MATCH Day 1 of the 2026/27 Premier League season is in the bag, and for those who thought Erling Haaland shaving his Viking locks would have created enough fodder to satisfy the appetite of the football onlookers, the late-minute drama from a few title hopefuls, two newly promoted teams notching big wins, and discouraging losses for Manchester United and Tottenham, ensured that the opening round was filled with talking points.

Defending champion Arsenal notched three points against newly promoted Coventry City to open the season last Friday. Coventry, who has been out of the top flight for 25 years, gave a good account of themselves but were no match for the JustBet favourite. The 3-0 win felt like business as usual, especially with the drama and intrigue that followed in the other games over the weekend.

JustBet second-favourite, Manchester City, notched a dramatic come-from-behind win — with goals in the 85th and 91st minutes — to beat Bournemouth 2-1 and give Enzo Maresca a winning debut, after succeeding Pep Guardiola on the touchline.

Similarly Liverpool, another championship aspirant and JustBet fourth-favourite, were stretched to the 99th minute, with a successful penalty, to come away with a 2-2 draw against Newcastle United last Sunday. Then on Monday Chelsea, the JustBet third-favourite, opened the scoring in the first minute against Fulham, and after four first-half goals — shared equally between them — Chelsea scored their third early in the second half then held on for the 3-2 win.

However, there is where the good news ended for the teams with highest ambitions for the Premier League trophy. That said, let’s start from the lowest JustBet expectations where there is currently a five-way tie for the teams least likely to win the league — Ipswich Town, Sunderland, Nottingham Forrest, Coventry City, and Hull City. Ipswich got the better of Sunderland last Saturday, beating them 2-1 with a 90th-minute winner, but that was not enough to sway the bookmakers’ outlook. And even with Hull stunning Manchester United with two first-half set piece goals, in the club’s return to the league after nine years, it was not enough to convince of great intentions.

That said, three teams with high expectations this season — Aston Villa, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur — started their campaign seated in the basement. Aston Villa parted ways with the core of their team in this summer — Youri Tielemans, Morgan Rogers, Ezri Konsa — and Ollie Watkins, who didn’t play on Sunday, could be gone before the transfer window closes on September 1. They lost 4-0 to Brighton & Hove Albion, with Joao Gomes sent off before half-time, and may already be in crisis mode. It is left to be seen if Manager Unai Emery can pull things together but he already looks defeated, after only one game, and they sit last in the table.

Manchester United had very high expectations coming into the season, with Michael Carrick at the helm having corralled 39 points from their final 17 games last season, second only to eventual champions Arsenal. They were bullied in their first outing by newly promoted Hull, despite reinforcement being brought in, and with Champions League also back in the schedule this season, additional depth will be required before the transfer deadline. For the red side of Manchester, one can only hope that this was early season cobwebs and they will rise from the current 16th place in the table as the season progresses.

Tottenham Hotspur has emptied the account this season, spending its largest amount ever in the transfer market, but that didn’t prevent a shocking 3-0 defeat at Brentford last Saturday. They went to the market again this week and returned with Savio from Manchester City for an inflated sum of £85 million, who City brought in for £21 Million in 2024. Savio made 53 league appearances for City, 28 starts, scoring twice along with nine assists. Not necessarily terrible numbers but nothing to justify the dramatic appreciation of £64 million. The team flirted with relegation last season and took a battering in the first encounter of the season, and this late signing, at a premium, could signal their desperation as they sit in the relegation zone again. At only 22 Savio’s skill set could make him a shrewd investment, but that is a very high price to invest in potential.

In other English football news, on Tuesday, Jamaica’s Reggae Girl and Manchester City forward, Khadija “Bunny” Shaw was crowned the Women’s PFA (Professional Footballers’ Association) Players’ Player of the Year, her second in three seasons, making her only the third player to win the award multiple times, joining English stars Lucy Bronze and Fran Kirby. The 29-year-old scored 21 goals in 22 appearances, fuelling Manchester City to its second Women’s Super League championship and securing the Golden Boot for an unprecedented third-consecutive season. Additionally, she scored five additional goals in the FA Cup competition, including the opening goal in the =final, to help Manchester City lift the trophy.

Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes won the corresponding PFA Men’s Player of the Year honour, the first United player to be so awarded since Wayne Rooney in 2010. He broke the all-time record for Premier League assists, setting up 21 goals to surpass Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne and scored nine of his own, to help United secure a third-place finish last season, thereby earning a return to the Champions League.

The 2025/26 PFA Premier League Team of the Year features a strong contingent from Arsenal and Manchester City, including David Raya (Arsenal) in goal; defenders Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal), Nico O’Reilly (City), William Saliba (Arsenal), and Jurriën Timber (Arsenal); midfielders Bruno Fernandes (United), Declan Rice (Arsenal), and Rayan Cherki (City); and forwards Erling Haaland (City), Antoine Semenyo (City), and Igor Thiago (Brentford).

Arsenal were JustBet favourites to finish at the top of the table, even before the first ball was kicked, and more so now that every team has shown its colours. That said, the season is very young, and many have failed after a fast start while many have succeeded after false starts. Enjoy the weekend’s action.

JustBet continues to offer attractive betting options on all popular sports and events (including virtual games) as soon as they become available. Please visit one of the over 130 locations (or visit www.supremegames.com/#/prelive) for details and place your bets on the prediction of your choice for maximum winnings…… Get in the GAME!