Newly-promoted Hull City produced the shock result of the opening Premier League weekend by comfortably beating Manchester United 2–0 at home, while Tottenham’s much-anticipated new era under Roberto De Zerbi got off to a miserable start as they were dismantled by Brentford.
Following an exciting Friday-night fixture in which an Arsenal side brimming with confidence after last season’s title triumph put three goals past newly-promoted Coventry, Saturday’s action continued to deliver plenty of drama.
A dream return for Hull, a nightmare for United
Hull City could hardly have asked for a better return to the Premier League, securing a comfortable victory over Manchester United in their first top-flight since 2017.
In their first-ever Premier League victory over the Red Devils – and their first league win against United since 1974 – Sergej Jakirovic’s side made the most of two set-piece opportunities to put United on the back foot.
Goals from Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy in the first half capped an impressive performance and gave Hull a commanding advantage.
From the hour mark onwards, the hosts were content to sit deeper and protect their lead as United struggled to find a way through.
The visitors did create a number of opportunities, but Hull’s new goalkeeper, Tszolakis, produced several impressive saves to preserve his clean sheet and secure a memorable three points.
For United, it was a deflating start to a campaign that had promised plenty following a strong finish to last season.
New signings Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans failed to make the desired impact, while the forward line that had impressed so much last year struggled to create clear-cut opportunities.
The result will inevitably invite comparisons with some of United’s struggles over the past decade, particularly their tendency to drop points against supposedly weaker opposition.
However, it is important to remember that this was only the opening game of the season.
United will also be able to call upon their £70 million signing Carlos Baleba once he is available, potentially providing greater security and control in midfield as the campaign progresses.
Manager Michael Carrick will undoubtedly be concerned by the performance, and pressure from supporters and the media is likely to increase following such a disappointing result.
Nevertheless, with several new signings still adapting to their surroundings, United have plenty of time to improve.
Big-spending Spurs ripped apart by Brentford
Brentford produced a dominant display at the Gtech Stadium to put a major dampener on the optimism surrounding Tottenham.
Spurs entered the season with renewed excitement following the arrival of Roberto De Zerbi and more than £230 million of spending in the transfer market.
Goals from Keane Lewis-Potter, Vitaly Janelt and Michael Kayode sealed the victory, while Tottenham created little.
The margin could have been greater, with Igor Thiago missing a second-half penalty.
This story is born out in the data with Brentford outshooting Spurs 26-9 and recording an xG of 3.96 compared to Tottenham’s 0.47.
£100 million midfield signing Sandro Tonali failed to impress, while Mattheus Fernandes was limited to a substitute appearance.
Although Spurs fielded a second-string side, the defeat raises questions over whether their expensively assembled squad is strong enough, and what needs fixing on the training ground.
With Spurs reportedly targeting Manchester City pair Omar Marmoush and Savinho, attention will also turn to whether further defensive reinforcements are needed, with club captain and star centre-back Mickey Van Den Ven currently out injured.
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Late winners for Leeds and Ipswich as Everton cruise to victory
Elsewhere in the league, late goals proved decisive for both Leeds United and Ipswich Town, while Everton opened their campaign with a victory for the first time in five years.
Goals from Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Thierno Barry were enough to see Everton past Crystal Palace, who were missing several important players.
In the Midlands, Oliver Glasner endured disappointment as Leeds United edged past Nottingham Forest thanks to an 88th-minute header from Anton Stach.
The game had been largely even, with a draw arguably the fairest reflection of the action, but the late goal ensured a frustrating debut for the ex Crystal Palace manager.
Newly-promoted Ipswich outplayed Sunderland to win 2-1, but required a late winner by Jack Clarke to cap off an impressive performance over the 90 minutes.
The result will raise concerns for Sunderland, who despite an impressive finish in the table last season often relied on their opponents’ wastefulness and a degree of good fortune.
A fiery start to the Premier League season
While it is impossible to draw too many conclusions from the opening weekend of a season, the early signs suggest that this could be another highly competitive Premier League campaign.
Newly-promoted sides have already shown they are capable of causing problems, giving the division’s more established clubs an early reminder that damage can be dealt anywhere in this league.
With nine new managers still finding their feet and teams still looking to conclude their summer dealings, there is plenty of uncertainty heading into the next couple weeks.
Yet, if the opening weekend is anything to go by, no game will be easy and plenty of twists and turns are sure to follow in this long Premier League season ahead.
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Geoffrey H. Latayan 
Juliette White 
Michael Davey