The first Premier League weekend of 2026 and one that kept you transfixed from beginning to end.
There were just so many Premier League 2026 highlights – from Wolves finally claiming a victory to John McGinn inspiring Aston Villa, from a 97th minute wonder goal for Fulham to another last-gasp strike for Chelsea (at the third time of asking). And I could go on.
Either way, you just can’t keep your eye off the top flight – or the SBOTOP Premier League betting odds for that matter – for one minute.
Aston Villa may not have the squad depth of Arsenal, Manchester City or Liverpool but there’s been no better manager in the Premier League in the last three years than Unai Emery.
He continues to deliver the boys in Claret and Blue to heights they have no right to occupy given the budgetary constraints he has been working with (by comparison to other leading lights).
Going down to the leaders Arsenal in midweek may have been a blow – a game too far just 72 hours after they won impressively at Chelsea – but their lack of squad numbers does not take away their character or talent.
That was on show once again at Villa Park as they ran out 3-1 winners in the Midlands derby at home to Nottingham Forest.
On his 250th appearance for the club – and what a signing he has proved to be – it was fitting that Ollie Watkins opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time.
It was the England striker’s fourth goal in three games and set Villa on their way to an 11th straight home win – their best run in 36 years.
McGinn then netted a second half double to secure the points. The first came just four minutes after the restart and the second was when he expertly drove into an empty net from 35 yards following an error from a goalkeeper I had not heard of, John Victor, even though I can see he has been their first choice now for the past month.
That was sandwiched between a cool finish from Morgan Gibbs-White who gave Forest, who remain in 17th place, hope just after the hour mark.
If ever there has been a yo-yo club over the past decade or so, it has been Burnley.
Throughout this time, my SBOTOP colleague Stuart has always retained a positive persona and that is to his immense credit.
He has witnessed some lows but my word he has enjoyed the highs, both in the top flight and during two Championship campaigns in which the Clarets gained 101 and 100 points respectively.
I’m sure though, deep down, he would acknowledge that their current boss, Scott Parker, is Championship rather than Premier League pedigree.
They’ve been involved in many close games during the first half of the campaign but, sadly for them, most of those contests have ended in defeat – a position which currently leaves them one place off the bottom with just three victories and 12 points, six adrift from safety.
One suspects they will need to strengthen considerably if they are to reverse their fortunes between now and May and secure back-to-back Premier League seasons for the first time since 2021.
Saturday’s 2-0 defeat at Brighton was another prime example of their overall lack of quality as they went down to a ninth defeat in 11 games.
The fact it took two minutes into first-half stoppage time before they fashioned their first opportunity on goal only served to underline their limited ambition. Of course, the gulf between the established clubs with deep pockets and the rest grows with each passing year and Burnley’s constant place in the higher echelons of the Championship and the lower end of the Premier League still underlines a well-run club under the chairmanship of Alan Pace.
They may have it all to do – in fact, they may still finish with fewer than the 11 meagre points Derby County could manage in 2007-08 – but as the second half of the campaign officially got underway, Wolves finally have a victory to savour.
They had pushed Arsenal and Liverpool close in December but, after drawing at Manchester United in midweek, the ‘boys from the black country’ are clearly gaining in confidence and produced a dominant 90 minute display at home to fellow strugglers West Ham.
This was Rob Edwards’ first win as Wolves head coach and the team’s first league victory since beating Leicester City in April last year.
At a stroke, the league’s bottom side doubled their points tally for the season to six, thanks to first-half goals from Jhon Arias, Hwang Hee-chan and Mateus Mane.
Yes, the Hammers were a sorry state and failed to muster a solitary effort on target.
Going into the contest, Wolves were the first side in English top-flight history since Bolton Wanderers in 1902-03 to go 19 matches from the start of a season without winning.
For months, they have looked likely to endure a fate as dismal as Derby 18 years ago, when the Rams went 32 games without a victory following an early win against Newcastle.
But this thoroughly deserved victory finally gave their long-suffering fans something to cheer.
At the other end of the table, it’s been a wonderful week for Arsenal and their 3-2 success at Bournemouth demonstrated both their squad depth and character to end their decades-long wait for title glory.
The recently returned centre back Gabriel uncharacteristically misplaced a pass which allowed Evanilson an opportunity he could not believe to slot the hosts ahead.
Yet the Brazilian strove to make amends and promptly equalised before Declan Rice capped his return from injury with two goals as Arsenal cemented top spot, even surviving a nervous last quarter of an hour after young substitute Eli Junior Kroupi underlined his growing reputation by pulling one back.
They have had a first half of the season beset by injuries but, unlike 12 months ago, Arsenal now have the strength in depth to go one better.
The final game of the weekend was the clash of the nouveau riche but not quite as was anticipated a week or so ago.
The New Year’s Day sacking of Enzo Maresca meant a novice was in the Chelsea dugout at Manchester City and I expected that would lead to a home romp.
Ultimately, it was not the case.
A first half strike from Dutch midfielder Tijjani Reijnders seemed set to seal a 1-0 success but City could not get over the line and, in the fifth minute of stoppage time, Chelsea claimed an unlikely point.
Enzo Fernandez actually miskicked his first attempt and then saw his second saved by Gigi Donnarumma, but his persistence paid off and the third effort found the bottom corner to earn a 1-1 draw.
Just as worryingly for the home side was the sight of their first two choice centre backs, Josko Gvardiol and Ruben Dias, leaving the fray with knocks during the second half.
Arsenal now top the table by six points – daylight.
Elsewhere on Sunday, further plaudits for Sunderland and Fulham.
Sunderland, the big relegation favourites at the start of the season, scored an 80th minute equaliser to draw at Spurs, just three days after holding City – all this for a team which has lost six players to the Africa Cup Of Nations.
It was Brian Brobbey who was the hero again with an explosive finish, the same player who also netted a last-gasp equaliser against Arsenal in November.
As for Fulham, they have also lost key players to AFCON and were very limited with their choices from the bench but were deservedly rewarded when Harrison Reed, who had only been on the pitch for a few minutes, scored a stunning 97th minute equaliser to rescue a 2-2 draw at home to Liverpool.
Spare a thought for Crystal Palace, who are down in 14th place and without a win in seven in all competitions following a 2-0 defeat at Newcastle.
That does not reflect their achievements in the first half of the season, however, and they are only four points behind fifth place with a wafer-thin squad and a more congested programme than any other club in the top flight.
The Eagles deserve total respect.
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