The Premier League is back and Gameweek 1 has so far dished out the usual drama, chaos and excitement that we have become so accustomed to watching England’s top-flight.
From bicycle kicks to red cards, there was a lot to take in as champions Liverpool gave fans inside Anfield a huge scare before recovering to get their title defence off to a winning start.
The PSR derby between Aston Villa and Newcastle churned out the first 0-0 draw of the 2025-26 campaign, while Thomas Frank’s Tottenham hit their stride early on against a poor Burnley side.
Manchester City looked back to their very best, with Erling Haaland leading the line in a dominant win over Wolves, while on Sunday, Chelsea stuttered, and Arsenal ground out a nervy win at old foes Manchester United.
Already, the early pace setters have made themselves known, and ahead of Monday Night Football between Leeds and Everton, BOYLE Sports have compiled the very best and worst of the action across the opening weekend.
From brightest star to biggest disappointment, find out who backed themselves and who bottled it in the first round of fixtures…
Back It or Bottled It? Premier League Gameweek 1 Recap
Star of the Weekend
Star of the weekend: Tijjani Reijnders
Have Manchester City already found their heir to Kevin de Bruyne? In the 4-0 dismantling of Wolves, the 27-year-old summer signing from AC Milan ran things from midfield, scoring and assisting at Molineux and becoming only the second City player to do both on his debut, alongside Sergio Aguero.
In fact, only Rayan Ait-Nouri (96) and Nico Gonzalez (93) had more touches of the ball than Reijnders (82) on Saturday evening. Almost all of City’s attacking threat came through the Dutchman, who completed 22 passes in the final third and played a role in the goals in which he did not directly score or assist.
Reijnders’ contributions were not only evident in the attacking third, either. He completed 100% of his tackles and made a couple of crucial blocks when Wolves were at their most dangerous.
For several years under Pep Guardiola, City have had a certain level of ‘star’ power in midfield. David Silva earned his status as a Premier League legend at the club, while De Bruyne and Phil Foden have also provided moments of magic over the years.
Now, alongside fellow recruit Rayan Cherki, Reijnders looks to have already stepped up in the absence of City’s beloved Belgian playmaker as the club look to reclaim the Premier League crown from Liverpool.
It may only be Gameweek 1, but we may already be looking at the Premier League’s Star of the Season, as opposed to just the weekend.
Tijjani Reijnders: Premier League Most Assists – 25/1
Flop of the Weekend
Flop of the weekend: Viktor Gyokeres
Viktor Gyokeres was always going to have everyone’s attention as he suited up for his first competitive appearance for Arsenal.
While the Gunners kick-started their campaign with a 1-0 win at Old Trafford, it was a scrappy performance from Mikel Arteta’s men, and their Swedish talisman was nowhere to be seen.
The 27-year-old got just 60 minutes of action against Manchester United before being replaced by Kai Havertz, and in that time, he was unable to register a single shot on goal.
With only 21 touches in the match, Gyokeres will undoubtedly have to improve if he is to live up to the hefty £64million price tag he carries.
He wasn’t the only one to disappoint on his debut. Benjamin Sesko came on with 30 minutes to go but barely touched the ball despite United’s pressure to find an equaliser, and it was a similar scenario for Joao Pedro during Chelsea’s 0-0 draw with Crystal Palace.
The moral of the story is that sometimes big-money signings do not always hit the ground running, but there is an inevitable scrutiny that comes as part of the package when you sign for a huge European club and a hefty fee.
Gyokeres will score goals for Arsenal, but the rest of the team have to find a way to integrate him as a focal point in their attack if he is to replicate the great Thierry Henry in the No.14 shirt.
Will Viktor Gyokeres be a flop at Arsenal?
Biggest Disappointment
Biggest disappointment: Chelsea
Many fans and pundits alike are expecting Chelsea to launch a title challenge this season, but it was the same old story on their return to Stamford Bridge.
Despite dispatching Paris Saint-Germain and winning the Club World Cup earlier in the summer, there was a serious lack of firepower in the Blues’ frontline.
Enzo Maresca’s side registered a staggering 19 shots against Crystal Palace, but only three hit the target. That was with Joao Pedro (£60m), Jamie Gittens (£48.5m) and Pedro Neto (£51.4m) all on the pitch.
Cole Palmer is going to be crucial to Chelsea’s success in 2024-25, but his streak of failing to score from open play in the Premier League continues. You would need to rewind to January 14 to find his last non-penalty goal, which came against Bournemouth.
Has Cole Palmer Become Overrated?
Seventeen league games later, and Chelsea still look frustratingly stale. Having 71% possession might be seen as a positive by some of the Blues’ faithful, but creating just a single big chance against a team that finished 16 points behind them last season is a concern.
If they are to stake their claim as a serious title contender this season, they cannot afford to make the same mistakes they have made repeatedly in the last 12 months.
Chelsea To Finish in the Bottom Half – 9/1
Performance of the Weekend
Performance of the weekend: Manchester City
We’ve already discussed the brilliance of Tijjani Reijnders for Manchester City, but that praise can be extended to the entire team for their performance against Wolves.
From stopping the Midlands side from creating any chances, to creating 2.43xG of their own, it was a real ‘champions’ performance from City.
Winning had become so regular for the eight-time Premier League champions that a season of mediocrity was the perfect prompt to kick the squad back into life.
Even without Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, Guardiola’s men looked formidable on Saturday.
Should Man City Be 2025/26 Premier League Favourites?
Replacement Nico Gonzalez won a whopping 10 duels during the match and completed the most dribbles of anyone. Ex-Wolves man Ait-Nouri impressed, and even at 3-0, City were able to bring on Cherki, Omar Marmoush and Matheus Nunes.
We haven’t even mentioned Foden, or the impact of academy graduates Rico Lewis and Oscar Bobb, who both started and impressed against Wolves.
They still look a long way away from the team that won 100 points in 2017-18, but the early signs are promising for the blue half of Manchester, although a clash against bogey team Tottenham in Gameweek 2 will be a much better indicator of where they are really at.
Man City To win the Premier League – 11/4
Moment of the Weekend
Moment of the weekend: Liverpool’s tribute to Diogo Jota
The entire Premier League community mourned the passing of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva this weekend, but no tribute topped the one that rang around Anfield.
Instead of a silent moment - which was seen across almost every other stadium in the division - the famous Merseyside ground erupted into an incredible rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.
It was enough to give anyone goosebumps, and the tribute served as a true reminder of the impact these athletes can have on our everyday lives. Jota’s No.20 shirt has rightfully been retired, and the Portuguese forward has been immortalised in Liverpool’s history.
Hugo Ekitike opened his Premier League account in the Premier League during the 4-2 win over Bournemouth, but was classy in his celebration, fashioning the number 20 with his hands, a gesture that Cody Gakpo also replicated after netting his first goal of the season.
Mohamed Salah got his customary goal during the opening round of fixtures, but the Egyptian King looked overwhelmed with emotion as he faced the Kop End at full-time, and reflected on the passing of his former team-mate with the fans.
Surprise of the Weekend
Surprise of the weekend: Richarlison
Tottenham have been unfortunate not to get more of a mention so far. They impressed against Burnley, with new man Mohammed Kudus shining. But Richarlison stood out as the star of the show.
Having put in an eye-catching performance against Paris Saint-Germain in the Super Cup, the Brazilian rightfully retained his starting spot for the Premier League opener, and he did not disappoint.
Richarlison bagged two goals against Scott Parker’s newly-promoted side, and the second was something special. The 28-year-old produced a near carbon-copy of his acrobatic strike for Brazil against Serbia during the 2022 World Cup, smashing the ball over his head and past the scrambling Martin Dubravka.
It capped off a Spurs move that saw every player on the pitch touch the ball, and ended in the former Everton striker netting his 13th Premier League goal in his last 16 starts.
Injuries have plagued his career in north London, and he rarely challenged Dominic Solanke for a starting berth last season. But Richarlison already has half his total tally of goals from 2024-25 in just a single game of the new campaign.
His hunger and energy have reportedly impressed Thomas Frank, and that has so far been reflected in his moments on the pitch. Richarlison won four aerial duels, completed 100% of his dribbles and, most importantly, led his side to three points to kick off the new era under their new manager.
If there were to be a World Cup tournament every year, Tottenham’s No.9 might well stake a claim as one of the best strikers in Europe!
Tottenham to finish top 5 in the Premier League – 9/4
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