The Premier League 2026-27 season kicked off with major opening-weekend upsets, as newly promoted Hull City defeated Manchester United 2-0 and Tottenham Hotspur fell 3-0 to Brentford.
Stepping away from the panic button requires acknowledging a simple truth of sports journalism: it is just Week 1. As an American, every year when the NFL, college football or the NBA starts, there’s usually at least one wild overreaction that takes over the internet. We always have to remind ourselves: It’s just one game. It’s just Week 1. It doesn’t actually mean anything. Yet. Yet, the Premier League’s opening weekend was a weekend of shockers, marking the first time since 2021-22 that the “Big Six” have suffered two defeats in the opening weekend, with Chelsea yet to play.
Hull City Stuns Manchester United in Historic Upset
The most striking result of the weekend unfolded when newly promoted Hull City shut out Manchester United 2-0. Historically recognized as one of the most famous clubs in world football, Manchester United has been compared to the Dallas Cowboys of the league due to a dominated critical era featuring the likes of David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo in the squad. They entered the season under head coach Michael Carrick—who played during their last glory era—following a good end to last season and a return to the Champions League.
Hull City defied pre-season expectations after winning promotion, having been written off in the pre-season as an easy win for any big team. The victory marked Hull’s first Premier League match since 2017 and their first win over Manchester United since 1974, when both teams were in a lower tier.
Tottenham Hotspur Struggles Continue With Defeat to Brentford
Tottenham Hotspur endured a difficult year last season, falling down the table and nearly being relegated—which hasn’t happened to any of the current ‘Big Six’ since 2001, back when Manchester City were not owned by a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family. Spurs stayed up by the skin of their teeth after appointing a new manager in Roberto De Zerbi and spent a ton of money to shore up the squad during the transfer window, which ends on Sept. 1. Despite the wisdom of the crowd and analysts placing them in seventh by the end of this season, they lost their first match 3-0.
Brentford, a smaller club that outperforms its coverage and acts as the “moneyball” team of the EPL, simply outplayed them.
Celebrations for Ipswich Town and the Wider League Landscape
Amid the struggles of established clubs, other fixtures brought contrasting fortunes. Ipswich Town also secured a victory in their opening match, with videos showing Ed Sheeran screaming and jumping for joy because his team won their first match. Like Hull City, Ipswich Town was just promoted to the Premier League at the end of last season and bore the burden of low expectations.
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