Liverpool survive late scare, Man City shine with new star Reijnders, and Arsenal edge wasteful Man United.
Contrasting Wins for Title Rivals
Title contenders Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal all began their Premier League campaigns with victories—though achieved in very different fashions.
Defending champions Liverpool needed late drama to overcome Bournemouth 4-2 on an emotional night at Anfield. Manchester City cruised to a commanding 4-0 win at Wolves, while Arsenal held firm in a narrow 1-0 win away at Manchester United.
Liverpool’s Fragile Balance Exposed Despite Firepower
A revamped Liverpool front line appears to be an upgrade on last season’s title-winning attack, but their abundance of attacking talent is beginning to expose defensive vulnerabilities.
Hugo Ekitike impressed on debut, scoring and assisting Cody Gakpo to put the Reds 2-0 up. However, Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo struck twice, the second coming after a solo run from his own half that left Liverpool’s defence embarrassingly exposed.
Late goals from Federico Chiesa and Mohamed Salah rescued the win, but questions remain over Arne Slot’s tactical balance.
“How many players were ahead of the ball—maybe eight—when they were leading 2-1?” remarked former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher. “That can’t happen. It’s absolutely shocking at this level.”
Liverpool are reportedly targeting Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and Crystal Palace centre-back Marc Guehi as reinforcements. But unless Slot resolves their vulnerability to counter-attacks—a pattern seen in pre-season and the Community Shield—they risk more nervy nights ahead.
Reijnders Impresses as Man City Start in Style
After a disappointing third-place finish last season, Manchester City are out to reclaim the title—and they started emphatically at Molineux.
New signing Tijjani Reijnders, brought in to fill the creative void left by Kevin De Bruyne, had a hand in all three of City’s opening goals. He danced through Wolves’ defence to assist Erling Haaland’s opener, then scored his first goal for the club before setting up Haaland’s second.
“We knew he was a top signing for the coming years,” said manager Pep Guardiola. “Lovely guy, and he’s made an impact from day one.”
Man United’s Attack Misfires in Familiar Defeat
Despite a heavy summer investment of £200 million in attacking talent, Manchester United started the season with a familiar result—a 1-0 defeat, this time to Arsenal at Old Trafford.
New signings Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko all featured, but Arsenal’s disciplined defence held firm. The game was decided by the two goalkeepers: United’s Altay Bayindir, standing in for the injured Andre Onana, spilled a shot that allowed Riccardo Calafiori to score the only goal. At the other end, David Raya denied both Mbeumo and Cunha to secure Arsenal’s win.
United boss Ruben Amorim defended his team’s performance. “The context is completely different from last season,” he said. “The effort and shape were there—we just lacked execution.”
While Arsenal showed defensive resilience, they will need to offer more in attack if they are to break City and Liverpool’s title dominance that has lasted since 2017.
