The Premier League opened its 2026/27 season with a first weekend that answered Richard Masters’ pre-season confidence with substance. The chief executive had promised supporters a strong competition, and the initial 10 fixtures supplied plenty of evidence for that claim, from sharp attacking spells to a series of results that unsettled several established sides.

Unai Emery was left to reflect on a damaging defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion, saying Aston Villa “lost our balance emotionally” after falling behind. His own pre-match handling of Ollie Watkins’ absence drew attention too, when he declined to elaborate beyond a single word: “Silence.”

At Tottenham Hotspur, the performance at the Gtech Community Stadium was so flat that it looked more like a short-lived interim spell than the work of Roberto De Zerbi. The scale of the disappointment was heightened by the $300 million transfer spend that had preceded it.

Michael Carrick’s team were also left exposed in a loss to newly promoted opposition, with transition problems, attacking bluntness and peculiar set-piece incidents all undermining the display. Coventry City, meanwhile, found themselves outclassed in a clash of league champions and struggled to trouble Arsenal in any meaningful way.

Elsewhere, Sunderland stayed level with Ipswich for much of the contest at Portman Road, but the hosts carried the greater threat for long periods. One exceptional free kick from Nilson Angulo was not enough to disguise a performance that lacked much else.

Oliver Glasner’s Nottingham Forest debut ended in a late defeat, prompting him to stress: “It is a process,” and “It’s pretty clear that my staff and I can’t put our hands on the players’ shoulders and all of a sudden we play like Real Madrid in the 1970s.” Crystal Palace were left frustrated as chances went begging and off-field uncertainty lingered.

There were more positive debuts at Craven Cottage and the City Ground, while Bournemouth’s performance at the Etihad showed organisation even in a late collapse. Chelsea’s first outing under Xabi Alonso offered attacking fluency and defensive unease in equal measure. Liverpool were pushed hard by Newcastle United, and a stoppage-time penalty denied them victory after Lewis Hall’s late lapse.

Arsenal began their title defence with calm control, Everton edged a useful result over Crystal Palace, and Brighton produced the weekend’s most ruthless spell by overwhelming Aston Villa after taking the lead early.

Manchester City are not treating the 2026 summer window as a finished job after committing heavily to Ayyoub Bouaddi and a possible club-record central midfielder. The club are still working on wide options as Enzo Maresca continues shaping a squad expected to challenge Arsenal for the title.

The shortage on the flanks is already clear. Jérémy Doku, Antoine Semenyo and a returning Jack Grealish are the main options currently available to Maresca, although Grealish could yet depart before the deadline after spending last season at Everton.

According to The Athletic, City have already reached an agreement for one attacker. Allan Elias is set to join from Palmeiras, with City paying a guaranteed $43.7 million (£32.1 million). The fee can rise to a maximum of $46.7 million (£34.3 million) through minor add-ons. That figure is well below the release clause that was first believed to be in play.

Allan is not viewed as a raw teenager in the mould of Endrick or Estêvão. At 22, he arrives with more senior experience, having recorded 21 goals and assists across 96 matches. He is still waiting for a first international appearance, despite his age and price tag.

His profile suggests a player with several uses. He is described as a strong dribbler, but also someone who contributes defensively and could operate as a wingback. Left-footed and used on the right, he appears to fit the role Savinho would leave behind.

City may not stop there. A separate Athletic report says the club are also interested in Cody Gakpo of Liverpool. It is a notable development, especially after Gakpo drew frustration from Liverpool supporters last season and was expected to move on this summer. Tottenham Hotspur have also revived previous interest, but Gakpo’s display in Liverpool’s fractured performance against Newcastle United on Sunday has brought him back into focus.

Chelsea’s Premier League opener offered a clear sign of what could make this season different, but it also exposed familiar risks. Under Alonso, the visitors produced a 3-2 win at Craven Cottage, and the central figure was Cole Palmer, who delivered the kind of performance Chelsea had been waiting for.

Palmer had a hand in all three of Chelsea’s open-play goals. Before the match, there was already a sense of confidence around him, and he justified it quickly by slipping João Pedro through for the opening goal after just 31 seconds. That strike set the tone for what was to follow, with Palmer repeatedly finding space, moving with ease and creating problems that Fulham struggled to contain.

The 24-year-old created three chances, misplaced only four passes and added a fine goal of his own to make it 3-1 in the 49th minute. For much of the evening, he looked sharper and freer than he had for a long time, helped by an off-season without the usual demands. His display showed both individual quality and how much Chelsea can gain when he is at full pace.

Alonso’s flexible 3-4-2-1 gave Palmer the freedom to drift, combine and dictate. The structure around him also worked in moments, especially for Chelsea’s second goal, when Maxence Lacroix pushed forward into a role few would have expected and laid the ball back for Morgan Rogers to score into an empty net. It summed up Alonso’s idea of movement, rotation and unpredictability.

Yet the defensive side of Chelsea’s performance was far less convincing. Levi Colwill escaped a red card early on, while Fulham were allowed back into the match before Robert Sánchez came under heavy scrutiny for a series of unconvincing actions, including both goals he might have done more to stop. The ending was made worse when Palmer went off holding his knee, leaving Alonso with a concern despite the opening-day victory.