Did you enjoy this summer’s World Cup? Are you curious about the soccer world beyond that tournament? Welcome to The Athletic’s Soccer Weekender. All fans are welcome. We’ll be tackling the big topics from every weekend of action, and the funniest moments, weird histories, meaningful stories you may have missed and more. Today: We debrief the opening round of Premier League action, the biggest haircut of the year and a quick rundown of how it all actually works in a Premier League 101.
Step away from the panic button. It’s 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.
But still, the Premier League’s opening weekend was a weekend of shockers. This is the first time since 2021-22 that the “Big Six” have suffered two defeats in the opening weekend. And one (Chelsea) has yet to play! The “Big Six” are the six richest and most globally popular teams: Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Manchester United, Manchester City and Liverpool.
And those were just two of the major upsets that had everyone, including Ed Sheeran, screaming.
It’s easy to forget, but it’s worth remembering: Last year’s post-Super Bowl Kansas City Chiefs lost their first two games, and everyone said, “Just give it time.” They missed the playoffs.
Here are the five shocks of the week — with an off-pitch finale from Erling Haaland — plus a rundown on how the Premier League works as we kick off the season.
The five shocks this week
1. A newly promoted team beating the most famous team in the world?
OK, we can quibble over which team is the “most famous” in the Premier League in 2026, but historically it’s Manchester United. They’re basically the Dallas Cowboys of the league: dominated for a critical era and had the likes of David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo in the squad. It’s hard to argue they aren’t the most significant and famous soccer team in the world.
But, also like the Cowboys, they are not still ‘dem boys. They’ve struggled in recent years and are inconsistent. But they had a good end to last season under a new head coach — Michael Carrick — who played during their last glory era. They’re back in the Champions League (more on what that means below) and look poised for a good season.
Then Hull City happened. Hull have just made it back into the Premier League. Think of it a little bit like a team that just made it from Division 2 up to Division 1. Hull wasn’t even expected to win promotion last year. They were written off in this pre-season, too, as an easy win for any big team.
Not so fast! They shut out Manchester United and won 2-0. This was their first Premier League match since 2017, and their first victory over Man Utd since 1974, when both teams were in a lower tier. (More about the divisions in our Premier League 101 below.)
The ultimate underdog moment. As an American comparison, that would be like a pretty good Big Ten team getting toppled by a Sun Belt 16-seed, or a top tennis player in a slight slump getting ousted by a relative newcomer.
Now, can Hull keep it up? Stay tuned…
Hull celebrate during their win on Saturday. (George Wood/Getty Images)
2. Another ‘Big Six’ team goes down in a year that’s supposed to be their turnaround…
Sorry, Spurs! Tottenham Hotspur had a hell of a year last season, falling down the table and nearly being relegated, which hasn’t happened to any of the current ‘Big Six’ since 2001 — and back then, 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).
The wisdom of the crowd — and the analysts — is that Spurs essentially have nowhere to go but up: Our experts put them in seventh by the end of this season.
Instead, they lost their first match 3-0. Oof! Brentford, a smaller club that, to be fair, outperforms its coverage, simply outplayed them. (For beginners: Brentford is kind of the “moneyball” team of the EPL.)
This one was a talker! Of course, one match does not a season make, and this is likely just part of the growing pains for Spurs. But somehow, they have to figure out how to get accustomed to winning again.
3. Annnnd it was a good weekend for Ed Sheeran too
Did you see those videos of Ed Sheeran screaming and jumping for joy this weekend? That’s because his team, Ipswich Town, won their first match. They weren’t supposed to. Like Hull City, Ipswich Town was just promoted to the Premier League at the end of last season, and they, too, bore the burden of low expectations.
For Week 1, they faced Sunderland, who were newly promoted last year but good enough to clinch a spot in a European tournament. (See explainer below on what that means.)
Sunderland was supposed to beat Ipswich. Instead, we got Ed Sheeran screaming along with every Ipswich fan around the world. This is why we love sports.
4. An awakened giant felled in the opening weekend
Aston Villa is a team that many Americans could likely rally behind. They’re one of the most historic clubs in the game, but recently went trophyless for 30 years. Under Unai Emery — quite a meme factory, Emery — they have charged up the league and last season, they won the Europa League.
Now that we’ve got you on Aston Villa … they did just lose their first match.
Brighton & Hove Albion, better known as just “Brighton,” beat them 4-0.
Let that sink in: 4-0!
Brighton is good, and this isn’t an insane upset in terms of win/loss, but the final score is a bit of a shocker.
The best part of this for me was the instantly memed post-game interview with Villa coach Emery where he was asked about a star player who wasn’t in the match (lots of drama to delve into there), and he simply replied: “Silence.” No, he didn’t reply with silence; he said “Silence.”
Amazing. No notes.
5. And the off-pitch shock of the weekend — Erling Haaland cut his hair?!
Shock of the year? Shock of the DECADE? The World Cup’s darling ponytailed giant decided to chop-chop those waving golden locks, and now he looks like … Eminem? A thug from a Guy Ritchie movie?
In a YouTube video of the big event, Erling Haaland FaceTimes several friends after the chop, including his old coach Pep Guardiola, teammate Jack Grealish and soccer legend and commentator Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
As occasionally happens, Ibrahimovic spoke for many: “What the f*** did you do?? Oh my god, what the f*** is this?” Grealish said he liked it but that: “You look about 10 years old.” Haaland’s own assessment was that he looks like Kevin from “Home Alone.”
One question Haaland answered: Will he be faster now? “I hope so.”
In his first match of the season, he didn’t score or assist, but his team won 2-1, against Bournemouth.
If you don’t know yet, the Premier League obsession is so strong globally that even a haircut can stop the presses. And that’s why we love it.
With that, let’s hit a quick beginner’s guide to how the Premier League works…
EPL 101: How the Premier League actually works
Hundreds of countries around the world have soccer leagues, known as “club soccer,” but England’s Premier League is widely considered the best. It’s filled with World Cup stars like Erling Haaland, Declan Rice and Bukayo Saka.
What is the Premier League and who is in it?
- There are 20 teams in the Premier League. But this is actually only the top tier in England’s football system, which includes four professional tiers and more below that vying to join the professional English Football League. Below the Premier League is the Championship, then League 1 and League 2. Heard of a Welsh team called Wrexham who are owned by two Hollywood stars? They’re in the Championship.
- These teams are based in places across England. There are three cities with more than one Premier League team; six of them are in London (Arsenal, Brentford, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Fulham, Tottenham Hotspur), two are in Manchester (Man United and Man City) and two are in Liverpool (Liverpool and Everton).
- Each year, three of the 20 teams get relegated to the tier below, while three win promotion up into the Prem. Kind of like Junior Varsity to Varsity, or Division 2 to Division 1. The three teams that just came up are: Ipswich, Hull and Coventry City.
Ipswich celebrate their win over Sunderland. (Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
How long is the season and what is the format?
- The Premier League season starts now and continues through the end of May.
- Unlike our major leagues in the U.S., there are no playoffs. You win the league by finishing at the top of the table with the most points.
- Each Premier League team plays every other Premier League team twice — once at home and once away.
- You earn three points for a win, one point for a draw, and zero for a loss, a lot like the World Cup group stage. There are tiebreakers for league position like goal difference — who has the best goals scored to goals conceded ratio, then goals scored, then head-to-head, and finally away goals in head-to-head games. Remarkably, if all of those are level, and there is an issue to be decided, like the title, a European place or relegation, then a one-off playoff game is held at a neutral venue to decide who gets the spot. This has never happened in the Premier League.
What is “Europe” in the context of Premier League teams?
- The top teams in the Premier League each season also qualify for “Europe,” the European tournaments: UEFA Champions League (top tier), Europa League (second tier) and Conference League (third). Sunderland, for example, will compete in the Europa League this season.
- This year’s draw for the Champions League tournament is this Thursday, August 27, at 5 p.m. BST / 12 p.m. ET in Monaco. The draw includes 36 teams across Europe, with each club playing eight games against different opponents, four home and four away.
What are the most important storylines to know this season?
- The current champions are Arsenal, who finally broke through after years of near-misses. Now all they have to do is defend it. Only three managers have won back-to-back titles. Can Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta do it?
- Meanwhile, NINE clubs have new managers/head coaches for the start of the season. Most notably, the legendary Pep Guardiola, who transformed English soccer, left Manchester City and his former assistant coach Enzo Maresca — previously of Chelsea — is taking over. In other words, plot twists ahead!
- Back to Erling Haaland — he won last year’s Golden Boot with the most goals in the Premier League, but he’s got a LOT of competition this year. Can he make it another?
Let’s watch together.
Week 1 scores
[Quick key for newbies: First team listed is the home team]
- Arsenal 3-0 Coventry
- Brentford 3-0 Tottenham
- Nottingham Forest 0-1 Leeds
- Ipswich 2-1 Sunderland
- Everton 2-0 Crystal Palace
- Hull City 2-0 Manchester United
- Newcastle 2-2 Liverpool
- Manchester City 2-1 Bournemouth
- Brighton 4-0 Aston Villa
Chelsea travels to Fulham in the final game of the Premier League weekend. That is on Monday at 8 p.m. BST/ 3 p.m. ET on the USA Network.
Week 2 fixtures (games) — and where to watch them in the U.S.
Friday, August 28
- Crystal Palace vs. Manchester City, 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET
Saturday, August 29
- Liverpool vs. Nottingham Forest, 12:30 p.m. BST / 7:30 a.m. ET
- Bournemouth vs. Everton, 3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET
- Coventry vs. Hull City, 3 p.m. BST / 10 a.m. ET
- Spurs vs. Newcastle, 5:30 p.m. BST / 12:30 p.m. ET
Sunday, August 30
- Chelsea vs. Brighton, 2 p.m. BST / 9 a.m. ET
- Leeds vs. Brentford, 2 p.m. BST / 9 a.m. ET
- Sunderland vs. Fulham, 2 p.m. BST / 9 a.m. ET
- Manchester United vs. Ipswich, 4:30 p.m. BST / 11:30 a.m. ET
Monday, August 31
- Aston Villa vs. Arsenal, 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET
All Premier League games are broadcast in the U.S. on Peacock/NBCSN/NBC or the USA Network, with specifics confirmed later this week.
