The first international pause of the season arrived with a final round that felt, in every sense, like a term-end review. Before attention turns away from the Premier League for three weeks, there was one more set of performances to assess.

Arsenal were out of the contest almost immediately. After just 18 seconds, they were forced back into their own corner from the opening throw-in and never recovered. The 3-0 defeat was made to look even heavier by Brighton’s two fine long-range efforts, but the visitors were second best throughout. It was the sort of loss that invites awkward questions.

Nottingham Forest could not settle the nerves at the City Ground. Oliver Glasner admitted that the “entire City Ground was nervous” and his side did little to calm the atmosphere in a stubborn game against Coventry. The manager was left “frustrated” and “disappointed,” emotions echoed in the stands once the tension took hold.

Tottenham continue to frustrate, only in a different way. Roberto De Zerbi sounded exhausted by another 3-2 defeat, insisting, “These players, they don’t need to play better,” before adding that what Spurs require is more “blood” and “fight.”

Chelsea’s defeat at Brentford followed a more gradual collapse. There was little obviously wrong in the opening hour, and Xabi Alonso had wanted his side to be more “boring,” but the match quickly slipped away. Ipswich, meanwhile, stayed alive despite conceding early and finishing with 10 men at Everton, where Gary O’Neil said, “The only disappointment is the result.”

Leeds had a clear chance through Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but the fresh England call-up could not convert. At the other end, James Trafford was busier than Walter Benítez in a game that ended in another encouraging clean sheet for Pierre Sage’s side.

Manchester United’s trip to Fulham brought fierce criticism, with Gary Neville saying, “I’ve watched Manchester United since the age of 5,” and that the second half’s opening 15 minutes were “the worst 15 minutes I’ve ever seen.” Fulham settled for a “frustrating” 1-1 draw, while Calvin Bassey called it “a game of luck, we both had it on our side.”

Elsewhere, Everton’s win was functional rather than elegant, Aston Villa needed a lift and got one, Bournemouth were left empty-handed, Sunderland earned admiration despite defeat at the Etihad, Newcastle held on after a nervy finish, Liverpool were second best for long spells, and Manchester City’s chaotic game left Enzo Maresca saying, “Too many goals,” before admitting, “I’m always concerned, always trying to see what we can do better.” Coventry’s long wait for a Premier League win finally ended, and Frank Lampard had every reason to enjoy it.

Manchester City’s emphatic eight-goal victory over Sunderland has shifted the Premier League picture, with Opta’s supercomputer now placing them level on projected title value with Arsenal at the top of the table.

That follows Mikel Arteta’s pre-season deflection when he was asked about Arsenal’s title defence. “Our friend is not here today with a supercomputer,” he cackled in an attempt to avoid the question. The model is here now, and after 10,000 simulations it has turned that debate into numbers.

On current points, City lead the way with 15, but Arsenal remain narrowly ahead in projected points, 76.06 to 75.64, and are given a 43.52% chance of lifting the title. City are close behind on 40.96%. Liverpool, Brighton and Chelsea trail in the next tier, with Brighton’s place among the contenders standing out despite their 3-0 win over Arsenal already altering the mood around them.

City’s start has been perfect even if it has not always looked effortless, with Bournemouth, Coventry and Sunderland all offering resistance. Their edge, as the model sees it, comes from a team built around the world’s best goalkeeper and the sport’s most ruthless striker.

Further down, the race for Europe remains tight. Brentford, who came so close last season, continue to threaten qualification, while Manchester United are rated as having slightly better odds of finishing third than of slipping into the bottom three. Aston Villa also need a major improvement if they are to return to the Champions League.

At the other end, Tottenham sit bottom after the first elongated international break, despite heavy summer spending. Opta’s simulations still place them in the relegation discussion more than 30% of the time, a bleak outcome for a club with major resources. That explains why Roberto De Zerbi is “very disappointed, very sad, very frustrated.”

Manchester United avoided a second straight Premier League defeat with a late equaliser at Fulham, but the result did little to quiet the concern around their start to the 2026/27 season.

For much of the afternoon, it seemed as if United were heading for consecutive league losses for the first time in more than a year, dating back to the closing stages of 2024/25. The match changed in the 89th minute when Matheus Cunha struck from distance, only for the effort to be heavily deflected off David Affengruber and beyond Bernd Leno.

The point leaves United on five from five, a tally that matches their joint-lowest at this stage of a Premier League campaign, alongside 2014/15. They will remain 12th during the international break before returning on Oct. 10 against Tottenham Hotspur, who are bottom of the table.

Gary Neville, speaking on Sky Sports, offered a blunt assessment of the period after half-time, describing it as the “worst” 15 minutes he’s ever seen from any Manchester United team. United’s tempo, urgency and willingness to run were all questioned, with the side having covered almost 7 kilometers less than Fulham by the 73rd minute.

Senne Lammens kept United in touch in the first half with four saves, including quick stops to deny Joshua King and Sander Berge. He later could have done better when Fulham went ahead, as his parry from Calvin Bassey’s shot created the opening for the goal.

Marcus Rashford’s return has been viewed positively in general, yet this match underlined the gap between effort and end product. In 77 minutes, he led United for touches in the opposition box and shots, but still left without a goal contribution. Across six appearances this season, he has yet to score or assist.

There was also curiosity over United’s all-blue away kit, worn competitively for the first time on Sunday after only appearing in preseason.