Premier League Opening Weekend: Hull Stun United, Brentford Humble Spurs
Michael Carrick walked into the new season vowing to keep his head. Ninety minutes at the MKM Stadium gave him every excuse to lose it.
Manchester United’s campaign began with a flat, frail 2-0 defeat at newly promoted Hull, a side missing 10 players through injury but bristling with energy and belief. Semi Ajayi and Nobel Mendy struck in a ruthless first half that left United chasing shadows and chasing the game.
Hull, back in the Premier League for the first time since 2017, looked like they had never been away. United looked like they had never arrived.
Ajayi’s opener rocked Carrick’s side, Mendy’s finish deepened the damage, and the hosts never really loosened their grip. The scoreline hurt. The manner of it stung even more for a club expected to contest the title after last season’s third-place finish.
There was one bright note for Australian eyes. Teenage Socceroos defender Lucas Herrington, signed from Colorado Rapids in a deal worth a reported $A33 million, came off the bench in the 64th minute for his Premier League debut. At 18, he did not look out of place. Composed, tidy, and assured, he did enough to fuel the argument that he should not be waiting long for a first start.
For United, there was precious little else to cling to. Any suggestion they can go stride for stride with champions Arsenal felt far-fetched on this evidence.
Carrick, though, refused to turn on his players or reach for the easy explosion that cost his predecessor Ruben Amorim so dearly last season.
“We came here to win so to not take anything away is hugely disappointing. It is not a nice feeling but it is not going to change our direction as a team or a club,” he said, holding the line.
“You have to carry on as normal. We just don’t all have to shout and scream and create some chaos. Calmness doesn’t mean there is not emotion.”
The words were measured. The performance was anything but.
Spurs spend big, Brentford cut them apart
If United’s defeat jarred, Tottenham’s was a full-blown alarm.
After pouring more than £200 million ($A380 million) into rebuilding a squad that escaped relegation only on the final day last season, Spurs were ripped apart 3-0 by Brentford in west London.
Roberto De Zerbi threw his new signings straight into the fire. Sandro Tonali, Andrew Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Jan Paul van Hecke all started, with Mateus Fernandes introduced in the second half. The names were big, the fee enormous, the performance brittle.
Brentford, assembled on a fraction of Tottenham’s budget, played like the established power. Keith Andrews’ side pressed, surged and sliced through their visitors with a dynamic, fearless display.
Keane Lewis-Potter struck first, Vitaly Janelt added a second before the break, and the pattern was set: Spurs chasing, Brentford dictating. When Michael Kayode made it 3-0 after the interval, the scoreline finally matched the tone of the contest.
It might have been uglier still. Igor Thiago missed a penalty that would have put Brentford four up, sparing Tottenham an even deeper humiliation and De Zerbi an even more awkward post-match inquest.
Money has changed the Spurs squad on paper. On the pitch, the same old doubts resurfaced in brutal fashion.
Sage’s Palace era starts with a thud
At Goodison Park, Crystal Palace’s new French manager Pierre Sage discovered just how unforgiving this league can be.
He inherits a club fresh from glory. Under Oliver Glasner, Palace lifted the FA Cup in 2025 and the UEFA Conference League last season. Glasner’s summer move to Nottingham Forest opened the door for Sage, whose stock soared after leading Lens to second in Ligue 1 and a French Cup triumph.
His first Premier League outing ended in a 2-0 defeat to Everton.
Against the run of play, Everton landed the first blow. In the 42nd minute Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall robbed Daniel Munoz and drove a fierce shot into the far corner beyond Dean Henderson. One mistake, one ruthless finish, and Palace were behind.
Any hope of a second-half revival evaporated just eight minutes after the restart. Thierno Barry met Iliman Ndiaye’s cross with a thumping header to double the lead and deepen Sage’s early problems.
Palace know what a settled, winning project looks like. Sage has been hired to build his own. On day one, the gap between past success and present reality was laid bare.
Glasner floored late on Forest bow
While Sage struggled in Liverpool, Glasner’s first steps with Nottingham Forest ended in late heartbreak at the City Ground.
Leeds, stubborn and disciplined, pinched a 1-0 win in the 88th minute. Anton Stach’s free-kick squirmed past Matz Sels, the Forest goalkeeper unable to keep it out as the visitors stole the points.
The sting? These two meet again on Tuesday in the League Cup second round. Glasner will not have to wait long for a shot at payback.
Ipswich return with a stoppage-time sting
Portman Road has waited a long time for days like this. Ipswich marked their Premier League return with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Sunderland, decided right at the death.
The afternoon began perfectly. New signing Emersonn announced himself with a debut goal in the 24th minute, a sharp finish that ignited the stadium and seemed to set the tone.
Sunderland refused to fold. Nilson Angulo levelled in the 39th minute with a superb free-kick, silencing the home crowd and shifting the mood. The match tightened, tension grew, and it looked like Ipswich’s big day would be reduced to a frustrating draw.
Jack Clarke had other ideas.
In the 90th minute he curled home the winner, a strike that sent the ground into chaos and handed Gary O’Neil a dream start in his first game as Ipswich boss after replacing Kieran McKenna. One swing of the boot, and a returning club remembered exactly what top-flight drama feels like.
New eras at City and Liverpool, Arsenal set the pace
The weekend still has more storylines waiting.
On Sunday, Manchester City begin life after Pep Guardiola. Enzo Maresca takes charge for the first time against Bournemouth, stepping into one of the most daunting inheritances in modern football.
Liverpool are also turning a page. Mohamed Salah has departed, and Andoni Iraola, formerly of Bournemouth, leads the Reds for the first time against Newcastle. A new manager, a new attacking order, and a fanbase desperate to see what this version of Liverpool looks like without their Egyptian talisman.
At the top of the table, the benchmark has already been set. Arsenal opened their title defence on Friday with an emphatic 3-0 win over promoted Coventry, a statement of intent before anyone else had kicked a ball.
On opening weekend, reputations and budgets counted for very little. Energy, cohesion and conviction decided everything. If this is the tone of the new season, who really looks ready to live with Arsenal over the long haul?
