for the new campaign.
Arsenal 3-0 Coventry
Arsenal enjoyed a comfortable opening-day victory, dispatching newly promoted Coventry City 3-0.
Kai Havertz opened the scoring before Bukayo Saka and Martin Ødegaard added further goals to complete a convincing victory for the defending champions.
Coventry struggled to match Arsenal’s intensity and quality, with Mikel Arteta’s side controlling the contest for long periods.
The victory also marked another milestone for Arteta, who recorded his 150th Premier League victory as Arsenal manager.
Plenty More to Come
Although the opening round has already produced surprises, there is a long road ahead in the Premier League season.
Chelsea’s attacking strength, Arsenal’s impressive start and Manchester United’s early setback provide plenty of talking points, but the table will only begin to take shape after several rounds of action.
With the campaign now underway, the pressure, excitement and competition are set to increase as the biggest clubs battle for points.
