The Premier League has been back for just three weeks and we already needed a break, after some breathtaking drama, and some eye-catching results, in the opening rounds of fixtures.
Arne Slot’s Liverpool are the only club to win all three of their games so far, but that isn’t half the story as they have left it late in all three of their wins. The reigning champions top the Premier League table and are two points ahead of Chelsea, but they looked like having to settle for a draw, late into all three of their games.
The Reds had an opening day scare against Bournemouth, eventually winning 4-2 after the Cherries had levelled late at 2-2; Federico Chiesa scored on 88 minutes to make it 3-2 before Mo Salah scored a fourth deep into stoppage time. Then Liverpool edged out Newcastle United in a five-goal thriller as sixteen-year-old Rio Ngumoha scored the winner on his Premier League debut, with 100 minutes on the clock. The Magpies had Anthony Gordon sent off at the end of the first half but they looked the more likely to win until the teenage sensation stole the show.
A 1-0 win over Arsenal thanks to a late Dominik Szoboszlai goal lifted the Reds to the summit, but they are under serious pressure to stay there after a summer of lavish spending. Liverpool’s summer transfer window has been simply sensational and Slot has brought in two £100m-plus players in German playmaker Florian Wirtz and, on deadline day, Newcastle striker Alexander Isak. The arrival of forward Hugo Ekitike and others takes the total bill past £400m for the summer.
Six for Sunderland
After winning promotion to the Premier League via the play-offs last term, the Championship surprise package has already picked up six points from its first three games to sit loftily in sixth position. The Black Cats had the perfect start in front of a frenzied crowd at the Stadium of Light, as they scored three late headers to smash West Ham United 3-0 and send their fans into ecstasy.
This SBOTOP writer saw the Black Cats lose 2-0 to Burnley in their second match and then, the hero of Sunderland’s promotion campaign, Wilson Isidor, scored a late, late winner against Brentford in a 2-1 victory. The North East club has spent very heavily in an attempt to stay up but they did look vulnerable at Turf Moor. Many of the club’s signings are highly promising youngsters with little top flight experience, but the recruitment of midfield ace Granit Xhaka from Bayer Leverkusen will give Sunderland a fighting chance, if they can continue to pick up points at home to the weaker sides in the league.
Chelsea are clicking
After winning the Club World Cup in superb style the Premier League 2025 betting odds picked out Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea to be one of the few sides which could challenge Liverpool; and the Blues spent heavily, again, in a bid to strengthen their hand. Joao Pedro, a £60m signing from Brighton and Hove Albion, is already proving his worth after starring in the summer showcase, and he opened the floodgates in a 5-1 dismantling of West Ham United at the London Stadium.
Jamie Gittens, Liam Delap, Jorrel Hato and Estevao Willian have all walked through the door and the team has accumulated seven points to sit second in the table. After a disappointing opening day draw with Crystal Palace the Blues whacked the Hammers and then saw off West London rivals Fulham 2-0, admittedly with a helping hand from VAR.
Moyes is made for Everton
Another team to pick up a good set of early Premier League 2025 results is David Moyes’ Everton who have won two of their first three games to sit in fifth, ahead of Sunderland on goal difference. The Toffees, reunited with manager Moyes, were unlucky to lose 1-0 at Leeds United on the opening weekend, but they recovered to beat Brighton. The signing of Jack Grealish from Manchester City on loan looks to be a masterstroke as he provided both assists in the 2-0 victory over the Seagulls, and the England man weighed in with another two as Everton followed that up with a 3-2 win away to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Slow starts for Sky Blues, Magpies and Villans
With three, two and one point respectively, Manchester City, Newcastle United and Aston Villa are all in the wrong half of the table. The Sky Blues are expected to challenge for the title and were hugely impressive in their 4-0 win over Wolves on the opening day; but they have since fallen to Spurs and Brighton.
Villa and Newcastle played out a 0-0 draw on the opening day of the campaign after the Villans had gone down to ten men following the dismissal of centre-back Ezri Konsa; and that was the last point Unai Emery’s side got, losing to Brentford, a team expected to struggle this season, and then to Crystal Palace 3-0.
Meanwhile, Newcastle drew 0-0 with Leeds after suffering heartbreak against the high-flying Liverpool.
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