Premier League
Premier League Gameweek 1 predictions: opening weekend calls for every fixture
A full set of Gameweek 1 predictions as Arsenal, United, Liverpool and Chelsea begin the 2026-27 season.
The 2026-27 Premier League season begins on Friday after a summer shaped by transfer spending, a World Cup campaign and months of anticipation. Defending champions Arsenal open the new term against Coventry City, while Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea all face testing away trips to start the campaign.
Arsenal’s Community Shield win over Manchester City offered a sharp reminder of their strength. A 3-0 victory followed mixed friendly results and underlined their status as the team to beat as they chase another title. Coventry arrive back in the top flight after a 25-year absence and Frank Lampard will hope his side’s momentum can make things awkward, but Arsenal look set for a controlled start.
Manchester United also appear well placed to begin with a win. Michael Carrick’s side travel to Hull City and, with Bruno Fernandes linking up with Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha, there is expectation that their revamped attack will be too strong. Hull, however, have strengthened and will be eager to repeat the stubborn draw they managed when these sides last met.
Elsewhere, Everton versus Crystal Palace has the feel of a low-scoring stalemate, while Ipswich Town’s return to the Premier League could be spoiled by Sunderland, who have kept much of last season’s side together. Nottingham Forest against Leeds United shapes as one of the tightest contests of the round, with both clubs heading into the game with belief.
Tottenham Hotspur should be improved after heavy investment, but Brentford have built steadily and could make life difficult. Brighton & Hove Albion may take advantage of Aston Villa’s unsettled summer, while Manchester City are still expected to edge Bournemouth despite early teething problems under Enzo Maresca.
Newcastle United and Liverpool look capable of producing another lively meeting, especially with both squads carrying change and uncertainty. The round then ends with Fulham hosting Chelsea, where the visitors’ late preseason form suggests they should have too much in attack.
Predictions: Arsenal 2-0 Coventry, Hull 1-3 Man Utd, Everton 0-0 Crystal Palace, Ipswich 0-1 Sunderland, Nottingham Forest 1-1 Leeds, Brentford 1-1 Tottenham, Brighton 2-1 Aston Villa, Man City 2-1 Bournemouth, Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool, Fulham 1-3 Chelsea.
Arsenal
Premier League Gameweek 1 Team of the Week: early standouts across the opening weekend
Opening weekend standouts from Pickford, De Cuyper, Sangaré, Gvardiol and Chelsea’s revived attack.
The Premier League season opened with a busy first weekend and several individual displays immediately demanding attention. Chelsea’s refreshed attack helped shape the closing stages of the round, while a number of other clubs also produced performances that stood out for different reasons.
Everton’s 2-0 win over Crystal Palace on Merseyside was not straightforward early on. The visitors started brightly, but poor finishing and Jordan Pickford kept them at bay. Pickford’s best moment came with a sharp save to deny Eddie Nketiah, and his contribution was among the best goalkeeping efforts of the weekend. Only Newcastle United debutant Lukáš Horniček prevented more goals on the opening weekend.
Brighton & Hove Albion also enjoyed a dominant afternoon, with Maxim De Cuyper pushed into a more advanced role in the demolition of Aston Villa. His energy caused constant problems, and he was directly involved in the move that led to Victor Lindelöf’s own goal before adding another by attacking the box with real purpose. That return earned him the Fantasy Premier League Player of the Week award and a 17-point haul.
There was also a memorable debut for Nobel Mendy, who marked his first appearance for Hull City by scoring against Manchester United. The defender helped his side make the most of set-pieces, and he finished the match with 12 clearances as Hull protected their two-goal cushion.
At Manchester City, Josko Gvardiol made the difference against Bournemouth after an opening spell in which City’s fluidity caused problems. He timed his run perfectly to meet Rayan Cherki’s pass and finish calmly beyond Đorđe Petrović, even if the effort was initially flagged offside.
Brentford had strong contributions from Keane Lewis-Potter and Mamadou Sangaré in their win over Tottenham Hotspur. Lewis-Potter struck early, while Sangaré’s debut showed exactly why the Bees committed a club-record fee for him. He linked play effectively, assisted the opener and was involved again for Brentford’s third.
Newcastle United also had reason to be encouraged by Yoane Wissa, whose all-round work helped drive their display against Liverpool. He was central to the transition that led to Joe Willock’s go-ahead goal after Cody Gakpo had drawn Liverpool level.
Chelsea’s own attacking momentum was reflected by Cole Palmer and João Pedro. Palmer looked sharp after a disrupted previous campaign, while João Pedro scored in under 30 seconds and later returned the favour for Palmer. He now appears to be the league’s strongest centre forward outside Erling Haaland.
Arsenal’s opening-night win over Coventry City also featured a debutant contribution, rounding off a weekend in which several new and familiar faces made a strong first impression.
Championship
PFA Awards 2026: Fernandes and Shaw lead the honours
Fernandes and Shaw headlined the 2026 PFA Awards after standout seasons in England.
The 53rd PFA Awards took place on Tuesday night at the Manchester Opera House, with the game’s leading players across England recognised for their 2025-26 seasons. The ceremony covered the Premier League, the EFL Championship, League One and Two, the Women’s Super League and the Women’s Super League 2.
Bruno Fernandes claimed the men’s Player of the Year award after a remarkable campaign for Manchester United. The midfielder set a Premier League record with 21 assists in a single season, and he became the first United player since Wayne Rooney in 2010 to win the prize.
In the women’s category, Manchester City forward Khadija “Bunny” Shaw was voted Player of the Year for a second time. Shaw scored 21 goals in 22 matches last season and played a key role as City won the title. Her recognition completed a double after she was also named women’s Player of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association in May.
Fernandes also completed a double of his own after being selected as men’s Player of the Year by the Football Writers’ Association in May.
City youngster Nico O’Reilly, 21, received the men’s Young Player of the Year award, while Arsenal forward Olivia Smith, 22, won the women’s Young Player of the Year honour for the second straight season.
Elsewhere, former Middlesbrough midfielder Hayden Hackney, now with Everton, was named Championship Player of the Year. Birmingham City forward Lily Crosthwaite collected the WSL2 Player of the Year award, while former Leyton Orient forward Dom Ballard, now at Championship side Bristol City, was named League One Player of the Year.
The event also included the Premier League, WSL, Championship, League One and WSL2 Teams of the Year, with the full line-ups listed separately.
Al Hilal
Martinelli’s reported Al Hilal offer would alter Arsenal salary comparisons
Martinelli’s reported Al Hilal offer could eclipse Arsenal pay after tax, with major salary
Gabriel Martinelli has reportedly been presented with an annual salary above $16.4 million (£12 million) to leave Arsenal for Al Hilal, with The Times reporting that the proposal has brought a possible exit into focus.
The Saudi Pro League club have moved into negotiations, and the size of the package appears to have shifted Martinelli’s position. Although the figures do not reach the level associated with Cristiano Ronaldo or Karim Benzema, they are still substantial enough to reshape what the Arsenal forward could earn over the course of a career. The key difference is the tax structure. In Saudi Arabia, Martinelli would theoretically keep the full amount of his annual salary.
That would place him in a different bracket from Arsenal’s current top earners. On a headline basis, the proposed deal would put Martinelli alongside Martin Ødegaard and Declan Rice. But after tax is taken into account, the comparison changes sharply. Arsenal players are said to surrender around 47% of their wages to HMRC, meaning Martinelli could end up taking home almost twice as much as Ødegaard and Rice.
Even Bukayo Saka, who became Arsenal’s highest paid player when he signed a new deal earlier this year, is not believed to approach the level Martinelli may command in the Kingdom.
The reported take-home annual salaries underline the gap:
Gabriel Martinelli: $16.4 million
Bukayo Saka: $11.3 million
Bruno Guimarães: $11.3 million
Kai Havertz: $10.5 million
William Saliba: $9.4 million
Martin Ødegaard: $9 million
Declan Rice: $9 million
Martinelli signed his current Arsenal contract in February 2023, midway through the most productive senior season of his career. By the end of that year, he had scored 15 Premier League goals, matching the total he would produce across the next three seasons.
